Milan hosted fashion week for the first time since last March. Between 21 September and 27 September, 43 shows were scheduled, along with 41 events and 98 presentations. Security measures were sometimes strict and there was a reduced number of seats. This resulted in journalists from the Benelux being barred collectively for quite a few labels. Versace, Etro and Ferragamo were among them.
Although Asian guests were rare, American guests received extra treats. Dolce & Gabbana was one example. Vogue head Anna Wintour, and Edward Enninful, were given twice the space in front row than other guests. All of us had in mind a throne and crown, as well as the sceptre treatment. Fashion week was often lacking in atmosphere due to the small number of attendees.
The Teatro Armani is where Emporio Armani celebrated its fortieth year. Although it’s already cold, the half-full stands created a party atmosphere. Armani employed its own staff to cheer loudly at key moments, as usual. This has not changed.
Boss opted for a charming offensive
Bosss was not concerned about the atmosphere. The German brand rented Kennedy Sports Field on the outskirts to present its second collaboration with Russell Athletic. There, they installed a typical baseball game complete with cheerleaders, popcorn and hot dogs. The models wore the simple, American sportswear of Russell and Boss, with top model Gigi Haid in the lead. The Tommy Hilfiger show was very similar to the launch of the see-now-buy-now collection. It’s not surprising that Daniel Grieder (ex-CEO of Tommy Hilfiger Worldwide & PVH Europe) has been running Hugo Boss from June. Although high fashion history was never made on a baseball diamond, it was not intended to be. However, Boss’s event was the most extravagant of the week.
Prada was short and sexy…
Prada chose to present a complicated show. Actually, there were two shows at Fondazione Prada in Milan, and one in Shanghai simultaneously. Live images from Shanghai were projected onto screens in Milan. Two collections of identical outfits were worn by the models at the same moment, which was a significant investment. The show was then closed by twin sisters on different continents, who wore the same outfits again.
This collection was quite sexy, even by Prada standards. The collection featured very short skirts that could be worn over shorter ones, corsets and boning, leather grunge jackets without any underneath, and even corsets and boning. There were also references to couture, with elegant dresses in double-face satin and always paired with a red lipstick handbag from the nineties.
… and many other brands
Versace invited Naomi Campbell, Dua Lipa and a bunch of half-naked male models to the event, while Lipa’s “Physical” blared through the speakers. Dolce & Gabbana added glitter to oversized denim and micro skirts. Angela Missoni gave the torch to Alberto Caliri at Missoni. However, it seemed that Missoni had lost it. The girls were too young and too thin, often with a sloppy appearance.
Even though catwalks are now more colorful than ever, fashion labels have learned the lesson that there is not enough space for plus-size models. Italian fashion continues to favor very young girls. New York Fashion Week saw progress in inclusivity, but Milan’s conversion to the twenty-first century is still far off.
Quira was the debut of this week
“I’ve been in the business for so long, I’ve always worked for other artistic directors, and now I felt it was time to finally express my own vision,” Veronica Leoni told usduring the launch of her brand Quira, named after her grandmother. Leoni has a strong track record. During Sander’s last tenure at Jil Sander she was responsible for Jil Sander knitwear. Under Phoebe Philo’s leadership, she spent four years designing Celine’s pre-collections.
She has been working on the Moncler Genius project for a few seasons, designing the 2 Moncler 1952 lines. She continued, “What I do at Moncler is totally different.” It’s a commission-based job, which is very nice. Quira is my only child. The collection was presented with a French photographer Camille Vivier’s photographs. It is a strong collection that will appeal to Philo, Sander, and even the Parisian Lemaire.
Vintage Moncler and Gucci
Moncler launched Moncler Genius online, the label’s new collection of 11 mini-collections. The activations took place in eleven cities. In Milan, a separate event was organised for a .collaboration .with luxury streetwear brand Palm Angels. The Spazio Maiocchi hosted The Dunes, a vintage boutique. It was located under a huge mountain of red sand. There was a selection of vintage American clothing for sale. Palm Angels items were also displayed among them,
Gucci Vault launched an online shop that same day. It sells vintage Gucci as well as collections from smaller independent brands. Luxury brands are seeking solutions to be part of the second-hand market, which is growing quickly and is popular with Generation Z.
Cormio took a piece from Antwerp to Milan
Jezabelle Cormio, a designer, was born in Rome and studied at the Academy of Antwerp. She also has her own sustainable knitwear label, which she launched in Milan for a few seasons. The atmosphere in her debut presentation was a bit different from what you might expect at Paris fashion week. It took place in an old knitting shop. Spectators were allowed in the shop as groups of five. Three models and three older craftwomen were working behind the counter with disco lights, pounding techno, and three more.
Gabrielle Karefa Johnson was invited to play a key guest role.
Gabrielle Karefa Johnson, a Black stylist, was the first to cover American Vogue. The cover was followed by five more. Everyone was happy. Some can be called historic, like the portrait of Kamala Harris, vice president, made in difficult circumstances or Amanda Gorman, poet.
Max Mara Weekend asked Karefa to create a capsule collection. The stylist took inspiration from her aunts and mother’s photos in the seventies. The outfits with collages of prints, and references to Bridget Riley’s Op Art, are very flattering for all types of women, even those who are curvier like Karefa Johnson.
