MILAN SS12 Fashion Shows: Jil Sander and Prada

I must admit, I'm not particularly impressed by the shows so far. It's mostly about Menswear rather than Men's Fashion and the slight change in proportions and jacket lapels is really not enough to keep me excited.

BUT, I have to say, I loved Prada and Jil Sander for opposite reasons and here's why.

Raf Simons goes austere, he creates a collection dominated by black and leaves to accessories and a few chunky knits the task to provide a touch of colour.
I absolutely love the conceptual silhouette and the accessories, and I love the fact that this collection rides the wave of the big trend of the gender-irrelevant fashion that's been going on for a few seasons now.

At Prada the golf-inspired preppy look is a mix and match of colours and patterns.
A very loud collection with colourful prints and macro-sized tie patterns that take over jackets and coats.

Now, the Prada look is really not my cup of tea, but let's give merit where merit is due.
Most of us go crazy in the morning simply trying to create an acceptable colour combination between pants and tops, so I can see how mixing and matching such different prints and patterns requires an incredible eye.
Miuccia is telling us to be daring, not to be afraid to wear an illustrated print alongside a micro pattern or checked trousers. She does it perfectly creating some sort of balance in every outfit, she makes it look right.

(All original images from vogue.co.uk edited by me)