Review by Lucas Pantoja
Uniform meets industrial darkness in Miaoran’s fall 2019 collection, a love letter to the Italian fashion capital: Milan. To many of those who visit and tour the city, they often leave with a strange impression, as the Lombardy capital isn’t necessarily the correct travel destination if blue water and clear skies are what you’re looking for.
Certainly, this impression has rubbed off on designer Miao Ran who’s based their collection on the city and it’s commoners. Garments were constructed around the uniforms of the carabinieri, pizzaioli, and clergymen who inhabit the city and keep it running, but twisted with a perspective from Miaoran’s foreign eye.
In a rather militaristic manner, blazers reimagined as work jackets, apron-like dresses, and heavy trench coats all marched down the runway to the booming electronic sounds of FUNCLAB.
The colors of the collection were kept rather neutral consisting of a burnt copper, dry charcoal, off white, dusty blue, and purple — all inspired by the Milanese Autumns and Winters.
As for prints and effects, actual photos of the city taken while wandering were printed onto pieces; as well as splatters of black coating on off-white pieces like a contamination of something originally pure in form.
Recurring materials consist of wool, mohair, starched cotton, synthetic viscose/wool, wool/silk, and tartan.
Although this collection was inspired by the soberness of Milan, these pieces also conjure up sci-fi aesthetics — raw and styled in a way reminiscent to Keanu Reeves’ characters Ne-Yo from The Matrix. If anything, this collection could be prefect for the cyber punks looking to rave and alter their look to something a bit more fancy.
