Posted by Bethan Holt, Fashion Junior at Large
Given the amount of angst which capes cause when they're in the shops ("Where do you put your bag?", "The wind's blowing up it!") one sometimes wonders why designers persevere with them. But then you see them in their purest form, hung upon models with hands empty, perhaps save for a clutch bag and on a warm, wind free catwalk and we are once again seduced. This happened in Milan where capes popped up all week. There were long, swooshing cloaks and cute short capelets, plus everything inbetween.We love the grand, dark capes offered up by Dolce and Gabbana and Gucci, but Marni and Moschino showed a cape doesn't have to signify doom and gloom....
At Dolce and Gabbana, there were capes in all guises but they all contributed to the show's take on Catholic opulence- a cape hints at priests' cassocks and nuns' habits.
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| Dolce and Gabbana AW12 |
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| Dolce and Gabbana AW12 |
Gucci was goth with glamour. The capes were styled with jodhpur trousers, even if there were embellished with a ton of crystals, and riding boots. These looks make me think of the 'Four Horsewomen of the Apocalypse'.
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| Gucci AW12 |
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| Gucci AW12 |
Marni and Moschino offered up brighter versions of the trend. Marni's red belted version is modern day Little Red Riding Hood while Moschino is blinged up 60s Park Avenue Princess- the mandarin collar is a sweet detail.
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| Marni AW12 |
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Moschino AW12
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Etro's capelet, with Tudor red ruffle neck, is more structured. If you're not sure about the swooshing required of a larger cape, this is a nice compromise. This is what, one hopes, Elizabeth I would wear if she were alive now.
