BY: Andy Shoulders

Much like New York’s latest Fashion Week, Milan Fashion Week certainly had a celebratory feel that hasn’t been present for quite some time. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights!

 

FENDI

As the official Milan Fashion Week opener, Fendi did not disappoint. In the same vein of trends that we saw on the NYC catwalks, designer Kim Jones gave us a collection full of disco glam for his first in-person show since joining the house. The Fendi Spring/Summer 2022 runway was full of kaftan tops, flowy dresses, and sharp suits – a full-on celebration of a woman who is finally starting to let loose, go out, and have a good time. The opening color palette of light grays, pinks, and blues for daywear transitioned into deep browns and blacks for evening wear, and showed us a party we’d love to be invited to.

 

 

VERSACE

Dua Lipa can now officially add “runway model” to her resume after opening Versace’s Spring/Summer 2022 show in an edgy black skirt suit with cutouts held together by the brand’s signature safety pins. She also closed the show in a pink metal mesh tank top and matching long skirt with a dramatic slit. The show itself was soundtracked by Dua Lipa’s latest album Future Nostalgia, and also featured the catwalking talents of Emily Ratajkowski, Gigi Hadid, and the queen herself, Naomi Campbell. Stay tuned for quite possibly the biggest collaboration to come out of Versace in years – they’ve teamed up with none other than Fendi for a pre-Spring collection called “Fendace,” where the heads of each fashion house (Kim Jones/Silvia Venturini Fendi for Fendi and Donatello Versace for Versace) tried their hands at the other’s brands and sent the results down the runway. What else can we say besides MAJOR!

 

 

ALBERTA FERRETTI

Alberta Ferretti’s latest effort was, well, pure Alberta Ferretti. As she fittingly put it herself, “women don’t change personality every six months.” Her signature ethereal chiffon gowns were proudly on display in beautiful gem tones from emerald to amethyst, but this time around, Ferretti also showed us a strong offering of daywear options such as crochet tops and soft dusters. Hemlines on skirts and dresses were noticeably shorter, a sign that Ferretti has her eye on a younger client.

 

 

PRADA

For Prada’s latest effort, seduction replaced sexy as the fashion goal du jour, and the technology on display was jaw-dropping: a two-shows-in-one format took shape, with a simultaneous duplicate show in Shanghai being broadcast on monitors. They gray runway setting seemed like a sort of cityscape one would see in a video game, and designers Raf Simmons and Miuccia Prada chose to dress their models/avatars in true-to-trend revealing clothing. However, Simmons and Prada didn’t just send a bunch of short, sexy, sellable dresses down the runway. That’s not the Prada way. Both Simmons’ love of minimalism and Miuccia’s love of commentary came through in the designs, giving even the sexiest Prada looks that little hint of couture they needed to elevate them above their peers.

 

 

 

ETRO

Colors have been exploding on almost all the post-pandemic runways, and Etro’s Spring/Summer 2022 show was definitely no exception. Designer Veronica Etro didn’t stray far from her paisley-printed bohemian 70s vibe, but she tilted this show slightly more toward the 90s, removing the frills and adding more ease and functionality. But just because Etro may have showed more sensibility this time around, minimalist she is still decidedly not. She mixed and matched patterns, blurring the lines between daywear and evening wear. She also gave us embroidered platform shoes and super-oversized earrings – just to let you know that her party is definitely still raging.