Peter Hawkings’ Tom Ford show has in one short season become a seriously hot ticket. The Kent-born designer, who served as Ford’s number two for twenty five years, unveiled his first collection as creative director in September. Since then he’s dressed Dakota Johson, Miley Cyrus, Timothée Chalamet and Dua Lipa to name a few in his unapologetically sexy, glamour-drenched clothes.
At his second show last night in Milan he enticed two major Hollywood queens — Uma Thurman and Sharon Stone — to his front row, alongside Amber Valletta, Eva Green, Alek Wek, Sam Claflin, Iris Law and Callum Turner.
Sometimes all you want from a fashion show is a bit of high octane otherworldly luxe — on that Hawkings more than delivers.
A stonking soundtrack, bass pounding, flitting between Beyoncé, Underworld and The Pet Shop Boys, glass of fizz, decadently thick carpet and strip of spot lit catwalk — this is what we all signed up for, frankly.
Grit is all well and good, but who doesn’t want to get lost in a world of spangly lattice skintight black catsuits and slicks of gold draped jersey slashed to the thigh gowns? Alongside those red carpet must-haves there were sharp military coats, navy punctuated with hefty gold buttons; slinky bodycon camel roll neck knit dresses, metallic violet trouser suits and sexy black bandage mini dresses. Not forgetting, of course, a mob-wife-tastic luxuriant shaggy-yeti jacket paired with gold tasselled disco number. Now, that’s a mood to tap into.
Earlier in the evening another shift came from Adrian Appiolaza’s first collection for Moschino. Appiolaza, who has only been in the building since January, took over in heartbreaking circumstances. Davide Renne had taken the reins in November, after Jeremy Scott stood down last March, but died suddenly of a heart attack barely two weeks into the job.
Appiolaza, a Central Saint Martins graduate born in Buenos Aires, has excellent pedigree having worked with a host of the industry’s power players including Phoebe Philo, Marc Jacobs, Miuccia Prada and latterly Jonathan Anderson, for whom he served as design director at Loewe for the past decade.
His first show, whipped together under clear pressure, however set out a strong stall. Gone are the gimmicky stunts Scott was famed for. Instead he’s intertwined the trompe l’oeil wit of Franco Moschino through a collection of really rather good clothes.
Great coats, cool tailoring, smileys on sweaters and accessories from the Manchester aficionado and some brilliant bags — the suede brown totes were especially lust worthy. As were the neat red heeled-courts and chunky mary-janes.
Wearable, desirable clothes from a Moschino collection? Not something you’d have said a couple of years ago. One to keep an eye on.
