Fashionable Zurich, part 2: Fashion Days Zurich Closing Show

November 6th was the last day of Fashion Days Zurich, and the organizers no doubt wanted to end the event with something special. That something special turned out to be a fashion show where the designers being showcased were Missoni and Guido Maria Kretschmer.

I had never heard of Guido Maria Kretschmer until I saw his name on the Fashion Days program, so I checked out his past work online. My first impressions: nice fabrics and good cuts, but with a touch too much Dynasty for my personal taste.

So I was very pleasantly surprised when I saw that right from the beginning of the show, Guido Maria had decided to get out of his comfort zone, do something a bit less “appropriate”. And what better way to do that than infuse his designs with a speakeasy vibe?

There were feathered headpieces, beautifully cut dresses and two-pieces perfectly nipped at the waist, and a large sprinkle of sequins.

I was definitely impressed by the cut, the embroidery and the general craftsmanship of the pieces, even if I felt that few of them lacked balance, and the result was more gaudy than glamorous.

(And between you and me, the two closing dresses reminded me of cupcakes. Which would have been fine, had there been complementary cupcakes at the show. GMK, you owe me a cupcake.)

But all in all, I thought it was refreshing to see that he wasn’t afraid of endangering his status by trying something new and appealing to a different or at least more varied clientele; and I really loved the touch of whimsy that seemed to permeate the whole collection and the show as well – it could have been a stiff affair, instead it was definitely fun to watch.

Now, for the big draw of the evening: the Missoni collection.

Growing up in Italy, Missoni was pretty much a household name, not to mention that together with Pucci, it was the only design house that ever made prints that were unfailingly gorgeous, appealing even to a “no prints thank you” gal like me.

I was really looking forward to the fluidity and joie de vivre that can be found in all Missoni designs since time immemorial. Once again, I was a little surprised:

I have to admit that I felt a little cheated out of the high I had been riding at the thought of finally seeing a live Missoni show. I didn’t mind the darker mood, but the shapes that worked so well with lighter fabrics changed into something on the frumpy side of boho, and the fluid lines I had grown up knowing as Missoni staples became shapeless, poorly cut garments.

The fabrics were still beautiful, but perhaps in many cases not well paired with the cut of the garment they were chosen for. And there was one specific dress (the one with the colored crochet doilies) that looked like it had been lifted right out of a collection put out by the Italian brand Onyx in the mid-nineties.

I still found a favorite piece, though:

But how about I let you be the judge? Here’s a special treat: a video summary of the show, so you can see for yourself and hopefully share your thoughts in the comment section below.

*psst – did you see the cupcake dresses?*