Dreamcoat
Vivid colors and winks to the Seventies and Eighties were among the hallmarks of the Italian collections for fall. Angela Missoni captured both beautifully with her intense mélange knits, like this speckled, fringed coat captured backstage.
Versace
“The Clans of Versace” — Donatella Versace's fall collection was, according to the opening quote of her show notes, an ode to women who "know that today nothing is acquired through birth, but rather earned through what they achieve.”
A lovely thought, and powerful, but complicated to express via clothes on a runway — even if you hadn't cast Kaia Gerber. No knock on Kaia. She's a beautiful girl who, in a short time, has become a very good model. But one would be hardpressed to miss the irony between the show's stated platform and Kaia's casting.
Such is the dilemma of deep-thoughts messaging on the runway: Little details can prove awkward. Happily, not so for the clothes themselves in Versace's follow-up to last season's supermodel scarf-print spectacular. On Friday night, Versace showed a flamboyant, feisty collection, her “clans” construct imposing unity on several disparate ideas. She baited the youth vote with timed-honored tartans, her take descended as much from Vivienne Westwood's Worlds End as the Highlands: varsity mufflers, sweaters and kilts, all wantonly mismatched and pieced together in pretty-in-punk pilings. For evening, these morphed into a black bustier over logo T and zany, pouffed-out skirt — a delightful take on bad- girl glam.
Yet girls are not the brand's core constituency, nor luxury's. Versace took a more adult, though no less overt, turn with bodycon sensuality in high-intensity print mixes, sometimes head-to-toe — ultrabright abstracts over swirling, black-andwhite Ts and leggings. The latter had nothing on a pair of crystal-beaded, fringed over-the-knee boots that accessorized a black power-woman dress. It made for a moment of unabashed Eighties homage, in all its strong-shouldered, cinched-waistwith-hardware glory.
Versace's clanswomen have calmer tendencies as well. A trio of slinky black dresses worn with headscarves percolated steam beneath the surface, while a pair of impeccable camel coats provided savvy, high- chic respite from so much optic verve.
Whether we'll ever see Donatella herself in camel, who knows? But the woman can sure rock a pair of tight tartan pants.
— Bridget Foley
Giorgio Armani
Inclusivity — you've got to love it. Or do you? As au courant and lofty the goal, it's one not without pitfalls, certainly when applied to the runway. There, inclusivity can look a lot like all- over-the-place. In his show notes, Giorgio Armani wrote that he approached his fall collection “inspired by many cultures as an ode to coexistence as opposed to exclusion.” Alas, through a long lineup — 96 looks, including a smattering of men's — the coexistence proved far from seamless.
That the collection meandered as it did surprised, since Armani has long integrated elements of diverse cultures into his work. He opened with relative calm: pale grays and pinks for unconstructed outerwear — ponchos, cocoon coats, flyaway jackets — over pants and shorts. Then, he was off and running as a litany of house codes paraded past.
That meant numerous jacket variations; several pant cuts, some tricky, some not; embellished gowns; fabrics with intense surface textures from quilting to Lurex to what appeared to be abstract warp prints. And yes, hats, fanciful, furry pastels with far-distant retro pomp. Cromwell might have worn one, had he been more fun.
Armani crossed it all with non- specific cultural references, integrating the two with experimental zeal. That laudable approach led him to mix in a few doozies: a pair of Elizabethan bloomers; a natty jacket over a sort- ofsarong skirt draped, pulled and knotted over red, ribbon- laced boots; shaggy blue and green Christmas tinsel ponchos over iridescent abstract- patterned skirts. And was that short black-and-blue coat inset with red velvet banding a Tyrolean moment, or had the mind wandered off, to somewhere high on a hill with a lonely goatherd?
Of course, there were some pretty clothes: The opening series of separates had soothing appeal, and an ombréd mohair coat projected just the right touch of arty. While Armani is a master of evening drama, here, his loveliest gown was relatively discreet, a shadow-striped beauty with feathers at the hem. He closed, as he often does, by contrasting his primary point with a power classic, the stately tuxedo, this one embroidered for alluring sparkle. It dazzled indeed. But in the end, Armani's globe-spanning left one feeling lost. — Bridget Foley
Missoni
For her fall collection, Angela Missoni was inspired by a particular moment in New York: the late Seventies/early Eighties. “That moment of joy, a moment of joyful positivity, an eclectic moment,” Missoni said backstage before her show. That time, before the AIDS crisis and the ascent of big, new-money Nouvelle Society, was carefree, boho and indulgent, its relaxed chic elevated by an undercurrent of worldliness. It's an era we associate with the Missoni brand (never mind that the company was founded much earlier, in 1953), so it makes sense for Angela Missoni to mine the era today. It's her challenge to control the nostalgia, lest the past overwhelm the present.
Here, Missoni did so beautifully for both women and men, celebrating the brand codes of pattern, fluidity and layering without getting lost in them. For women, she favored a long, linear silhouette in a palette from earthy to vibrant. For all its elaborate runway head-to-toe, Missoni is really about the perfect item to integrate into a realworld wardrobe not built on high-intensity mélange knits. That starts with coats and jackets, and Missoni offered some gems. Among the most striking: a belted coat made from a patchwork of vintage fabrics sourced from the house archives. The spectacular piece will be produced as a limited edition from the original fabrics, not reissues. Missoni's beautiful, light-as-air dresses captivated as well, and, unlike in her spring show, now they were styled over T-shirts, eliminating uncomfortable transparency as an issue for her models.
