Milan Fashion Week proves once again that it is an event like no other.
Milan Fashion Week has always been one of the most anticipated events of the year and rightfully so. This year was nothing different with the Milanese fashion scene managing to bring forward an array of jaw-dropping shows from designers and fashion houses that still have descendants at the helm. These included collections from Fendi, Prada, Etro and many more, emphasising the event’s reputation of luxuriousness and proving once again, that this event is a family affair.
Perhaps one of the biggest moments of the show was the showcase of Karl Lagerfeld last collection, whose Fendi line walked the ramp two days after his passing. Although Lagerfeld was well-known for his work with Chanel, he spent almost fifty-four years passing his creative genius onto Fendi. The shocking death of the fashion icon made his show increasingly poignant and the event as a whole, that much more memorable.
On the fashion side of things, as always, we saw plenty of already established labels doing what they do best, whether it be Jeremy Scott’s Moschino designs or Tod’s leather obsession. In saying that, the event still had no shortage of surprises brought to us by Gucci’s use of spikes and frightening face-obscuring masks and Etro’s heavy textile designs that may have been a little too elaborate for most audience’s liking.
The spikey Gucci masks showcased on several models on the blindingly lit strobe light designs of the stage emphasised the darker theme of the event. This premise was further decorated by Prada’s “Frankenstein” references which saw designs related to the Mary Shelley gothic romance including Frankenstein’s bride and the monster himself.
Nicole Phelps of Vogue seems to think that Milan’s top designers were channelling their feelings for anger, fear and frustration when producing their new fall collections. Hints of this pain and unease were unmissable in Marni, Prada and Gucci’s designs where we saw scary developments and accessories that reflected the challenging times we are facing as a society, today.
Some of the key trend we saw on the runway this year was plaid (unsurprisingly) donned by Armani, Versace and Marni models; dramatic neck bows on Fendi and MSGM designs; pleated skirts rocked by Gucci and Emilio Pucci and a Matrix-esk aesthetic with Alberta Ferretti and Byblos designs accompanied chunky combat boots that made the wearers look even more badass.
This year’s event also addressed a crucial topic which was the urgency of finding more sustainable methods of garment production, by inviting seven design talents worldwide to create new pieces from existing materials. They called it the Next Green Talents showcase and given that the fashion industry produces twenty percent of global waste water and ten percent of the world’s carbon emission, this segment was an important one to address. Luna Del Pinal and Ksenia Schaniader were just two of the labels that took part in this important initiative, the former drawing inspiration from a Guatemala trip and creating asymmetric poncho-resembling tops whilst the latter made women’s jumpsuits from recycled men’s clothing.
Improved diversity was another pleasant surprise at this year’s Milan Fashion week with an increase in the inclusion of black models which saw Adut Akech, Binx Walton and Anok Yai all walking for some of the biggest shows of the event. Considering people of colour only made up less than thirty percent of models last season, it seems Milan is making commendable improvements in this area.
Age inclusion was another standout at the event for brands like Etro, who invited iconic models Farid Khelfa and Violetta Sanchez out of retirement and back onto the runway. Another notable presence this season that can’t be left unmentioned, would have to be 90s supermodel, Stephanie Seymour, who closed the Versace show.
As always, Milan managed to cement its reputation as a location of spectacular opulence and luxurious designs. In saying that, although the event unfolded as anticipated and we saw huge labels do what they do best, there were definitely some pleasant and not-so-pleasant surprises no one was expecting.
What was your favourite design from this year’s Milan fashion week? Let us know in the comments below.