The Best of Milan Fashion Week AW16
The Italian fashion capital put on a spectacular show as designers showed a diverse range of influences for the autumn winter season. Like London, floral embellishments and adornments were evident at many of the fashion houses while the opposites of sheer fabrics and heavy brocades and velvets were also plentiful.
Here are our top picks from Milan A/W16 Fashion Week:
Salvatore Ferragamo
Massimiliano Giornetti once again stunned for Ferragamo with his graphic prints and shocks of colour. From delicate knit dresses to body skimming slips, he used blocks of colour to accentuate the figure as well as brighten the mood. Capes were also big in either a single shade or vibrant zigzag patterns.
Gucci
Models glided down the runway as Alessandro Michele continued his new romantics theme that helped Gucci to regain its commercial edge. Inspired by art and history, this is seen reflected in renaissance style of dresses with their chaste necklines and billowing sleeves but also harks back to the hippy 70s. He injected a modern grunge edge into the collection with street art, motifs, logos and accessories. It was an eclectic mix on the catwalk that non the less impressed if not for its cohesiveness, for its understanding of the modern woman’s dichotomy of being.
Alberta Ferretti
Long sensuous satin slips with delicate lace inserts, romantic trailing of floral embroidery and fur stoles casually skimming the shoulders gave Ferretti’s AW collection a very Great Gatsby feel. There were other items that featured tweeds and heavy velvets as a contrast but it was her romantic, bias cut slipdresses that really captured our imagination.
Prada
Explorer, woman of the world, modern nomad – these were all reflected on the runway as Miuccia Prada presented a collection she felt reflected the modern woman.“We need to understand who we are now,” she said “Maybe it’s useful to look back to the different characteristic moments, difficulties, love, no love, pain, happiness, different kinds of women: sexy, boring, traveler. So this was the main concept.” The results were practical, wearable and beautiful.
Moschino
Always fun and colourful Jeremy Scott took Moschino one step further with a blazingly fashion forward collection. “It’s inspired by the Bonfire of the Vanities,” he revealed as he presented sumptuous gowns that were singed at the edges and had holes burnt in them where he’d taken a literal match to the 80s style ensembles to show the vanity that fashion really is. The result was edgy and rebellious.
Dolce & Gabbana
The princess has come a long way from the Disney cookie cutter mould and Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana have reinterpreted classic fairytale princesses to the modern world.“Today, every girl wants to be a princess,” said Stefano and this collection helps us to pick a look that tallies with the result of a “which fairytale princess are you?” survey to give us a coherent, contemporary look.
Missoni
Muted colours, soft knits and a relaxed silhouette gave a pleasant reinterpretation of the obligatory Missoni zigzag pattern. Fun and laid-back with a boho leaning it provides the perfect autumn winter weekend wardrobe for those who like to seem effortlessly cool.
Giorgio Armani
Midnight black velvet was the star of the collection as the luxurious fabric was reinterpreted in a variety of ways to portray an opulence and richness of the cosmopolitan and cultured women that wear it. “Velvet is decipherable in a clear way and is sophisticated. Customers don’t have a book with instructions. Italian fashion is envied by everybody, we shouldn’t try to overdo it,” Armani asserted.
Blumarine
Delicate floral chiffon, metallic lurex, sparkling sequins, fine lace and opulent furs provided a mixed assortment that Anna Molinari described as being for “an eclectic, proud woman with a strong personality”. The floral theme seen in London and on other Milan runways was again evident and enhanced the femininity of the collection.