Missoni's men projected artful cool in combinations that avoided self-consciousness. That's because their looks typically featured solids items, mostly pants in leather or velvet. Missoni should consider broadening her women's range in a similar manner. Even though her combinations were controlled, virtually every look presented a lot to take in. Incorporating some basics (a word uncommon to the Missoni range) would heighten the impact of Missoni's most spectacular pieces. — Bridget Foley
Jil Sander
Luke and Lucie Meier's fall Jil Sander men's and women's collection was a strong sophomore effort. They found solid footing in softness and comfort, contextualizing the lineup as a vision for the future, one of protection, humanity and sensitivity. An obvious way to take the house's minimalist codes in a futuristic direction could have been purist, technical precision. “It's not just machinery,” said Luke backstage. “We're surrounded by technology and AI and all these things that are always in the news and in the consciousness. We thought, ‘Why can't the future be beautiful, soft and human also?'”
The designers kept the essence of Sander's signature simplicity with spare cuts and an abundance of white, as well as black, gray, navy and red. They breathed air and lightness into the aesthetic with tactile fabrics and silhouettes constructed to graze and float around the body. It was lovely.
The opening look was an ivory blazer — tidy shoulders, short lapels — over a sheer white shirt and ivory skirt done in wide yarns of wool encased in silk organza. It was slightly padded and cushy but not bulky. A red T-shirt and skirt shaped like an oval around the hips came in gently puckered stretch material. Ribbed knits — sweaters, skirts and leggings — were cut into lightly twisted asymmetric swirls.
Tailoring was neat but not hard or plain. Jackets came with shrunken, rounded shoulders and elegantly elongated sleeves banded at the bicep. A serene beauty of a coat was done in lavender Lurex floral jacquard. Some of the looks were slung with padded down wraps pulled around shoulders or midsection like a chic, inviting hug. How refreshing it was to imagine a future where a soft landing awaits. — Jessica Iredale
Marco de Vincenzo
Anyone with even the mildest couch-potato inclinations is acquainted with the trauma of being engrossed by your favorite TV show, only to be cruelly interrupted by a loud beep and the dreaded rainbow of test-pattern stripes. No signal. Now what to do?
Marco de Vincenzo channeled that experience into his fall collection, working with the idea of forced disconnection and how it opens your eyes to the pleasures all around you. He was drawing on the TV-viewing memories of his childhood. But "this is a very modern story,” he insisted backstage. “We are always connected and sometimes we need to experiment with life simply by living.” To that end, he cast a charming, fresh perspective on items and concepts that are familiar, not only to his brand — vivid color, texture, a vaguely retro, very Italian hand — but to the everyday wardrobe as well.
The rainbow test patterns were reimagined as glittered stripes on a lame shirtdress with a ruffled hem, a giant duvet coat and puffer wrap, and down the backside of black pants that were plain in front. There was a sweetness and naivete to school uniform plaids done as extra-wide bell-bottoms and apron dresses; likewise to cozy cardigans and tunic dresses decorated with pixelated flower buds. The graphic black-and-tan checks that appeared on fantasy faux furs and the scalloped brown-and-black patterns on a coat were meant to evoke home interiors, something one knows well and remembers fondly. The collection was full of statement fashion pieces, bold but not jarring, a description that applied to de Vincenzo's handbags that were beaded with images of a HIV and AIDS red ribbon, a vigil candle and a dark-skinned hand holding a light-skinned one. They gently sent a message without preaching. The special part of his lineup was its appealing level of comfort, something that felt as right for the times as the idea that it's possible to disconnect and still be aware. — J.I.
Antonio Marras
An artist, a showman, a tailor, a dressmaker, Antonio Marras is also a master storyteller. His fashion shows do not adhere to the standard runway format of 30-plus-minute wait, 12 minutes of clothes and a 10-minute bottleneck to exit. He gives his audience much more. It's worth the time.
For fall, he and his wife Patrizia spun a tale of John Marras, a little known
18th- century miniaturist, recast as an ancestor of Antonio for the purposes of fashion-fan fiction. As the designing Marras imagined it, John was born in France, took a boat to New York with a pit stop in Alghero, Sardinia, where he met a devastatingly beautiful woman. The show unfolded as an ode to the many characters encountered along this journey around the world. “Imagine a long trip on a boat from Sardinia to New York,” Marras said backstage. “There are a lot of people on the boat.”
There were dashing romantics in crimson and black — an elegant black tailored coat with brocade lapels decorated in ship pins, and a black coat with red flowers that exploded into layers of scarlet tulle. There were women who dressed like men in dapper suiting plied with curvy hourglass cuts and floral insets, and men who didn't mind a little feminine flourish — sequins and floral embroideries
— on their teddy jackets. Punks mixed plaids and sporty patchworks with their embroidered tulles, and opulent artistic ladies smoldered in a deconstructed cape decked in jewels or a velvet toile print smoking jacket over a bias cut silk maxidress. These were the kind of clothes that made one long for more formal times, when getting dressed up was a daily ritual. Alas, without sacrificing any of the fantasy, Marras acquiesced a bit to today's sweatshirt and puffer coat world. He elevated sweatshirts into street art with mixed fabric collages and varsity lettering in his initials, and finished silk and velvet puffers with the grand gesture of a dramatic scarf necks.
