Hard at work

By Alex Fury, 13:55 Mon 06 Jul 2009

Harder Prada

Galliano plays it subtle next season

Simon (r) and his assistant Elgar (l) pack out those rails!

Our stellar shoot team - consisting of hair stylist Duffy, make up artist Florrie on grooming and Marian Newman's wizardry on nails - have set to work to buff and preen D'Marco to a fine finish, giving us a chance to consider Simon Foxton's sartorial choices for the shoot.

After a minor monsoon this morning, the sun is now shining - but as with the rest of fashion, the fantastic Mr Foxton's thoughts have leapt forward to winter. Swathes of grey, black and blue wool, sturdy tweeds and hefty grosgrain-trimmed greatcoats populate the rails - an ostensible turn away from frippery and back to basics. Hard times seemingly call for hard clothes - and what could be harder than Miuccia Prada's bovver boots, studded with a good kilo of brass and stainless steel spikes? There's a leather v-neck (part Perfecto, part Medieval cuirass) courtesy of the same, alongside some seriously heavy-weight Dolce e Gabbana tailoring in worsteds and millimeter-thick melton. When it comes to attire more akin to Renaissance armour, the Italians really do do it better

But fear not, you can always rely on John Galliano to lighten the mood. Sensible tailoring? Workaday cuts? Investment pieces and hard-wearing separates? Not on your fashion life. Galliano's contribution to today's shoot are jodpur thighed, dropped-crotch tracksuit bottoms festooned with a couture house or so of les plumassiers' finest ostrich fronds. Add some hammerhead-toed patent evening pumps or thick-tongued gold-heeled cuban dancing pumps and that's Galliano's antidote to grim reality for Autumn/Winter. The interesting thing, of course, is to see just which pieces of this bounty will make it onto D'Marco's back and into the pages of VMAN 15 - our project will of course have the inside scoop, with live image uploads as soon as the action begins! Stay tuned...