When I heard that Anna Wintour tried to have Milan Fashion Week cut down to three days so that it wouldn’t interfere with her Oscar plans, I wasn’t surprised. The fashion world seems to behave as though Anna Wintour is the queen of the world, so why not act like it? What shocked me is that Milan Fashion Week actually considered her request, and shifted the show schedule so that she would see as many as possible during her short trip there. I don’t understand why one person can command this.

US Vogue needs the advertising revenue from Armani, Prada, and co. more than the brands needs to woo her for magazine coverage. US Vogue has no choice but to feature Prada in their magazine, not because of the advertising revenue the brand brings to the magazine, but simply because what sort of fashion magazine can be credible without talking about Prada? Or Armani?

Anyway, I read this New York Times article this morning about how Milan’s “Fashion Weekend” is unjust, and that the industry should pay more attention to the city. I agree with the article, and I am disgusted how the designers have had to bow down to the requests of the media and buyers in the past few years.

And then I got to think about Anna Wintour…and I realised I didn’t really have an opinion about her, until now. (I am embarrassed to say I haven’t seen The September Issue yet.) Yes, she is the editor of one of the most-read fashion magazines in the world, but really, she is under the thumb of the advertisers who pay her (high) salary. What has she actually done for the fashion industry that merits her position today? Is she really worthy of this fame? I don’t think so. I am not saying Anna doesn’t deserve any of the attention, she does have a tough job and she does it well, but really, when was the last time you read an issue of US Vogue and got excited about some of the content? She is not a stylist, she is not a great writer, she is certainly not a visionary, so I am guessing she must be a good manager, because you have to be good at something to be in a position like that.

I get bored about these untouchable, terrifying fashion stars that put on a pedestal by the fashion industry and fans of the world. Anna Wintour is boring, yes, we would all love for her to endorse us in some way, but would you want to sit down and have dinner with her? I wouldn’t. I’d prefer to have a meal with someone that would have some incredible stories to tell, and someone who has achieved great things in their life. Give me Karl Lagerfeld, Anna Piaggi, Suzy Menkes, or Mario Testino. Even Ralph Lauren would be more fun, at least he could tell you how he came to build an empire off a collection of ties. What does Anna Wintour have to say? Her fame is dependent on the fame of the designers and image makers that make the fashion industry what it is.

I think I need to write more about this subject sometime in the near future, perhaps a “Fashion Heroes” column about the people behind the scenes that really make the difference. Not the tight-assed, bob-haired, sunglasses-wearing, tennis-playing, fashion bully, meanies who earn 2 million dollars a year just for being a bitchy manager. Oops, sorry Anna. (If you are reading this I guess you deserve the last laugh, because at the end of the day, you dropped out of high school and you have a nice big bank account and a closet full of Chanel suits, and that’s more than most of us have.)

I love Bottega Veneta, and I’ll admit I probably unconsciously glaze over the weak points of this collection, because in my mind it is all great. Although this certainly wasn’t one of his strongest, but it has all of those great BV elements: the muted colours, the interesting use of leather, and the beautiful cocktail and evening wear.

I Love…

a perfect, simple LBD.

a great day dress in a very vibrant colour.

the luxury parka. And this looks so slick, with the tight pants, the socks, and the scarf.

the wealth of interesting ideas that Tomas Maier can put into one dress, and still make it look wearable.

the crazy shoulders on this feminine dress.

I Loathe…

head to toe shiny leather, particularly when its a loose shirt tucked into pleated trousers.

All images from Style.com.

This Giorgio Armani collection was, well, very Armani. Lots of suits, sequins, those rounded tailored shoulders, and beaded jackets. I don’t think it was one of his best, but it could have been worse.

I Love…

this giant velvet coat.

this top and skirt, separately, or together. Great volume and a dramatic shape. But they do look very Lanvin.

this pompom fur coat, in bubblegum pink.

the ultra-classic, very Armani beaded jacket, but with a modern floral pattern.

I Loathe…

the shoulders on this coat, which add ten years to the wearer.

a styling disaster. The childish print on this jacket looks terrible with the velvet pants.

All images from Style.com.

Maxmara is all about coats, and this collection certainly focuses on the coat. But while some designers are embracing the matronly, school teacher look with an edge, Maxmara is just making their customer look very old, and a little bit fat too.

I Love…

this coat dress with the space age collar. And the length of the skirt, which works very well with the knee high boot.

I Loathe…

a tent coat.

the gathered waist that starts just below the belt. Is this supposed to make the hips look bigger? Because that is what it appears to do.

another totally unflattering coat.

the gold lamé top, the ridiculous belt, the baggy trousers tucked in the boot, and random pieces of fur stuck on the hands.

what looks like a silky onesie whose front has been smeared with dirt.

All images from Style.com.

This Gucci collection is very disappointing. It looks like Frida Giannini went through the Tom Ford archive and took some of his best ideas, diluted them, and put them onto the catwalk. There’s the Halston-esque draped dresses, the hipster slim suits, and she has added quite a lot of tacky feathers.

I Love…

a nice white coat.

that there's something nice here with all of the muted pastel tones, the short jacket, the wrap skirt, and the very very high boots.