Marras does not suffer from any sort of creative block — his collections do not show any signs of the fatigue other designers cry about. Quite the opposite. Not counting the troupe of actors and dancers who split up the show with three vivid performances featuring various cabin classes of ocean liner passengers — the impassioned third class, the underpants-clad second class being tossed by a mid-sea storm, and the tony first class dancing like Fred and Ginger — the show clocked in at 92 looks. Complainers will say Marras went overboard; the show was too long. They had to rush to see the sporty puffers and ski sweaters at Sportmax. — Jessica Iredale
MSGM
When Massimo Giorgetti first moved to Milan in 2009, he didn't like it very much. But it grew on him. Nearly 10 years later, “I really, really love it,” he said backstage before his fall show. He put his heart on the collection's many sleeves with a lineup intended as a love letter to Milan. It checked the city's major moments over the last 20 years — high-def Milano da bere style, Nineties minimalism done the maximalist Italian way, homages to iconic local spots — in a package that was sincere, energetic and very of the now.
Giorgetti infused the collection with molto Italiano spirit from all angles. All the models were Italian, some professional, some from a street casting, some friends of the label. Soccer-inspired prints on blanket scarves and sweaters paid tribute to famous Milanese bars and bakeries, including Pasticceria Cucchi, Jamaica, Bar Basso and Pravda Bar. Silky shirts were printed with cheerful “Milan! Milan! Milan” down the back, and T-shirts bore the portrait of Alessandro Manzoni, the Milanese novelist, playwright, poet and critic, whose statue stood outside Giorgetti's show venue. The collection's overall vibe was street-fueled exuberance, beginning with slick black faux-leather jackets and track pants, followed by shiny cherry red versions.
Giorgetti worked tracksuits every which way but sloppy. They came in sporty Eighties colorblocks and a pretty white and blue floral print, and broken up as a track jacket over white jeans tucked into matching thigh-high boots or a pair of red track pants worn with heels, a soccer sweater and printed blanket. There were sequined dresses, faux head-to-toe python and, for the finale, an explosion of vivid prints — cats, chains, flowers and the word “Milano” — on matching shirts and pleated skirts worn with supersized trainers. All the color, print and street swagger amounted to a super high-impact look that will impart Milanese bravado even to girls who don't have a birthright to it. —
Etro
Some one-liners grab your attention. For example: “If Ettore Sottsass and Laura Ingalls worked together," which Victoria Etro mused backstage before her show on Friday. If the thought of that imaginary union didn't grab you, you could ponder the series of foot-high, tabletop paper-sculpture dresses and tops with major graphics that could have resulted from collaboration between, well, Ettore Sottsass and Laura Ingalls — assuming she was crafty. Do we know for sure?
Despite her gentle demeanor, Etro's penchant for pattern runs deep — it's in the genes — and she is bullish, sometimes to the point of overstatement, in its ebullient invocation. For fall, she boasted, everything was plotted out with mathematical precision — yet slyly so. The range never turned clinical as Etro invoked an amalgam of references, ticking off Art Deco, Memphis, arts-and- crafts, the “wild western land of endless horizons” (or maybe Patagonia or Peru), “handmade earthiness and rigorous post-modernism.” If you studied the array of optics in play, you could pull out allusions to each, none literal, all zesty, with the prevailing mood a non-specific American Southwest vibe with a touch of boho.
As the models walked out, one after another — crafty collage-print dress under multi-striped coat after engineered striped-and-checkerboard fringed knit ensemble after fringed, tasseled, zigzagged, folkloric patterned coat — their pile-on patterns turned a bit dizzying, even though Etro injected moments of calm with some beautiful, relatively simple coats. Yet overall, the collection worked, on two levels. Individually, most of the looks appealed — fresh, pretty and workable, though not always exactly as shown. In total, the takeaway was one of warmth and comfort. In this Milan season of deep, often dark intellectual posturing, Etro's lineup reminded that clothes can do more than telegraph angst over the culture's frightening dystopian inclinations. Clothes can also help us feel good, about ourselves and, maybe, even the world. Imagine that.
Etro ended the show with what she called “a surprise.” Just before the finale, the Chinese actress Yao Chen, brand ambassador and KOL, or key opinion leader, hit the runway. Her solo walk felt like a teaser of bigger brand involvement to come. Stay tuned. — Bridget Foley
Salvatore Ferragamo
There was news aplenty at Ferragamo. With the fall show, Paul Andrew made his debut as creative director of women's ready-to-wear, a promotion the British-American shoe designer received last October after a year of overseeing the women's footwear collections at Ferragamo. It was also the first coed runway production for the brand, in which Andrew and men's creative director Guillaume Meilland's work were integrated. It was meant to be a fresh day for the house, with two young designers injecting the brand with the energy and momentum it deserves.
Yet as the models came out clad in updates on bourgeois staples — foulard dresses, extralong canvas capes, jodhpurs and leather jackets, plus awkward, square ostrich-skin boots on their feet — it was difficult to shake the sense that Ferragamo still has at least one foot lodged in the musty fog of Italian leather goods heritage. It is one of several houses searching for harmony between its burnished calfskin and brass-buckled history, and modern fashion.
To do so, Andrew and Meilland, who appeared to coordinate their visions, would do well to lighten up. The collection's palette of khaki, navy, burgundy, orange and a pop or two of blue was classic, but building the looks out of tonal monochromes made it a tad drab. Some of Andrew's long, drapey proportions swamped the girls in excess fabric and hemlines that hid the shoes. On that subject, knee-high leather boots with signature hardware at the top, and square gold heels were a fine twist on tony tradition, but the shearling green styles were just mossy. The brightest points of the lineup were the scarf-lined coats for women, and men's coats layered over quilted pieces. Hopefully the designers will have more spring in their step next season.
