Season of Mystique ... Etro FW08-09

If spring and summer are known to be the seasons where flowers bloom gracefully and liberating their sweet scents into the air with fairies and pixies singing joyfully in the gardens, then fall and winter are all about vagueness and magic.

As trees start to shed their leaves, another realm blankets over the earth with austere earthy tones dominate the nature palette.

Come late November, the chilly winter winds bring the virgin white sheets of snow to swathe the carpet of fiery red and brown leaves and limp dead twigs, leaving an impression that one has finally arrived at the eminent Snow Queen’s land.

Combining the mysterious appeal of snow-capped Northern Hemisphere woods in winter with a plethora of gothic hues, timeless medieval silhouettes and proportions, plus America’s Red Indian tribal elements, Veronica Etro of renowned Italian fashion house Etro is taking you to a mystical journey of style via its upcoming fall/winter 2008 ready-to-wear collection for her.

Crafted in yards of lush fabrics like chiffon and velvets, with splendid prints influenced by Red Indian tribal motifs adorning much of the pieces, Etro’s dramatic offering for this season proved to be too enticing to dismiss by most fashionistas as well as Etro fans around the world.

At the opening of the show, the two-piece skirt suit in trademark paisley print provided anxious fashionistas with beautiful impression on how the rest of the line will turn up.

Apart from the predominant classic styles of the yore, Etro fall/winter collection sets itself apart from others by inserting a touch of medieval, which is a classic embroidered jacket with cinched waist skirt.

Not only it looks unique, the ensemble, probably inspired by the ancient tunics worn by the Venetians during Renaissance period also reminds me of the uniforms worn by the Vatican’s Swiss Guards or the Royal Greek Guards.

Medieval aside, topping the trend list of the upcoming fall/winter season will definitely be the tribal chic. As I have mentioned earlier, this season saw Etro assimilating tribal motifs by the American Red Indians, treasured from one generation to another.

Apart from the ageless (or primitive) printed tribal motifs, intricate tribal yarn embellishments too were incorporated in the new collection, thus almost mirroring the authentic Red Indian costume.

But nothing compares to the dramatic yet fluid evening gowns in printed chiffons and ruffled halter necks with lace inserts and asymmetrical puffed hems. Breathtaking with a touch of mysterious Gothic air indeed, just a slip into these marvelous gowns and you may be the fairest of all at the ball. Black knee-high lace-up leather boots lend a sort of Gothic-esque charm to the liquid chiffon evening gown, which was dabbed with somber colors.

On the menswear side, farming and harvesting were the point of references picked by Etro for its fall/winter menswear collection.

Set on a farm-like runway complete with dirt and lots of seasonal vegetables and tubers lined in the middle of the runway, the upcoming ready-to-wear and accessories collection saw a plethora of beans and grains images being transformed into cool continuous prints adorning much of the fall/winter menswear pieces.

Fabrics with velvety and shiny texture predominates the collection, along with classic checks and a dash of trademark paisley prints.

Bright yet eccentric colors like purple, green and lighter tones of brown were used in this collection, as well as the usual sights of grays and blacks. Not a single detail was spared on this collection and everything was perfectly done. To me, this is the best menswear collection ever produced by Etro so far.

Catching every fashion-forward men’s attention at the fashion show were tailored pieces such as knitted tuxedo in purple wool yarn, checkered suits paired with printed knit sweater, piped velvet dinner jackets, and of course the pieces adorned with organic prints.

If you think sweaters with large vegetable appliqué seemed childish, you are absolutely wrong because two of Etro knitted wool tops feature large appliqué images of half onion and a pear!

But for those who are bold enough to make fashion statement, why don’t you put on a pair of printed trousers in onionskin x-ray image print with a nice laidback body-fitting long-sleeve printed shirt?

Not daring enough, then try making your public appearance at glitzy social events with Etro’s grain print suit, over layered with a matching shirt and maroon turtleneck sweater. Now, that’s what I call a macho trendsetter!

Etro fall/winter 2008 ready-to-wear for him and her will be available at all Etro boutiques and selected multi-brand stores or department stores worldwide starting this fall.

*Photos courtesy of Etro.

Etro – Parkson Pavilion, Lot 3.54, Level 3, 168 Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur.