On paper, the problem with having Gucci kicked off Milan Fashion Week is that you get all the theatrics and bang right at the beginning. Imagine if you’re watching Kill Bill Vol. 2 and then having the plot plateau after that chapel scene. The good news is that Milan maintained that momentum fairly well this season, despite the fact that the majority of the designers showing at the over 60 shows and presentations kept to a fairly safe and commercially-driven formula (read: clothes you would actually want to wear).
Dolce & Gabbana took the cake for its lineup of models. Like the men’s show the month before, it roped in a stable of digital influencers and social media stars alongside real life professional models. But it went beyond the names you already have on your Instagram fodder like the Aimee Song and Negin Mirsalehi crowd. Some of the faces that appeared on the catwalk were names you should add to your social media following like Marie-Ange Casta, the emerging French actress who co-starred in the Audrey Tatou film Open at Night.
There were also Italian high society ladies, their daughters, sons and boyfriends as well as some members of European royal families, who switched their roles from being customers to play runway models for the day. It’s an authentic move to show how these are the folk who actually wear the brand, and do look good in them too. What made the show even more genuine? The brand revealed that each look was chosen and styled by the models themselves during the days of fittings. The Dolce & Gabbana cast is also a hit for those into celebrities. Justin Bieber’s ex Sofia Richie showed off her personal style when she appeared in a brocade orange pantsuit which she accessorised with fishnet stockings and fur slides. The other Hollywood connection? The sons of Jude Law and Daniel Day-Lewis also made runway appearances too.
There was a different sort of extravaganza put on by an American in Milan. This time, it was Moschino designer, Jeremy Scott, one of fashion’s reigning enfant-terribles. His collection dubbed ‘Materials Girl’ is a clever and fun take on homespun couture which took a jab at the amount of waste and over excess that consumers produce each year. So there were skirt suits that mimic cardboards complete with Scotch tape on the seams, a dress on Bella Hadid constructed out of vintage gold and silver watches, crinkled trench coats plastered with its freight labels, and dresses fashioned out of the brand’s own paper bags. The millinery was courtesy of Stephen Jones and took on the theme with fascinators made of feather dusters, Kleenex containers, and a garbage can lid. It was a brazen and outlandish attempt at making a point about consumerism and sustainability but does come with a tinge of irony. Because despite the backstory of recycling, the items do not actually make use of actual recycled materials, do they?
A more genuine and sincere message appeared at Missoni, where the house’s signature zig zag knits were interwoven with Lurex while other graphic patterns come with a vibrant Op Art effect. After showing her latest collection to mark her 20th year as the creative mind behind the brand, Angela Missoni, took to the stage to make her rallying call for unity. She said: “In a time of uncertainty, there is a bond between us that can keep us strong and safe — the bond that unites those that respect the human rights of all. Let’s show the world that the fashion community is united and fearless.”
It’s a no-brainer what or whom she’s taking aim at. If anyone still has doubts, then the pink pussy hats on the guests’ seats and in the finale will answer that. Symbolically, the clothes too have this message played out loud and clear. The closing looks featured knitted sweaters with the pink triangle of the AIDS coalition and hearts. Versace too played the activist game with slogans like Equality, Courage, Loyalty, Love emblazoned on the hard-edged and super vixen pieces the brand is known for. These statements appear in some of the most obvious places — like the hem of a white shirt, giant neck scarves, across the chest of a sheer dress, and across beanies. The message: Dress like a woman, and state your stand loud and proud.
Speaking of dressing like a woman, Miuccia Prada offered a new proposition to what a feminist wardrobe should be with a retro-tinged collection that ranged from the most banal of pieces like crochet bra tops, corduroy bell bottoms, and grey wool suits to the most exuberant of looks like marabou feathered hoods, Eskimo-inspired shearling boots and beaded flapper-style fringing. Like her previous collections, Mrs Prada turned to the works of an artist to feature in this collection. This time round, she featured the illustrations of vixens and pinups by Robert E McGinnis who was behind vintage movie posters like the Bond movies, Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Barbarella. These are plastered on leather knee-length skirts, shifts and shell tops. One could easily read the subtext of the strong and dominant femme fatales and characters of these drawings. As Prada herself was quoted backstage: “They are so glamorous. But they have guns.”
The Prada connection was strong at Marni. After all, its designer, Francesco Risso who made his first womenswear debut for F/W ’17, spent his time at the brand before working for Marni founder Consuelo Castiglioni. There were the right dose of quirkiness here with the sporty nylon parkas worn, bubble wrap dresses with paillettes, bras layered over dresses and shirts. But the collection also checked the boxes for what Marni is well-known for: the colours, the prints and its off-kilter accessories. Cue the multi-coloured race checks, the wallpaper prints and the bean-shaped stiletto heels on boots and sandals.
Like this? How one Italian is reinventing the house of Dior, look at the best-dressed stars at the Oscars, and our Female Collective member Trishna Goklani shares her London Fashion Week diary.