— Jessica Iredale
Marni
Who hasn't ruminated on the essential, often testy relationship between tech and nature? While preparing his Marni collection, Francesco Risso did just that. Backstage before his show, Risso said he considered “the contrast between our irresistible love for innovation and technology and, on the other side, those movements of the soul” innate to the human condition. He sought to explore “the universal magnetism that attracts opposites” and wondered if, by fusing the two, he could define “a new primitivism — techno primitivism.”
Key to the concept: Using innovative fabrics in a raw way. To that end, while some hems were laser-finished, others were frayed as he played PVC against silk and polyester against leather, and let long, unraveling cords swing freely from the waists of otherwise precise silhouettes. Along the way, a giant cat-face print took on political resonance when rendered in pink for a voluminous A-line coat.
The show opened with an ultraslick, bright blue coat, cinched with a wide belt. While this worked only the tech side of Risso's equation, it introduced a key silhouette and the palette's hyperbright side, which he would contrast against neutrals. This was followed in quick order by color-blocked looks with an artisanal feel and sporty pilings of layers that alternated between natural and not, as with a bright, multistriped blanket coat over bright pink slicker over track pants. Risso went lean as well, with alluring, intensely constructed ribbed knits that bunched and folded while remaining sensually bodycon.
And he constructed numerous coats and dresses from two different fabrics, spliced together.
At times, Risso's mixes felt forced, while some larger volumes and a few design indulgences (those mismatched sleeve treatments) looked awkward.
Yet it all made for interesting viewing, while attempting to tackle a real-life conundrum. For that, Risso is to be commended, even if creating seamless synergy between tech and nature proved elusive on his runway, as in life.
— Bridget Foley
Roberto Cavalli
Glamour was the springboard for Paul Surridge's coed collection that flashed flesh, fur and croc- embossed leather. “To me, glamour is confidence and confidence is comfort,” the brand's creative director said before the show. Hence the stretchy fabrics, bias cuts and a new bolero jacket done in a biker style, croc look or with a thick black fur trim that Surridge said were meant to be tossed over the shoulders. He also considered signposts of status: Cue silkscarf hemlines for a dress with a swirling color print inspired by Murano glass, sparkling embroidery on men's jeans, and fur coats with gold studs embedded in the seams.
This collection had its strong points, including those fluttery scarf-hem dresses, some with the moody Murano blues and burgundies, others with signature Cavalli animal prints. Outerwear, too, delivered some drama in the form of a long tuxedo jacket with slashed sides, the snazzy boleros and a black and bright blue zebra print men's coat. All too often, though, the collection tipped into showgirl territory, with peek-a-boo cutouts on eveningwear, thigh-high slits on skirts and a crinkly see-through dress, like a fish skin, layered over black lingerie. True glamour requires a little more mystery.
— Samantha Conti
Sportmax
With the Winter Olympic Games still going on, the Sportmax collection felt just perfect for those dreaming about mountain escapes.
An athletic, dynamic energy was injected in the lineup, where urban clothes were updated with tech details inspired by outdoor sports gear. Blazers and coats were layered over down vests or worn under roomy, cropped puffers in bright tones. Skirts in traditional suiting fabrics featured zippers and dresses, cut in ergonomic silhouettes, were embellished with sporty colorblock intarsia and laced up details.
In keeping with the mountain inspiration, graphic images of skiers were printed on a high-collar top tucked into a skirt with a pleated panel on the back and Fair Island patterns were reworked in the cozy knitwear. A final touch, inspired by ski suits, the new SPX logo, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the label in 1969, was appearing on the collar of turtlenecks with geometric patterns. — Alessandra Turra
Emporio Armani
Giorgio Armani wanted to toss out the rules for day and night dressing, mix things up and melting the two into one. “Today, rules have been turned upside down,” he said in his show notes.
For all the talk, this was definitely a collection for night owls, what with the sparkle, shine and tinsel-y flourishes on shorts, cocktail dresses and tailored suits. Armani also went full throttle on the Emporio Armani logo, picking it out in sequins around the waist of a tailored jacket or decorating short coats and fuzzy sweaters with big E's and A's.
There were some lovely pieces here
— the outerwear and tailoring, in particular. Dark coats came long, whisper-light and billowing, or in fur, cropped at the wrists for a vintage feel. A big, fun fuzzy one in midnight blue might have been pulled straight from Cookie Monster's closet — ditto for the cape/scarf hybrid at the end of the show. There were some nice, curve-hugging tailored jackets, too — old-style Armani ones. Why doesn't he do more of these?
The overall collection, though, was too big, bright and fussy: Tailored suits — worn with trousers or shorts — glistened with sparkles while blue or green tops with tinsel flourishes shone like Christmas trees.
Armani said he enjoys “watching people” and reinterpreting what he sees around him. But who, exactly, is he watching? Certainly not the sneaker-wearing kids in their big overcoats and loose layers. The great irony here is that, once upon a time, Giorgio Armani was the maestro of reinvention, the man who turned the conventional rules of tailoring upside down and took the starch out of clothing for men and women. He can capture the mood, he can reinvent, so why doesn't he just get on with it? — Samantha Conti
Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini
During a season when many designers are using Eighties fashion as a proxy for female empowerment, Lorenzo Serafini is something of an outlier. He's into the shoulder pads, the sleek jumpsuits and the leather as eveningwear — just don't read it as a political statement.
Serafini has long been obsessed with the era, refining a sporty, romantic aesthetic for the Philosophy line. This season, he threw in some Western elements, summing up the theme as "an uptown girl going to Aspen" — cue fur coats, fringed jackets and double denim.
