If New York is known for its commercial-minded sporty lines, London for its youthful, rebellious eccentricity, then Milan is defined by its unabashed ardour for sexy glamour.
Yet there have always been stalwarts in the Milan scene, such as Miuccia Prada (who challenges the very notions of prettiness) and more recently Gucci’s Alessandro Michele, who has completely rewritten the traditional codes of the house with his kooky, Wes Anderson-esque 1970s magic wand. Here, the collections that impressed us most:
Marni’s Consuelo Castiglioni is one of fashion’s thinking women, and it reflects in this collection with her intelligent play on proportions.
Castiglioni is superb at mixing colours and we particularly loved the oversized fanny packs – the chicest renditions of those dreaded 90s utilitarian pouches we’ve seen in a long while. I’ll personally be looking out for those next season.
I like to think of Bottega as Italy’s answer to Hermes – or at least it has been, under the stewardship of Tomas Maier. Though extroverts may find his clothes too quiet for their taste, he designs for the customer who appreciates subtlety in colour, fabric and construction. He wields a painterly stroke with Bottega, and if there are old masters that he evokes, it’s Rembrandt – or at least it gives me that impression.
Orange and zesty tones continues to pop up across the various fashion capitals – take note, people.
Fashion’s greatest multi-tasker Karl Lagerfeld conjures up a storm of irreverence for Fendi – think Barbie Doll-esque hair, glittery lips and baby doll dresses. Fendi is one of those houses that’s hard to place – it started as a handbag business after all, and its clothes are given an identity by whichever creative director’s in charge at the moment.
But all in all, it reminds us that fashion doesn’t have to take itself too seriously. And in that sense, it was well-executed.
Like this? Check out the kooky-meets-girly looks we loved at London Fashion Week, 11 new ways to style your jacket and why the band T-shirt is your ultimate style hack.