Ciao America and Bonjourno Italia! While the Italians are taking off on their yachts and enjoying exotic trips to Ibiza, the fashion lovers of the universe are all flying in one-by-one to Milan, Italy to witness one of the most innovative Fashion Weeks of the year.
The catwalk was adorned with Dolce & Gabbana asymmetrical dresses, Prada colorful clutches, and so much more. Fashion designers such as Donatella Versace and Giorgio Armani came with their A-game in order to take the fashion industry to new heights.
Milan’s Summer Fashion Week had a few overarching themes: loose-fitted fabrics; vibrant, florescent colors; and some multi-layered pieces. The diversity of clothing strutting down the runway on the human mannequins was mind blowing. Every piece told its own story; every show began and ended as if it was a movie.
Although the men’s clothing was also superb, we have decided to focus solely on the stunning women’s pieces and to reflect on our top 5 favorite collections from Milan’s Fashion Week.
Top 5 from Milan Fashion Week:
Fendi
Edoardo and Adele Fendi would be proud to see how their small local bag shop has turned into an international fashion empire. At Milan they took a different approach to their style by debuting a unique geek-chic look. The collection displayed a bunch of 3-D geometric prints as well as many layered outfits. There were asymmetrical jackets draped over extravagant thigh high gowns. Some of them were loose, while others were tightly tailored all the way from the shoulders to the wrists. Some of the patterns were extremely simple, with solid colors, leaving others to be mixed with four –sometimes five — different patterns. This collection contained absolutely no jewelry; the only accessories used were small purses or wristlets — and a few geeky shades.
Overall, this collection caught our attention because it showed us how layering is done and how to mix different patterns, textures, and fitting styles to assemble a unique signature piece.
Dolce & Gabbana
The Italian Dolce & Gabbana designers must have taken a break from their Italian mansions to visit a few Latin countries, seeking ideas for their Spanish-inspired designs. The dresses presented during this mind-blowing show could inspire a fashion-admiring viewer. The patterns represented a mixture of vertical and horizontal stripes as well as bold, animalistic prints. The architecture was diverse: some dresses had thin straps arching over the shoulders; others had pouffy, 1980s prom-like shoulder pads. The whicker multi-colored mini dress was among the most beautiful: thin, black straps; orange whicker fabric; and a youthful, colorful, high waisted center of the design. This dress could take anyone’s breath away.
All designers have their eyes on D&G. The company released pieces on this runway that we had never seen before.
Marni
We added Marni to our list because it represents the truth behind the refrain less is more. This collection contained solid, simple colors, but little to no patterns. On paper, this may seem boring, but the designers spiced things using architecture alone. The amount of time and effort put into crafting and tailoring their jackets, shorts, skirts, and dresses was evident. Neither the deep-v cuts in the necklines of the tops, nor the bagginess of the jacket arms, were overdone.
These pieces are high-fashion but can also be used at award shows and other red carpet events. I wouldn’t be shocked if we were to see a few celebs show up to an event wearing one of these signature pieces.
Versus
Although Donatella Versace is the beautiful brain behind the Versace brand, Christopher Kane showed the world that he is a force to be reckoned with, even while walking in the shadows of the larger-than-life figure Donatella. He designed the extravagant pieces of the Versus collection — the little sister of Versace — for the Milan Fashion Week. Once the show began, you knew you were in for a fun ride. The collection consisted of extremely bright and vibrant colors — from neon-greens to boisterous-turquoise blues. Lots of the dresses and pant suits contained wild patterns, some argyle-inspired. Kane even took the iconic polka dot pattern to new heights by adding outrageous color schemes. The design of the clothes themselves was unique; they consisted of tailored pants and waistline dresses with baggy tops and edges. They accessorized these lavish outfits with tight, chunky bead-like necklaces and large clutch purses. Some of the dresses even had pockets, which added a casual flair to the design. Kane also had a few tennis-liked ruffled skirts to add an essence of sportiness.
Overall, this collection was a fountain of youth spirit for the typically sophisticated Versace brand.
Versace
“Sex sells,” they say. I always thought this referred to video vixens and overly sexualized pop art. But Donatella Versace showed Milan that less fabric does not always equate to more sexiness. The leading fabric used in Donatella’s collection was lace. And let me tell you, she made it work! When you think of lace, the first things that comes to mind is probably Victoria Secret’s panties and bras. Now we see that lace can be a hot item in everyday wear. Versace used floral lace — with both bright and dark colors — in the majority of her pieces for this collection. Her monochromatic color scheme of black and tan/off-white was particular stunning. The shorts were tightly fitted, the tops and blazers loose. Versace accessorized with minimal jewelry — just some simple earrings, and some bags and belts. Her models also debued her new black-and-beige, pointed, knee-high gladiator sandals.
This entire collection from beginning to end was hypnotizing and mesmerizing.
Unfortunately, we fell in love with all of our jaw dropping fab five collections leaving us unable to rank them best to worst but feel free to let us know what you think of these crazy works of art. Till next time, Ciao Bella!