“It's my Italian vision of the American dream. It's the glamorization of comfort,” he said in front of a mood board filled with all-American beauties like Brooke Shields and Margaux Hemingway. Serafini's conception of fashion has little to do with politics: “I think that it's really an instrument to give joy and lightness to a sad world.”
Edie Campbell opened the show in a sheepskin coat with tan fringes, a ribbed gray jogging suit and cropped boots adorned with feathers, metal medallions and chains. Designed with Emelie Törling of Swedish jewelry brand Leontine, the booties were paired with everything from a polished plaid trouser suit to frothy cocktail dresses.
Serafini ramped up the shoulder volume on boyfriend sweaters, chubby furs and jumpsuits, which came in quilted gray jersey for day, and a sleek lacquered satin for after dark. He even resurrected the puffball skirt, in a pink taffeta version attached to a loose black velvet spaghetti-strapped bodice.
Less convincing were a trio of outfits in rose-printed velvet, including a ruched minidress that had the model yanking at the hem. It was the only discordant note in this upbeat, confident display.
— Joelle Diderich
Vionnet
Splash! Goga Ashkenazi went bathing with the mermaids for this sweet collection that unfolded at the Milan Aquarium. The collection was filled with gossamer fabrics, fluid shapes and lightweight ballgowns crafted from recycled plastic. “It's the metamorphosis of the mermaid, the story of a daring woman who's ready for change,” said a breathless Ashkenazi after the show as she kissed her androgynous-looking models goodbye.
Delicate off-the-shoulder ballgowns were made from an eco-fabric spun out of plastic bottles from the ocean. Some had rose-shaped knots placed here and there, while the white one that closed the show featured a long, embroidered sleeve meant to resemble a fisherman's net. One dress was made from a puff of polka-dot tulle, while others were done in dévoré fabric resembling fish scales. Shearling coats — in dark coral or seaweed — added some weight to this airy collection.
Some looks weren't as buoyant, such as the skin-tight catsuit done in a green and black fish scale pattern and the bling-y gold top and trousers combos that, while shiny, had little luster. — Samantha Conti
Tod’s
Entering Tod's staple show venue, the PAC museum of contemporary art, images of Kendall Jenner spending some leisure time with a puppy — a campaign with the "puppy love" tag line — and the group of young twentysomethings including Pyper America and Renee Stewart sitting front row, it was obvious that chief executive officer Diego Della Valle is eyeing a younger customer and working on rejuvenating his brand. To wit, Gigi and Bella Hadid opened the show — the eldest carrying a puppy in one arm and an oversize leather tote in the other hand. Ah, leather, that ubiquitous material at Tod's, one that the company has worked and treated to perfection over the years. Gigi Hadid wore black leather pants under an oversize patchwork shearling bomber in a fun color palette mixing rust, yellow and black, followed by her sister donning a patent leather pencil skirt under a short shearling jacket with leather piping and a sort of tool belt, which Tod's calls the Capsule Belt, that does away with the need for a lipstick-bag, a mini wallet-bag and a phone-bag in bright orange.
The key footwear look was a soft suede boot with a crepe sole in a palette of delightful fall colors, from rust to burgundy. Another example of Tod's younger inspiration was a taupe, hooded and zipped suede top worn over pants in the same hide and an orange shirt in a technical material peeping under a yellow Windbreaker. The design team is steering the collection in the right direction as the lineup felt fresh and sophisticated, yet also practical. Della Valle is working on a new business strategy to drop capsules throughout the year, but this season was a solid one. — Luisa Zargani
Antonio Berardi
Back to Milan after nine years showing in London, Antonio Berardi paraded his fall collection show at his new atelier — a charming space with parquet floors and a stucco ceiling.
The opening look — a strapless, draped red gown — announced a softer tone.
His usual dramatic, mysterious elegance yielded to new lightness and a touch of positive exuberance. This was reflected in the color palette, which included red, orange and turquoise, and the fabrics, such as the featherweight chiffon for breezy gowns embellished with tactile crystal embroideries. At the same time, Berardi's sharp cuts, polished tailoring and sophisticated constructions were still there. Blazers featured pockets created by drapes, dresses unveiled ergonomic cuts enhanced by tonal color blocking, multilayers created intriguing 3-D effects and transparent inserts gave the impression of inlaid undergarments on ample taffeta and chiffon maxidresses.
A double-breasted coat with a wide collar expressed a sartorial sophistication, while cozier looks included a sweater with cutout details at the shoulder that was matched to a beautiful pencil skirt punctuated by tiny crystals and embroideries.
Bonded paper taffeta, holographic lace and silver, crocodile printed velvet added some striking, Beatle-like iridescence.
— Alessandra Turra
Blumarine
One of the few Milan designers to directly address the sexual harassment scandal that's been steamrolling over Hollywood, fashion and other industries, Anna Molinari dedicated her collection to strong women.
“This collection may seem feminine and sweet, what with the roses and the flowers, but look closely and you'll see trousers, and a military-style suit, too,” Molinari said before the show.
“We women are oppressed by the world around us, and it's time to say ‘Enough with being victims!' What I want to project with this collection is beauty and strength.”
Despite those fighting words, Molinari's uprising was soft-edged and packed with her signature feather trims, pastel flower prints — even for a short shearling jacket — and tulle confections. Ruffles and pussy bows spilled over pastel, flower-print dresses and ones with sheer tulle overlays while marabou feathers sprouted from pocket edges, sleeves and collars, as in one baby pink wool coat with a Muppet-like charm.
