Dressing-up-box-meets-20s-meets-40s-meets-50s-meets-urban-streetwear. Nah. I don’t think it trips off the tongue as a neat description of a look either. But that’s what it is. That’s what what is you might ask? The new Miu Miu collection, of course. Or, more precisely, the Miu Miu brand’s vision for pre-fall 17.
That vision is a mad mix-up of influences and shapes that’s really quite lovable and makes me realise why Miu Miu is growing faster than its more grown-up (and sometimes hard-to-fathom) big sister Prada.
There’s a host of key items in there: a simple, slouchy sweater dress with placement embellishments that looks like a great evening piece when paired with satin heels and an oversized leopard clutch; an elevated varsity cardigan; wide-cut bomber jackets in tiger pattern fur with deep ribbed collars or in piebald curly fur; belted tweedy coats with that curly fur (again) making them true out-of-the-ordinary; and a series of 40s-meets-70s occasion dresses cut slim (but never tight). Not so many years ago, you’d have found dresses like that in vintage stores, but today we can always rely on Miu Miu to give them an airing every few seasons.
And the key items continue on the footwear and accessories front. From studded lace-ups to heavily embellished kitten heel pumps with contrast straps that make them look quite girlish. From laced flats in curly fur to tartan platform sandals with studded buckles.
The bags veer from ultra-conservative in single colour leather with turn lock fastenings and plaited handles, to those furry (and fun) clutches.
Those are all the headline stories but it many ways it’s the the stories behind the headlines that count. Look at subtle movements in the silhouette with skirts that are more than A-line but not quite circular, the return of 80s-style cigar-shape trousers and jeans, and the longer-line bombers.
Or the details like quirky number, bird and botanical motifs that help take the tweeds out of the granny’s wardrobe and into the trend arena; the good-girl pearls that are a bit too gaudy to be pure retro; the bobby socks that add an on-trend awkward edge to elegant heels.
And let’s not forget the leather, studded caps – they’re already on my wishlist – while those buckled hairbands just add to the whole mixed influences mash-up. Will they actually make it to the stores? Miu Miu has always been big on hairbands so it looks like they might.
