Prada Prada Prada Prada Prada! I never really got Prada until the Spring 2006 RTW collection. The light palette, strange proportions and hot pink matte lipstick blew me away. And each collection since, although not always my style, I’ve completely adored and been fascinated by.

This current collection (above) is no different. Each report I’ve read since the show a few days ago loved the collection but couldn’t stand the hair and makeup. They’ve all reported that it’s too young and girlie. I totally disagree! The hair has been teased and messed up, the ponytails are uneven and the side part is so heavy and dramatic that in covering one eye it’s actually quite sexy.  On top of that, the brows have been concealed (very contemporary, edgy and powerful) and the lips have been given a hyper-feminine shape as well as a good, thick coating of clear gloss over the orange lipstick. The makeup look, although being based on a typical girlie look, is so brazenly feminine that the last thing it could be interpreted is as childish.

It’s a chic look that would work when you’re surrounded by colours and activity, such as at a picnic or at the beach. If you just make sure you’re not too polished, you’ve got it!

Another look that would be stunning at a Spring picnic or on the beach in Summertime is the above look at MaxMara. A moisturised face (with sunscreen!), spots concealed, and a sweep of orange blush over the cheekbones, et voila, little miss sunshine! Orange is tough to work, so start very lightly using a big blush brush and quickly sweep it in one go from the apples of the cheeks up to the ears, just like on the model here. There’s no need to go back and forth (as much as Marc Jacobs has been telling us, IT IS NOT THE 80s!), one or two sweeps will be enough, as all you’re trying to achieve is faint hint of orange so it looks like you’ve been out enjoying the sun.

Oh, all this talk of the sun, picnics and the beach – hurry up Summer!

xxxx

(all pics from http://www.style.com/fashionshows/)

John the Baptist by Caravaggio, 1604.

(Pic from Wiki)

After discovering this artwork I became fanatical about baroque art. All of the drama, rich colours and intense lighting pulled me in.

The other two gentlemen were Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. I remember seeing their Spring 2002 RTW collection and being absolutely blown away by it. The perfectly tailored suits, corseted dresses, flower-print chiffon, woven ribbon mini skirts, all of which I still covet today. Additionally, all of the It-girls were in the show: Gisele, Mini, Maggie, Anouck, Carmen, Stella, Jaquetta, Erin, Karen, Karolina, Alek Wek, plus more! That collection just had me. It was such an awesome spectacle! So feminine and yet structured and powerful, so carefree and beautiful, an array of clothes that would take you from your office in Milan to a weekend away on the Amalfi Coast. Hey, a girl can dream!

I had to indulge my fantasy, I couldn’t resist! So i took up the Italian language at uni and studied it for 3 years. I haven’t been back to Italy or turned to the language for a couple of years now, but it’s comforting to know that the Italian woman is still as beautiful as that initial imprint from 8 years ago. This is Dolce and Gabbana’s Spring/Summer 2010 woman:

Simply beautiful.

Italian Springs and Summers to me mean warm, rich colours (think golden tones, shades of red from Carnelian to Persimmon to Venetian red (of course!) and browns including bronze, copper, burnt sienna and sandy brown) or an overtly sexy, smokey eye. And here they are…

A golden eye at Pucci with a flick of mascara.

Chocolate-brown smudged all over the eye and up to the brow at Fendi.

And at Versace, a royal purple smokey eye. With a bit of practice this look could be quite fun to wear on a night out!

How-to’s coming soon, I promise! xxxx

(all pics from http://www.style.com/fashionshows/)