Yes, there were a few trouser suits slotted in here and there, including one that came with a matching fur-lined parka, and a cream tuxedo number with sequins spilling down the side of the leg, and a flower-covered one, but did Molinari really have to make such a big deal about them?
Her Blumarine collections are so recognizable, relentlessly feminine, and so “her” that, at this point, she's beyond statements. Besides, everyone knows that a Blumarine woman is the one who wears the pants — even when she's not. — Samantha Conti
Agnona
Agnona creative director Simon Holloway worked a color cosmetic-inspired palette into an ultra-luxe collection of knitwear and outerwear that was all about “a soft and powerful way to get dressed today — ultra-feminine and sensual,” the designer said. He had looked at pictures from Agnona's in-house magazines from the Sixties and Seventies, and also cast his eyes on “Blade Runner,” which was made in 1982, for inspiration.
Holloway created a dusty rose puffer/ cashmere hybrid coat, a double-faced cashmere one the color of cotton candy, and a long burgundy knit with patent leather pockets and details. Fuzzy dégradé coats came in rich burgundies and browns. There were knit dresses galore — a drapey taupe creation, a faded pink turtleneck midi-dress, and a long navy blue number with a deep V-neck. These were dresses that could work as easily at a cocktail party as on the sofa for binge-watching the latest Netflix crime series.
Holloway's pieces won't be hard to find: Agnona is on a retail roll, having opened an apartment earlier this month on Berlin's Kurfürstendamm. The concept-driven shop presents the collection in an environment blending fashion, design and Italian culture. The brand is also set to move to London's Mayfair, soon: A lease has already been signed for a store on Albemarle Street, according to sources. That means Agnona's cozy brand of luxe will shortly sit alongside shops including Paul Smith, Amanda Wakeley and Alexander Wang. — S.C.
Ermanno Scervino
This glamorous — and wearable — collection was all about shaking up old favorites like the camel coat, the tartan trouser suit and the biker boot. “The ingredients may look familiar, but nothing here is classic,” said the dapper Scervino, who wore a gray pinstripe flannel suit, and chunky white sneakers, to take his bow.
Scervino spliced the masculine with the feminine and fiddled with proportions to great effect: There was a lineup of tailored tartan suits with wide-leg trousers paired with stiletto heels — or sneakers — while classic coats were born again with a more laid-back attitude. A camel one with a big fur collar was oversized — and had a Twenties vibe — while a bright pink wool one came with a Breton striped and flowered sweater layered on top.
The designer paired short, tweed mannish jackets or tartan overcoats with his signature fluttery organza ruffle gowns, and put a new spin on biker boots, pulling them over the knee and doing them in shearling, bright orange or croc-embossed leather. This collection was not as elaborate — or as evening-focused — as past ones, but Scervino proved that despite his suit and white pocket square, his sneaker-clad feet can move with the times. — S.C.
Stella Jean
In keeping with the multicultural approach rooted in her label, Stella Jean wanted to celebrate the friendship born during the 11th Olympic Games in Berlin in 1936 between Luz Long and Jesse Owens, despite the racist regulations imposed on German athletes by the Nazi regime.
The designer paid tribute to Owens, who during those Olympic Games won four gold medals, by layering a sport bib with his 733 number on many of the looks, which were jazzed up by sporty references.
Images of swimmers, runners, rowers and jumpers were exquisitely embroidered on coats, full skirts, a V-neck top with draped sleeves and a blue poplin dress. Racing-inspired graphics were printed on a blouson matched with leather pants and on a pleated golden skirt worn with a laminated shirt.
Jean's iconic African printed fabrics popped up in the collection on a long column skirt and a multicolor, long-sleeve dress.
While the lineup spanned several motifs — including a see-now-buy-now raffia and sneaker capsule developed in collaboration with Philippe Model — Jean managed to better control her decorative impulses, delivering a collection that was joyful and energetic. — Alessandra Turra
Gabriele Colangelo
Fabrics are of the utmost importance to Gabriele Colangelo's design process. Backstage before the show, he displayed two boards: one of the full run of silhouettes in white muslin before he chose the fabric; the other of the finished results. The most impressive pieces were an ode to the process — coats in a laser- cut tropical floral pattern over a men's plaid, or a cobalt blue, purple and gray silk-wool jacquard; one shown with the threads long and uncut; another finished the traditional way. They gave the collection texture, color and softness that was sorely missing from many of the other looks.
Colangelo defines his aesthetic as “organic minimalism.” “There is clean and pure form, but at the same time not stiff,” he said. Yet not much about the collection felt natural or easy. While the shapes and cuts of the garments were certainly divined from minimalist codes, many styles featured extra panels, such as a piece of tan plonge leather with a long strap that was sewn into half of a blazer, and a black shirt with a military green panel buttoned on the front and hanging down past the knees. Puritanically austere buttoned-up collars and extra-long starched cuffs might have been theoretically minimal, but they were the opposite of easy or flexible, which is another way of saying stiff. Colangelo would do better to let his fabrics shine without letting overthought cuts distract. — Jessica Iredale
Krizia
Following his fluid kimono-inspired creations for Krizia last season, Antonio D'Anna harked back to the Italian label's heyday in the Eighties with an idiosyncratic spin on power dressing.
The show notes featured a quote from the 1991 Bret Easton Ellis novel “American Psycho,” in which the name-dropping author checks the brand — a sure testament to its ubiquity at the time, if not the most flattering context.
The Eighties have been all over the catwalks this season, but D'Anna had an offbeat take on the era, mixing Krizia's signature animal motifs with fabrics such as eel skin — employed for items such as a black trouser suit with carrot pants – and lamb, used on a hybrid fur coat/down jacket.
