I'm still very slowly catching up on my Florence bits and bobs whish I guess should have ceased by now given the short duration of the trip. I'm pathetically a complete Pitti convert now despite its overall menswear emphasis. It's the activities surrounding the tradeshow though in the city that makes Florence during these biannual dates ultimately interesting.
Now I didn't expect to be doing any shopping in Florence but when Luisaviaroma asked me on Twitter to drop by (that isn't as fashion luvvie as it reads, by the way...) and given that the street Via Roma where the luxury multi-label boutique has been standing since 1930 (who knew?!) was a stone's throw away from my hotel, well... it's all in the name of blogging, not oggling at beautiful things.
Most of you are probably familiar with Luisaviaroma's website, an addictive designer net haven that gets labels that are "so-hot-right-now" fast, with plenty of detailed shots. I reckon Balmania in the past two years has probably made Luisaviaroma a fairly regular place for online fashion followers to click on multiple times seeing as it always buys a fair amount of the stuff in.
Like an Ocado truck turning up, me thinks this Luisaviaroma delivery smartcar would fall prey to some *ahem* robbing opps....
In the run up to the Pitti tradeshow two weeks ago, Luisaviaroma put on several 'Acts' including The Sartorialist dropping by for a signing of his book and Viktor & Rolf's window display that has these bowler hats moving up and down as well as the mechanical hands clapping away... I think I applauded the display as I was standing outside the window, like the doofus that I am.
Not sure which of Viktor & Rolf's astounding "Cutting Back, Cutting Out" S/S 10 collection is in stock but some of the shaved tulle pieces are on display. Before you even say it, yes I am obliged to big up Dazed & Confused's February cover feature shot by Josh Olins and styled by Katie Shillinford. Not because I'm work-biased... well... it's Magdalena, a shedload of tulle and THE Viktor & Rolf collection that perked up that entire season of shows.
I was thinking the denim shirt and jeans onesie was by Chloe but I don't think it is... in any case, I'm loving the fact that this bit of denim doesn't involve me struggling in the changing room trying to figure out the meanings of the different fits and curious names that jeans labels are tagged with.
Currently the store has been transformed into Luisaland to celebrate its S/S 10 collections. For some reason, I expected a far more minimal store but instead due to the sheer range of labels, whilst still being a curated experience, it's defintiely a celebration of its bolshy buying...
It's all atomic...
Happy to see familiar names in person... really glad to see Krystof Strozyna picked up for S/S 10...
... and Michael Angel's S/S 10 collection which in person, is amazingly more sculpted than I remember...
Well, I can't be skipping along Via Roma, chowing down on sweet Italian delicacies all day, any day. Nor can I even think about taking an Easyjet flight and dropping a cool grand on something in store. So it's back to the activity that bought me to Luisaviaroma in the first place; dream-surfing and imaginary, unrealistic and damnright foolhardy wish listing...
There there, I'll be alright... just ignore the prices, keep getting click-happy in Photoshop and all will be well.
