Gingham and checked prints dominated Cristiano Burani's Spring Summer 15 collection. The yellow dress on the left is completely machine-embroidered, what Burani called "the masterpiece" as it took hours to complete. Image: Digital Fashion Week
Cristiano Burani’s looks are not just wearable, they are also useful for putting together fun and sporty looks. (Even Kendall Jenner is a fan.)
On the fourth day of Digital Fashion Week 2014, Italian designer Cristiano Burani showcased his Spring Summer 2015 collection, which made its debut at Milan Fashion Week.
The collection was a series of gingham, checks and sweet pastels in mixed fabrics that the crowd loved. So much so that Singapore designer (and master craftsman) Thomas Wee gave him a standing ovation when Burani took his curtain call.
“The Spring Summer collection is about relaxing wear, casual wear and what we call ‘norm core’,” said Burani to herworldPLUS when interviewed backstage before the show. “I think that there must be a new concept of femininity which is less shiny, less bling-bling and more conscious.”
Without going too overboard on the girly pastels and gingham prints, Burani – who has worked at Versace, La Perla and Blumarine – used masculine cuts and heavy fabric to balance out the girlishness, resulting in a pared-down aesthetic that is still very sporty, casual and feminine.
Japanese denim was used on some of the looks which Burani combined with big buttons and conspicuous white stitching for a look that he said was “in between couture and sport”.
Silk was mixed with nylon to create a flowy yet casual fabric. Image: Digital Fashion Week
Armed with an understanding of fabric manipulation, the Italian designer mixed materials like silk and leather with cotton and nylon to create a “summer effect”.
To keep the looks feminine (and covetable), Burani created checked prints with machine-embroidered sequins that made the clothes sparkle in a way that’s more pretty than over-the-top.
This fabric is a Burani original: Cotton mixed with an aluminium-like laminate to create a crumpled and paper-looking effect. Image: Digital Fashion Week
Burani even created an original fabric blend of cotton bonded with a laminate which looks like aluminium, and an additional lamina layer to create a crackly and “paper-y” effect.
Shoes at the Cristiano Burani shoes were just as covetable as the outfits. Images: Digital Fashion Week and herworldPLUS/Hong Xinying
And oh, the shoes! Stylish white leather creepers in gingham prints and monochrome platform sandals, which is the kind of “norm core” we think Singaporeans – the type who would rather not wear slippers – would love to wear on days they have to run errands.
Black sequinned outfits with sports luxe touches. Images: herworldPLUS/Hong Xinying and Digital Fashion Week
The final all-black outfits gave the collection a dash of sporty glam. The striped shoulder straps dialled down the ostentatiousness of the full on sequinned tops, and the mesh inserts helped tone down the bling on the skirts. It is sports luxe done right.
Outfits for Sunday brunch? Check!
The Cristiano Burani Spring Summer 2015 show was held on November 3, 2014, at the National Design Centre, as part of Digital Fashion Week 2014.
Watch all the catwalk shows at www.digitalfashionweek.com/videos, which ran from October 31 to November 3, 2014. Follow Digital Fashion Week on Twitter at @DigitalFashWeek and Instagram at @DigitalFashionWeek. Hashtag #DigitalFashionWeek and #DFWinsiders.