Oversize knits, pleated tops and tailored jackets were gathered here and there with large gold shirt clips — now there's an Eighties throwback! — and there was a hint of Ray Petri styling in the use of dramatic volumes, most strikingly on an orange dress that mushroomed at the top and tapered down into a long-fitted skirt.
There were plays on texture, too, notably in the monochrome prints that gave Krizia's love affair with zebra stripes a graphic twist. Flock effects, chintzed lace and matelassé finishes were just some of the techniques used to make the patterns pop. Ultimately, the show failed to capture the elusive spirit it was chasing. — Joelle Diderich
Iceberg
James Long's vision for Iceberg was crystal clear and blunt enough to sink the Titanic all over again: Streetwear currency of the in-your-face logo, Pop collaboration — Mickey Mouse — and influencer/ hip-hop variety. His entire collection was maxed out on basic ath-leisure merch: puffers, track suits, sporty sweaters, shopping bag totes with the Iceberg logo slapped on wherever possible. The audience was stocked with guys and girls who seemed like the selfie-loving types Long seemed hellbent on targeting in the interest of imbuing Iceberg with social currency. Will it work? Who knows, but fake it till you make it, as they say. — J.I.
Trussardi
Gaia Trussardi wanted to tap into the northern Italian tradition of hightailing to the mountains on winter weekends — either the Alps or the Dolomites — with a coed collection that fused the urban with the rugged. She succeeded with some strong and stylish shearling coats and mountain-print jackets but, overall, the collection was hit- or-miss.
The hits included an olive wool coat with patch pockets and a hood, shearlings in a plaid print, and color-blocked leather biker jackets. Sporty jackets came with sky and mountain motifs, while a black shearling with cobalt cuffs and lining had lots of graphic appeal.
The rest of the collection was spotty and unfocused, including skirts with long flaps, chunky zips or snaps, a leather motorcycle ensemble in Pepto Bismol pink and black, and a lineup of boxy, sleeveless vests like those fleece tops used for skiing or hiking. There was some eveningwear in the mix, too, including a mountain print gown and black dresses with sheer panels, but none of the pieces gelled into a coherent, or desirable, collection. — Samantha Conti
Cividini
What if fashion were a game of free association? Piero and Miriam Cividini played with random combinations in their coed fall collection, which used layers and volumes to create richly textured silhouettes.
Lush materials — think velvet, tweed and chunky knits — were kept in check with a mostly muted color palette. The duo injected a masculine element via geometric checks and pinstriped wool — the latter on items like a fur- collared jacket paired with cropped checked pants and a sweeping knit duster coat with a fringed wool hem.
Cuffs were softened with bundles of unruly wool yarn, while python-print boots clashed with a plaid skirt and an ocelot print coat. Amid the wealth of ideas, what stood out were the knits, which ran the gamut from a loosely woven vest to a floor-length fringed dress in flamboyant purple and red lurex intarsia.
After all, rules are made to be broken.
— Joelle Diderich
Laura Biagiotti
In her second solo collection, Lavinia Biagiotti paid homage to the company's cashmere expertise by reworking her late mother Laura's cable-knit motif either hand-painted with a chiaroscuro effect or as a trompe l'oeil with a new 3-D print on the softest felt coats, chiffon blouses and fluid dresses all in the brand's staple white. She then moved on to a series of looks in British tartans and Prince of Wales checks embellished with jewels and studs that felt fresh and young. Biagiotti veered romantic with long velvet coats and shirts blooming with patterns of roses and hydrangeas.
She lit up a number of black miniskirts and jackets with grommets covered in a hound's tooth motif, and added sparkle to knit dresses and tops with a cascade of sequins, explaining her turn to black. “It was cathartic,” she said of her choice of the dark color. Biagiotti succeeded in creating a solid collection that reflected her identity and was a step in a new direction for the brand, while staying true to its essence.
With the fall show, Biagiotti celebrated 20 years of the partnership with the Piccolo Theater in Milan, the set of the brand's shows. “We plan to continue showing here. We've always sponsored culture and we believe in the culture of fashion, which is increasingly being celebrated with exhibitions, and through beautiful clothes,” said the designer. —
Luisa Zargani
Elisabetta Franchi
Elisabetta Franchi injected a Seventies vibe into her collection, which looked more subdued than previous efforts. Pleated midi skirts paired with boots were worn with faux shearling coats and double-breasted jackets, while flared pants were matched with tops in geometric patterns. The commercially savvy lineup included options for every kind of woman. A romantic mood was infused in the fluid silk frocks with the bodice decorated with heart- and star-shaped inserts, while glamorous options included Lurex draped maxidresses. A touch of sparkle cannot miss at Elisabetta Franchi, which covered with a cascade of sequins a red dress with a sexy cutout on the back and a mini frock in a graphic motif, which was trimmed with tiny beaded fringes.
