MFW AW15: Dsquared2

Having done London Fashion Week some ten times now and New York plus Paris a fair few, I’ve long hankered after the chance to try out the Milan leg of the month long show marathon having only been once before, way back in 2012, with Gucci. After last season’s disastrous attempt to add Milano into my fashion week mix (remember that bout of gastroenteritis!? Makes me shudder just thinking about it) I decided not to try again just yet. Until, that is, the wonderful folk at Dsquared2 made me an offer I couldn’t refuse…

Given that I hadn’t planned to go to Milan, let alone fly directly to Paris from there, this change in my schedule necessitated three days of truly frantic preparation, only leaving the house to go to Starbucks or the gym. So by the time my flight rolled around I was ready and raring to get on that plane no doubt annoying everyone who was unlucky enough to be anywhere near me. Thanks to Dsquared2 very generously booking me a business class seat I had a thoroughly enjoyable flight being looked after by a silver haired Irish attendant and observing the antics of an almost unbelievably drunk, middle aged Texan couple who went to town on the mini vodka bottles from the second we took off until landing. I later spotted the man falling over while trying to retrieve his suitcase from the baggage reclaim, further proof that drinking on short haul flights is very unwise. But anyway, I digress.

Good God I was smug… But can you blame me?

Once we arrived, and managed to cram my vast quantity of luggage into the car, our first port of call was Dsquared2 HQ; a vast, sleek and chic building topped by Ceresio 7; an achingly cool rooftop restaurant with not one, but two swimming pools. Said poolside spot was of course where we headed for a glass of wine in the sun which naturally had to be documented with an insufferably smug post or two on instagram. Eventually we decided it was time to leave the terrace and venture down a floor or two for my fitting. There’s no warmer welcome than a private room kitted out with an array of divine designer dresses, shoes and accessories over which you’re given a free reign to play dress up, and play dress up I most certainly did. The fitting ended up taking a fair while, something I obviously didn’t mind one little bit, and when I learned that Dean and Dan themselves wanted to approve every detail of my look for the show – and that, frankly, they even knew who I was – I was so incredibly thrilled and flattered that I would have happily continued trying things on all night! Of course, this didn’t happen. And soon we were whisked off once again to our hotel for a couple of hours before getting changed and returning to Ceresio 7 for an intimate dinner with the Dsquared2 team and their other guests, including Spanish supermodel, Nieves Álvarez. I’m planning on doing a whole separate post on this restaurant because it was so, SO fantastic.

BTS at my Dsquared2 fitting

Wearing Pinko & Mulberry for dinner at Ceresio 7

Unsurprisingly, things got fairly raucous but regardless of the fact I had been on the dancefloor at some slightly dodgy Milan nightclub around the corner from our hotel just a few hours before, I still found myself up and thoroughly over excited at 7am; such is the allure of an excellent show. But before the actual show began, I was whizzed over the the venue to have my hair and makeup done backstage with the models. While being primped between Malaika Firth and Iza Goulart doesn’t exactly do wonders for the ‘ol self esteem (goddesses I tell you!), undergoing an early morning transformation at the hands of such beauty maestros and getting to lurk about behind the scenes at a show like Dsquared2 was pretty awesome. Not quite as awesome, however, as finding myself sitting with Eleanora Carisi and Ellen Von Unworth on the front row while wearing an outfit so gorgeous I felt physically pained by the thought of having to return it to its rightful owners. A real “pinch me I’m dreaming” moment, one of many over the past few weeks.

Me & Nieves at the Dsquared2 AW15 show

Me & Eleonora

Anyway, let’s talk about the show. One of the many things I adore about Dsquared2 is how gloriously, unapologetically fun the brand is. As each perfectly cast model descended, bursting with personality and a strut that would put Zoolander to shame – I can vouch for this, having seen him and Hansel take to the catwalk just a week later – I couldn’t help but smile at the playfulness of it all. After all, nothing like sky high heels and colour pop green leather gloves, perfect for Jessica Stam to jauntily swing a leopard print handbag from, to put a grin on tired faces. But beyond the fabulousness of it all, this was a really strong collection boasting some truly incredible pieces and flawless styling.

Dsquared2 AW15

Dsquared2 AW15

Looking back to their Canadian heritage, Dean and Dan wove a tale of an Inuit tribe who had stumbled across a case of lavish, European clothes dropped from a plane somewhere over the tundra and piled them on alongside their own tribal dress. The reults? A glorious mash up second skin military tailoring with rich gold braiding, gobstopper costume jewellery, flowing cotton frocks and corsets with furry pelts, oversized technicolour ponchos, tribal tattoo bodystockings plus fringing and feather trims galore. These combinations sound appalling on paper but on the Dsquared2 catwalk, painstakingly concocted in the most luxurious of fabrics, they worked like a charm.

Dsquared2 AW15

Standout pieces included the incredible hooded, patchwork fur parkas and billowing, asymmetrically ruched finale dresses but really, there was so much here to be delighted by. The show finished to thunderous applause and the Catens trotting out looking about as dapper as it gets in matching leather blazers. Then it was time to go backstage for champagne… But of course.

Congratulations Dean and Dan!

Huge, huge thanks to Dsquared2 for a wonderful experience and the sassiest of shows! There’s more from Milan to come over the next few days, so don’t go anywhere…

Love Ella. X