I Loathe…

too much shiny satin, the horrible furry sleeves, and the general unintentional disarray of this look.

this draped dress, which looks cheap and thoughtless.

satin pants, sequined top, and feather bolero, this is just tacky. Gucci got away with this a few years ago, but its not working now, when everyone else is doing considered, intelligent, fashion.

All images from Style.com.

I don’t understand the DSquared2 brand, it doesn’t feel very serious to me. What are they about? Because it seems to be that they are about big fashion shows with high production value, and that’s it. This show was very sexy and vamp, with the models stomping down the catwalk swiveling their hips, 80s style. I liked some of it, because it reminded me of Helmut Newton and Thierry Mugler, which are two inspiration points I often draw on in my own work. But after the shiny stockings and amazonian women are gone, what does the brand really come down to? I just don’t know.

I Love…

the giant feather puff and one sleeve of this dress. It is ridiculous in a cool way. And the shiny red stockings are amazing.

a giant furry waist, the red gloves, the gold necklace, the huge black sunglasses. Ridiculously over-the-top.

a leather skirt that looks like its been made from a biker jacket. Plus the neckline, jewelry and hair look very Helmut Newton.

I Loathe…

spiderwebs.

masculine, low waisted capri pants? And a shiny, skinny tie?

a veiny arm.

beaded buster dresses, high slits, feathers, things hanging all over the place. And boobs popping out. It is bad news, when someone makes Carmen Kass look trashy.

All images from Style.com.

It took me a while to get my head around this Gianfranco Ferré collection. It doesn’t seem very on-brand, but then I realized, the brand has been in limbo since its founder died, and it needs to re-find an identity. So then I thought, well, if this is the new identity, which seems to be a mixture of Celine, Gucci, Jil Sander, and Fendi, it is not such a bad thing. Because the collection is slick, elegant, and luxe.

I Love…

a sexy dress with leather panels.

a simple dress with a nice contrast of leather and tweed.

an interesting dress design that plays on geometry. I like the waspie waist.

the silhouette, the belt design, the leather gloves, the contrasting lapel fabric, the pant leg, and the pale peach tones mixed with a deep tan. This looks beautiful.

the texture and choice of skins on this skirt, and the way the knit's ribbing is framing the body.

this gold dress. It is absolutely stunning.

I Loathe…

this coat, which looks a but like Fendi meets Gareth Pugh in a bad way.

All images from Style.com.

We have already agreed that Raf Simons was just what Jil Sander needed: a creative director to get the brand back into the game. But not only is he doing great things, but the time for 90s minimalism is back, and Jil Sander is THE brand for that. I remember in the 90s when I used to see Jil Sander suits in magazines, and the clothing at the time was extremely simple, but very, very expensive. Jil Sander had a customer who was a professional woman who wanted to look classic with no frills. This woman will be very happy to see the recent collection, as classic with no frills pretty much sums it up.

I Love…

the discreet pleat detailing on the neckline, and the delicate sheer trim.

the chiffon trim on the neckline, and the slick silhouette.

a very simply-cut suit with a safe yet interesting fabric.

the cut-out detailing on this otherwise classic grey shift.

the gentle pleat detailing resulting in an uneven neckline.

I Loathe…

the short sleeved onesies in this collection. No thanks.

All images from Style.com.

Versace is in big financial trouble at the moment, and considering the state of this collection, I am not surprised why. (Speaking of which, I have just had an email from Amazon that my House of Versace book is on its way, so I’ll be able to comment on all of this a lot more in the next few weeks.) The collection was full of tacky bright colours, ridiculous leather pants, and boring sexy dresses. There were also way too many mini skirts with front slits. It just looked cheap.

I Love…

sexy, shiny dresses. What Versace is all about.

bright coloured evening wear.

I Loathe…

a boring dress, verging on slutty. Do we need to go to Versace for this?

hideous colour combinations, a cheap shiny slut skirt, and a terrifying coat. Versace needs a new creative director.

hipster flared, chap-style leather pants? Why? Worn with full length gloves? I don't get it.

All images from Style.com.

Everyone was getting excited about the Prada casting, and there were rumours that there were going to be some unusual models in the show. I wouldn’t exactly say the choice of models was unusual, but they did cast Doutzen Kroes, Miranda Kerr, and Lara Stone, who are much more curvaceous than the typical catwalk model, and it shows from the photos. But they work perfectly with the collection, which is very 90s Prada for a real woman, with a real body. The prints, shapes and fabrics are so reminiscent of the 90s collections that made Prada what it is today, and I think it looks fantastic.

I Love…

the pretty dresses made from heavy winter fabrics.

a "Prada" dress, made from a "Prada" printed fabric.

the fact that the coat fabric looks cheap, which is certainly not the case. And the tan and bright blue contrasts throughout the show.

signature Prada knitwear, with a matronly, retro feel.

a very simple dress with an interesting textile design.

Even the shoes were very 90s Prada. I imagine they will be relaunching some kitten heels soon, I can feel those coming back, and Prada was THE brand for kitten heel shoes. I am getting excited about this collection, I have so many coats that will be perfect for the 90s Prada look.

this is so 90s Prada, a retro court shoe.

and their signature super pointy toe with super skinny heel and a flat little bow. In retro colours.

All images from Style.com.