What we loved at Milan Fashion Week

By Hannah Warren

With Milan Fashion Week done and dusted, it’s time for a quick round up of what we saw from some of our favourite Estro brands. It was, like other Fashion Weeks from the last 12 months, a largely digital affair, but there were a number of intimate shows with an audience of mostly industry players. Regardless, it was one of the most important events in fashion’s annual calendar.

Pic @Marie Claire

Here’s a quick highlights reel of some of the best collections from this year’s Milan Fashion Week.

Valentino

The label presented a monochromatic collection highlighted by metallic accents and rendered in dramatic silhouettes. Small details were the highlight of the show: perforated collars, whipstitching and feathers all played a part. Chunky boots made a strong return, too, while intricate evening gowns heralded a return to the fashion of going out. 

Giorgio Armani

In both menswear and womenswear, softness and optimism prevailed; velvet appeared across the whole collection, and we saw more than one ruffle on the catwalk. There was a focus on the environment, too, with a large resin gorilla making an appearance ‘to remind people how important it is to protect the natural world,’ Armani said.

Brunello Cucinelli

The brand’s newest collection was a gentle shift out of lockdown wear, with a focus on comfort while also releasing us back into the style world. Tapered trousers were relaxed, footwear prioritised walking boots and flats, slouchy knitwear was worn with classic blazers and the general aesthetic was dressing for a Zoom meeting while working from home.  

Prada

Designer Raf Simons and Miuccia Prada debuted their partnership to great acclaim last season, and this season produced a similar response. The collection they launched in Milan was designed with the intention of interrogating ‘the space that exists between conventional polar opposites – the point between simplicity and complexity, elegance and practicality, limitation and release.’ The result was short-sleeved suiting alongside psychedelic bomber jackets, and old-man cardigans beside fur stoles (faux, of course). It was bold, but took note of a year of lockdown and comfort took a leading role. 

Fendi

British designer Kim Jones released his first womenswear collection for Fendi at Milan, and he took inspiration from the five Fendi sisters – daughters of the brand’s founder. ‘They are women of intellect who work hard – and that’s what I wanted to celebrate,’ Jones said. The collection focused on neutral tones – camels, clays, blushes and ivories were the order of the day – and let other features do the heavy lifting. We saw fitted knitwear, luxe silks, tassels and bold silhouettes.

Moschino

In a charming homage to old Hollywood, Jeremy Scott used an old couture salon as the setting turned models into ladies who lunch, spend weekends in the country, go on safari and pass evenings at the opera. In classic Moschino style, everything had an element of fun: serious suits got the treatment with cow and cloud print, sleek dresses were made of hessian, the collection even included a giraffe dress with matching headpiece. For the final nod to classic Hollywood, Dita Von Teese finished the show in a spectacular gown.

Max Mara

For the 70th anniversary of the brand, creative director Ian Griffiths was inspired by the English countryside to create a collection that is luxurious as much as it is practical. Midi skirts paired with thick Aran knits, quilted coats, long socks and chunky boots – cementing another season of their high-fashion status.

Dolce & Gabbana

In a ’90s throwback, the brand presented a collection that featured their signature leopard print splashed all over mixed textiles—PVC, metals and shearling make odd bedfellows—for a bold clash. The brand also took the opportunity to announce its collaboration with research institute Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) by sending robots and models in protective gear down the catwalk.