Milan Fashion Week - Days 3 & 4Day 3I start my review with Emporio Armani (photo 1), with a

Milan Fashion Week - Days 3 & 4

Day 3

I start my review with Emporio Armani (photo 1), with a slight inspiration coming from Asia, with lines similar to the kimono translated into Armani language. Maxi-buttons were placed on the side, shiny silk brocades gave a little light to the looks, ruffles everywhere and just one very bright colour, red, together with grey and black. Sportmax (photo 2) always finds a good compromise between wearability and fashionability. It was great because the details that made the clothes simple made them also remarkable: the raw cuts of the little dresses, wool in neutral shades used for the beautiful coats closed by just one string, straight lines and basically no decorations at all.

This time I didn’t like the prints in Etro collection - guess in some cases it reminded me of Desigual, which I hate - but I recognise this is a matter of taste. It wasn’t a bad collection, but overall that’s the problem: it was just nice. Too many dresses looked as the same, the only successful ones in my opinion being the ensemble top + trousers and the ones in the shiny tones of gold. Iceberg (photo 3) was instead a grower for me. It started looking like another ‘normal’ collection but it wasn’t: when you start noticing the three-dimensional quality of the few prints, or the focus on the extremely tight waist, with high-waisted sort of trousers which are maybe more leggings than pants, in neutral tones, or the wool multi-coloured skirts paired with immaculately made white blouses, well, it wins you over.

How I like experimentation with fabrics! The great strength of Marco De Vincenzo’s collection (photo 4) was, first of all, the extremely wide variety of materials: there was leather, sheepskin, denim, wool, velvet. And then the interesting manipulation of these materials: criss-crossing in contrasting shades, fringes, fur patchwork. It was a total collection. Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini (photo 5) had period elements with 70s vibe: the ruffles, the bows, the white lace meets high-waisted slightly flared trousers, chiffon maxi-dresses, bright colours like blood orange, with some much more modern twists - shorts with printed sweaters and tiny jackets in flowery patterns.

There were definitely too many idea in Versace collection. The glam look is becoming old, and the only looks I really appreciated were the black ones with slits revealing slashes of amazingly bright colours: lemon yellow, fiery red. I also save the little dresses with the puzzle of greek prints - signature of the brand - declined in different colours. For the rest, it’s a no no. Bally chose instead classic shapes revisited with a touch of irony: colour blocking, oversize croco trousers, bright accessories.

Day 4

Ermanno Scervino (photo 6) presented a collection which was already successful after the first few white quilted dresses in which the quilt creatively formed a pattern. It then went on with a chain of sophisticated blue looks, with dreamy and romantic shapes. Beautiful the gowns closing the show, inspired by the 40s and still linking the brand to its signature elegant style.

Creativity takes over again at Antonio Marras (photo 7) and the result is always fabulous. Colours veered towards pastel shades, but shapes are much more rigorous and structured: square-shaped oversize coats with prints inspired by abstract and deco art, referencing the beautiful lace used throughout the collection, mixed with velvet or juxtaposed on the other colours to create beautiful graphic effects.

I chose that outfit in the photo for Gabriele Colangelo (photo 8) because it represents, in my opinion, the very core of this amazing collection: a pair of wool blend grey trousers and a simple woven panel as a top. The woven panel was the real fil rouge connecting the whole collection and was present over dresses, coats, trousers, skirts. Wonderful idea that of the insertion of colours in the final part, fuchsia being the main tone. Fur added that little bit of opulence giving character to an already perfect collection.

xxx