Fendi unveils new meme: Bag Boy Karlito
MILAN (AP) — Karl Lagerfeld has a little lookalike, a furry figure modeled after the designer himself, and Australian actress Rose Byrne was up with the early morning fashion crowd to grab a front-row seat at Max Mara as Milan Fashion week offered its second day of womenswear previews for fall and winter.
Max Mara, Fendi, Just Cavalli and Prada are headlining Thursday's shows as the fashion crowd continues their appointed rounds. Highlights:
BAG BOY KARLITO
Fendi has a new meme: a furry figure on a string evoking designer Lagerfeld, complete with a neat white pony tail, large white collar and black tie. Silvia Venturini Fendi said it all started with the Fendi bag bugs: festive little creatures that hang from Fendi's handbags.
Now that tradition has evolved into Bag Boy Karlito, for little Karl. "Not bad boy," Fendi said backstage, "Bag Boy."
While the fun figurine also can be attached to a handbag, it had a place of pride in the runway show: carried by a model in a furry helmet as if a lantern lighting the way. Bag Boy Karlito popped out to take a bow after the show.
Another Fendi fashion forward moment: Drones hovered above the runway for a bird's eye view during the show — and delivered light gusts of wind down on to the audience below.
ENGLISH COUNTRYSIDE, URBAN LANDSCAPE
Max Mara set its English countryside-inspired collection on a cement runway in stark white light. The message was clear: The looks suggest cozy countryside, but the vibe is urban.
Anyone looking for the perfect overcoat knows Max Mara is the place to start, and this collection presents a plethora of oversized coats with innovative accents. One key is the waistcoat that gets sewed over the coat, is worn layered under the jacket or is transformed out of a longer coat, left sleeveless, offering new ways of creative layering.
Max Mara's cold weather looks for next year, at its heart, is a collection of basics — coats, vests and knitwear — that give a metropolitan edge to pretty straight skirts that cover the knee or form-fitting dresses composed of jackets and trouser-inspired pencil skirts. Colors are button-down grays, heather, golden and camel.
In keeping with the English theme, tweeds dominate, accented by cashmere wools and shiny vinyl-looking material and gold crocodile prints. The looks are finished with black or gold crocodile booties, and a clutch on a gold chain.
AUSSIE EYES CROCODILE BOOTIES
Rose Byrne says the Max Mara golden crocodile booties caught her eye.
"I am obsessed with the boots," Byrne said after the preview show.
She took in the show from the front row, wearing a golden Max Mara camisole, dark jacket and wide cream pants. The actress said she long has been drawn to Max Mara's coats and knits, and feels like she "grew up with the brand."
Byrne begins filming the spy spoof "Susan Cooper" with Melissa McCarthy in April. They last appeared together in the 2011 comedy hit "Bridesmaids."
