As Milan Fashion Week draws to a close, the Italian leg of the spring
summer 2017 collections have been a reliable tour de force for next
season’s propositions. While neither shocking or radically forward, Italian
fashion gave something far more valuable, namely wearability.
After the mishmash of preceding London shows, forever focused on what is
new and emerging it forgets to celebrate commercial, working fashion,
Italian fashion week delivers what we’ve come to expect: the stability of
offering real clothes. And whether in fashion, or the current state of
world affairs, that is precisely what the doctor ordered.
Perhaps the king of stability in fashion is Mr Giorgio Armani, who’s staple
of the contemporary two-piece suit for women has been a surefire hit for
nearly four decades. The show notes for his SS17 collection read: “the
lightness of the body, seductively revealing itself, finding a new balance
between discipline and freedom.” These translated into loosely tied shirts
in sheer fabrics, prettily embroidered but never ostentatious. Silk
jacquard peplum skirts and shorts were perhaps a little tricky and
off-kilt, but there was comfort to be found in elegant blazers, or an
iridescent sporty cropped jacket in palest pink. The colour palette was
mostly navy, beige and Armani staple of neutrals, with dash of subtle
floral prints. The hashtag #charmani said all.
A recent addition to the Milanese fashion set, Stella Jean, of
Italian-Haitian origin, is a brand with a long horizon. Her is a colourful
palette, made even more interesting knowing she favours sustainably sourced
fabrics, aimed at helping trade workers in developing communities. Her
quirky pairing of print and styling may have a Japanese sensibility, but
the shapes, mostly tea dresses and longer length skirts, could be Laura
Ashley or English countryside, minus the frump. Look 25 summed it up: a
long sleeve dress in coral chiffon with a botanical garden print worn with
tiered grass slippers. Sometime a pretty dress is just that.
Celebrating its 50th anniversary, Bottega Veneta reintroduced a series of
bags from its archive collection, including its infamous intrecciato woven
clutch bag worn by actress and model Lauren Hutton in the 1980 film
American Gigolo. Hutton made a return to the catwalk this season, arm in
arm with Gigi Hadid, the current belle of fashion week, wearing a
deconstructed mackintosh, the kind of luxe sportswear favoured by its
creative director, Tomas Maier. Maier doesn’t do uber styling or fashion
crazy, instead focussing on pieces that work in the current zeitgeist,
always considered and exquisitely produced. For the label’s haute clientele
there was plenty of leather, which came in ostrich and coat length versions
to cropped or belted aviator style. All sumptuous, all very expensive. A
pair of paper cotton overalls in maroon trimmed in leather will speak to
the brand’s urban sophisticate of customers. The audience gave a standing
ovation when Maier and his team took their bow at the end.
Form, volume and intricate layering was the order of the day at Marni, one
of the highlights of Milan fashion week. In a daring reveal of proportions,
designer Consuelo Castiglione took the bumbag and reimagined it as chic and
billowing, worn on the waist and front over volumous dresses and coats, but
with a slimmer silhouette skirt or bottom. Elsewhere dresses, tops and
jackets were distorted with nautical cords, ruched and pulled to alter the
silhouette to enhance form, but never so wayward they couldn’t be sold on
the shop floor. Marni has one of the most fluid retail concepts in the
luxury sector, where its playful collections truly come to life.
Versace may be the go to brand for traffic-stopping glamour and red carpet
arrivals, but the Versace woman this decade has as much brain as she has
body. These aren’t clothes for librarians, obviously, but there was plenty
of sportswear, like nylon tracksuits and parkas, and bodycon daywear with
sinuous curve cutaways, which would be cool on the streets of London, New
York or any urban setting. The wearability factor was seconded by the
show’s casting, which saw models span generations, including Naomi
Campbell, Carmen Kass and Doutzen Kroes. The floor-sweeping gowns were not
a focus for Donatello Versace this season, who stated pre-show “Sportswear
is the future of fashion.” The gowns, of course, make their exit during
couture in July and March, when Atelier Versace spices up Paris couture
week.
Photo credits: Bottega Veneta SS17, Bottega Veneta Facebook, Giorgio
Armani SS17, GiorgioArmani.com, Marni SS17, Marni Facebook, Versace SS17,
Versace Facebook
The international Fashion Week season for women’s ready-to-wear kicks off in the month of September, with all eyes set on New York, Paris, London and Milan for next seasons latest trends. For all the women’s wear catwalk season must reads, click .