Mirko Fontana and Diego Marquez started with a fun idea. They took the staple garments of what they termed “granny” fashion in Milan and then subjected them to ironic twists and zhooshification to suit their 25- to 35-year-old customer base.
Thus, the models all wore gray pantyhose—but over their shoes. There were Ballantyne-style knits over preppy flannels heaped with teardrop pearl brooches, Chanel-lite bouclé suits with collegiate patches and more pearls, Dolce & Gabbana herringbone tailoring with more patches and pearls, et cetera. The problem was that the designers’ punchlines were neither funny nor subversive enough to elevate their remixes above or beyond the originals. Instead, they ended up looking like pale imitations.
More fruitful was the notion of making outfits that looked like separates as single pieces—as in Look 2—and an end-of-show swerve away from pinafore-suspended denim and plaid. But it was a shame Fontana and Marquez squandered such a promising notion so half-heartedly. Come on, guys!
