A look inside the "Schiaparelli & Prada: Impossible Conversations" exhibition
Courtesy of Prada

The Metropolitan Museum still hasn't opened their latest Schiaparelli and Prada exhibition to the public yet. Everyone will be able to enjoy it from this Thursday 10th. This means only those fabulous people dressed to the nines last night have been able to see it so far!

I haven't had the chance to see any of the exhibitions, which makes me upset if I think about it – especially McQueen's last year. But I am also super interested in finding out this so-called conversation between Miuccia Prada and Elsa Schiaparelli.

The lovely people from Prada have kindly sent over a preview of the exhibition before it opens this week. I would love to go through those years and years of incredible Prada creations...!

I am also excited about the news that Schiaparelli is being brought back to life in 2013. The famous philanthrope and fashion mogul Diego Della Valle, owner of the Tod's Group, has acquired the brand and is putting it back on the fashion panorama!

Click below on read more to have a look inside the exhibit!

Courtesy of Prada

Style.com, Garance Doré, The Sartorialist

I never need more reasons to love Miuccia Prada and yet every season she insists on adding new ones to the list. Prada's SS12 collection was perfect from beginning to end. We have seen a clear 50's inspiration on the brand's FW11 and Resort 2012 lines, which I obviously loved, and now Miuccia is still looking back in time but moving on.

The new collection is very influenced by the sexy lines and colours of the late 1950's. In fact, Prada specifically focused on the epitome of that era –Grease, set in 1959. Just as we saw on the SS11 collection, Miuccia has the ability of being quite literal in terms of graphics and prints while creating beautiful pieces everyone wants to wear because they also feel very forward.

The ever so famous 'Grease lightning' covers the back of silk jackets with embellished collars and sleeves. Its peculiar flame motifs are used at Prada to flank the leather bi-colour shoes, which made the models look like a queue of Hermes impersonators.

We saw a lot of pleated silks on skirts and dresses and heaps of jewellery. I really loved the latter because, while it was slightly ostentatious, very Italian, it also felt very modern and graphic. It complemented the embroidery and patterns of the jackets beautifully.

And don't forget the sunglasses. Miuccia has a way of creating the most-wanted model every season. She did it again at Miu Miu for FW11, after all.

I know bold prints —Jil Sander, Stella McCartney, Céline and the lot— are pretty much old news. But the fact is that I am currently very much inspired by them. Not only they match my jolly summer mood (despite London's temperamental weather) but they look über-cool when carefully combined with other prints.

As a man, I have to be even more careful with my print combinations but you ladies are so lucky to be able to go a lot crazier. I am loving stripes and flower prints at the moment, especially if the florals are a bit funky and look quite collage-y.

Which prints will you be wearing this summer?

Miuccia's forward thinking

I have never considered putting Miuccia's talent in question. Nor I am. I watched the Prada SS11 men's show with excitement and in wonderment as futuristic clothes somewhat inspired in the past walked the runway in a somewhat loft-y venue in Milan. The three-button blazers and v-neck jumpers that opened the show looked almost 'body-con' elongating the body, futuristic shapes in colours from the past. As the models continued to march down the catwalk we saw the proportions changed with baggier trousers and shorts and then baggy shirts. Short-sleeved t-shirts that like out of a Scrubs re-run layered over shirts and later presented in denim. A very classic type of denim that Miuccia also used to make suits, shirts and ties creating what, to me, was the star of the collection.

The finale consisted of a series of striped, thick jumpers also with that futuristic feel but very much inspired in après-ski. Even the shoes possessed that characteristic of retro-futuristic by using multicolour metallic leather on brogues with rubber and esparto soles.
All in all, a super directional collection of which one may not want to buy or wear too many pieces but that proves Miuccia not only a great designer but a remarkable thinker.
I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com, TheSartorialist.blogspot.com]

15 essentials for SS10

Every season, together with the must-have bags and shoes, lists are made about the key silhouettes, colours, textures and garments that a woman must add to add the required savviness to her wardrobe. We have chosen our soVIP essentials for SS10 with a selection of our all-time favourite designers, the most acclaimed of the season and a couple new additions.

1. David Delfín's hospital green, 2. Marni's head scarves, 3. Chloé's denim patchwork, 4. Céline's structure, 5. Rag & Bone's jersey harems, 6. Isabel Marant's cropped tweed, 7. Prada's palm landscapes, 8. Dries Van Noten's printed wraps, 9. Prada's bejewelled-ness, 10. Stella McCartney's denim, 11. Givenchy's stripes, 12. Altuzarra's suede and lace, 13. Preen's fuzziness, 14. Christopher Kane's gingham, 15. Alexander Wang's leather and jersey.

[Pictures: Style.com]

I'm off.

The Huns wore Prada

Last Monday, March 15th, the classic Italian opera Attila got an extra injection of Italiana from the hand of Miuccia Prada. She reinvented the whole costume designs of Verdi's piece by adding a much more contemporary note and bringing back influences from her past collections. Go here to see all the coverage from Style.com, words by Derek Blasberg.

Miuccia's clear references from FW07 (left) and SS07 (right) incorporated into the main character's costume.

The result in real life.

Men's costumes draw inspiration from Prada's FW07 (left) and SS10 (right) collections.

[Pictures: Style.com, GQ.com, MetOperaFamily.org]

I'm off.