Milan Fashion Week - Day 5 & 6Very few collections were in my opinion worth talking about in

Milan Fashion Week - Day 5 & 6

Very few collections were in my opinion worth talking about in these last two days, and I’ll be honest: I was disappointed by this Milan Fashion Week this year. Pity, as usually it’s my favourite moment of the fashion year, but as a reviewer my judgments should be completely unbiased. Now let’s see who got it right.

Day 5

Marni delivered straight lines, kimono shapes made vibrant by abstract and flowery prints, even the lace became simple and a subtle decoration for this collection where the luxury part was in the insertion of fur pockets and in the neckline. Laura Biagiotti took inspiration again from her favourite theme: the Roman empire. You could see it in the ‘twisting’ patterns, especially in the first awesome part in which it was played around the different tones of grey, in the column stylised on some of the dresses, as well as in the strong shoulders, underlined by the use of fur, and the embroidered fronts of the tops, where studs gave an impression of armour. But you could also see it in the beautiful, floor-length evening gowns: modern goddesses, that’s what these models looked like.

MSGM (photo 1) took the concept of three-dimensional to the next level in such a simple way it’s impossible to understand why not everyone does the same. First with big knots just below the neckline, then with decorative patterns over tops and trousers, it continued with full bright contrasting colours: lemon yellow with electric blue, a particularly flamboyant shade of orange. Not sure if I liked the three-quarter length of the trousers, but in general it came up very strongly.

All the stripes and lines in Salvatore Ferragamo collection really reminded me of Missoni. I loved the fact that the theme was not researched in an expected way: stripes are not only those of colourful patterns, but also those given by a particular type of knitwear, or those - I guess it was a trompe-l'oeil effect - of the pleating of skirts. Silhouettes were back to those of the 40s, simple, functional, toned down, but colours exploded in the last graphic part with optical prints. I loved that most of the pieces in Trussardi collection were leather, even the ones you would never expect: slip dresses, jumpsuits - my favourite ones - cocktail dresses. The colour palette was really classic, based especially on brown, which is after all the most natural colour for leather. 

You know I don’t like animal prints - especially zebra, but who does? - blingy/tacky clothes, in general I don’t like when there’s too much going on. In this case there was DEFINITELY too much going on, but it was like they found the way to make it work and show a certain polished quality to the looks which made everything like an ironic game. It was definitely a collection which could make you laugh, impossible to list all the colours, the prints, the materials used. It was infused with a sort of 70s attitude which was not pushed too far. It’s the last word you would think to associate to such a collection, but it felt like it was balanced.

Impossible not to laugh at the ode to mothers of Dolce & Gabbana (photo 2). They translated their signature elements - black lace, black chiffon, bright-coloured embroideries, silhouettes taking inspiration from traditional everyday clothes from the South of Italy - for a figure which is definitely one of the most important in  a person’s life: mum. It’s like an inspiration coming from THE inspiration, the first and foremost in your life. I would have done without the writings on skirts and dresses, but the children drawings in embroideries or prints gave the entire collection an aura of innocence which no one could resist. Once again Dolce & Gabbana proved they can be inspired by something as simple as not so much thought-about: who would ever think of going so literal on such a theme? Beautiful.

Day 6

Western inspiration for two designers coming from the West - Dsquared2 (photo 3) designers are Canadian. It was like a Western film actually: there were the Indians, with ethnic prints, big ponchos and fur coats, as well as the beautiful girls seducing men in the saloons, with ruffled dresses, exaggerated proportions down the waistline - translated here into more modern trousers and jeans - and a cocky attitude which definitely suits Dean and Dan Caten’s type of woman.

The brush of colour crossing one of the first pastel-coloured looks at Giorgio Armani (photo 4) set you already for some pops of colours here and there. They were not very bright though, and this was the focus of this collection: understatement, which, if you know a minimum about fashion, is not a new thing for Armani. This time the colour palette was really subtle: it went towards light blue, grey, some nudes. Folding, juxtaposition of materials, see-through with ethereal chiffon: it was mysterious, it was fascinating.

xxx