— Alessandra Turra
Giamba
Giambattista Valli continues to shape the identity of her Giamba girl. A creative young city woman, she likes to play with fashion to define her eclectic personal style. For fall, she amps her wardrobe up with key pieces fitting the needs of her nomadic, dynamic lifestyle. Lacquered faux-shearling jackets cut in oversize silhouettes are paired with printed leggings and track pants with metallic geometric inserts, while a front pocket jacket mixing corduroy, denim and eco leather is matched with coordinated fringed pants. A Pop touch is introduced in the hoodies embellished with sequined hearts with the Giamba logo. A polished pink trenchcoat worn with a matching flared skirt features silver piping for a graphic effect. Its linear silhouette contrasts with the breezy shapes of a plethora of fluid tunic frocks, worked both in solids and floral prints. Enriched with ruffles, frills and lace inserts, they are injected with a charming Bohemian, romantic vibe. For glamorous nights out, Valli also developed glamorous sequined dresses and Lurex ruffled suits, because a little party never killed nobody. — Alessandra Turra
Fay
In his debut collection for Fay, Arthur Arbesser dialed down his fondness for graphic effects and primary colors in favor of a more down-to-earth approach. He channeled a Mod vibe with his lineup of rain slickers, sharp suits and pleated skirts, shown in a travel-themed presentation that had guests snapping away on their phones.
“Normally, I'm a kind of creative designer, I love patterns, I love a funky, artistic vibe, but I thought with Fay, this is not really the right place to do this,” said the designer, standing in front of a mock airplane. “I want to do nice clothes, beautiful clothes in good quality that are well cut and are really easy.”
Arbesser was inspired by two modern-day style icons, Emma Watson and Ryan Gosling. For her, he imagined a powder blue leather trenchcoat, glossy rainproof outerwear and school girl pleated skirts. In his first foray into men's wear, he showed dressy coats alongside retro suits in deep shades of olive or claret.
“I thought this Sixties, slightly cheeky attitude maybe gives a bit of a twist to the very conservative and classic Fay world,” he explained. Oversize metallic hooks, a signature of the label's classic 4 Hooks men's jacket, were added to women's raincoats and skirts as a subtly kinky decorative element. — Joelle Diderich
Piazza Sempione
A focus on fine tailoring, knitwear and sharp separates has paid off, with strong looks coming out of this presentation held at the frescoed and gilded Palazzo Visconti. Standouts included a cashmere ribbed sweater shaped like motorcycle jacket with a scarf detail at the neck and a chunky twotone scarf in cinnamon and gray.
Tailoring was on target and included a cobalt check double-breasted suit with a long jacket and cropped flare trousers. Jackets and a dark red peacoat came with flashes of leopard under the collar, while pajama suits looked simultaneously sharp and comfortable with loose tops and wide, flat-front trousers.
Fox-fur jackets and vests, some in dark blue, added a shot of luxe to the collection, which has been building momentum under its owner Sinv SpA.
Piazza Sempione has a new design team and retail concept that recently made its debut at The Mall at Short Hills in New Jersey. The company said the U.S. generates 60 percent of turnover, and there is great potential ahead in that market and internationally. — Samantha Conti
Dondup
In the wake of the #MeToo movement, Dondup's collection for fall was in sync with the women's empowerment movement.
The theme was Femme Fighter and the looks were displayed in a storied Milanese boxing gym — with a dollop of Luchino Visconti inspiration. Entering the space, the first two models stood in the ring, one wearing an azure shearling coat and the other a multicolored rabbit coat that looked like a boxing robe with the logo on the back.
Vanna Quattrini, head designer of women's wear, blended rock and romantic touches, as in a black leather jacket with red details and embroideries or a velvet matelassé bomber with metallic studs.
Dondup's core denim was revisited in the drawstring pants under Adriano Goldschmied's watch. Tiny embroideries spruced up stone-washed models and the company even showed a denim tuxedo with a short spencer jacket and roomy, high-waisted pants. — Luisa Zargani
Golden Goose Deluxe Brand
Golden Goose Deluxe Brand's creative team imagined a girl going on holiday in her family's house in the mountains. There, finding the wardrobe of her grandparents, she plays with vintage pieces, which she mixes and matches with her personal style.
In keeping with the theme, the wearable collection was infused with a sense of warm coziness. A cocooning faux fur oversize robe coat with a maxi hood was worn with corduroy pants and a roomy precious shearling jacket was matched with ski-inspired leggings in a botanical pattern.
Tweed was combined with shearling on a blouson worn with coordinated pants and a mannish sartorial suit was decorated with detachable faux fur pockets, which can be transformed into plush gloves.
Vintage mountain graphics jazzed up a double-breasted coat worked in a lively bubblegum pink, as well as a cotton T-shirt paired with a skirt embellished with a plissé silk insert.
Golden Goose also offered a luxurious take on denim, which was used for soft straight leg five pocket pants and for a cool bleached puffer jacket inspired by retro ski gear. — A.T.
Bally
Bally is swiveling the spotlight onto its outdoorsy, sporty heritage — and to great effect. While there was much colorful ready-to-wear on show, backpacks and sneakers got just as much attention during the presentation at the brand's new showroom near Porta Venezia.
The Swiss brand has new Chinese owners in Shandong Ruyi, which purchased a majority stake earlier this month, but the creative and management teams are staying put — as is the strategy of zeroing in on Bally's heritage and strength in footwear and accessories.
For fall, those accessories included a rectangular bag with a cool chevron strap in Bally's signature red and white, leather overnight bags with an embossed brand logo, a small blue bowling bag based on a 1908 original, and stylish, boxy leather backpacks with stripe details at the corners. The design team updated Bally's 1965 Super Smash sneaker with a thick navy swirl on the side and created vegetable-tanned loafers for men so soft they could be folded in half.
The rtw lineup was laid-back and youthful with a Seventies luxe feel, including a red beaver coat in dark red; short, cotton and silk taffeta hoodies, flared corduroy trousers and an egg-yolk yellow shearling coat. All of the merch came together in a campaign film by Baillie Walsh that tells the story of three young hipster friends leaving their posh London flat to hit the road — back to Switzerland. — S.C.