While emerging designers took home the proverbial trophy of New York and London Fashion Weeks, many with grungy undertones, experimental twists, or, in the case of some such as Area and Collina Strada, an outright wacky and off-kilter flair, Milan Fashion Week’s legacy houses made a case for delectably wearable fashion.
On the heels of an economic recession, collections from brands such as Bottega and Prada indicate that designers are privy to the notion that customers may have an inclination toward versatile, long-lasting clothing this time around, in lieu of hyper-trendy styles that will only go viral on social media before disappearing. Even brands such as Gucci and Moschino presented collections that were about as near pared down as the respective houses get, while brands such as Diesel and Blumarine decided, for the most part, to move forward with what present day fans know and love. Other highlights of the week include the latest from Mattheiu Blazy’s Bottega Veneta, and designer Maximilian Davis’ second collection for Ferragamo (both of which proved winners).
Ahead, these were some of the best shows of Milan Fashion Week.
DIESEL
“Diesel Day,” as fashion aficionados have dubbed the brand’s show date on the Milan Fashion Week calendar, has, since Glenn Martens’ runway debut at the house in early 2022, become a highlight of sorts of Milan Fashion Week. The designer’s latest at the helm of the Italian entity proves consistency is key. Set, yet again, amid a vast red backdrop (this time, a mound of 200,000 unopened condoms was the art installation at the set’s center, not so subtly giving way to a Diesel x Durex partnership), Martens presented a collection consciously in line with the design choices that has won fashion over thus far, with just enough reimagination. The manipulation of denim continues to be a key theme — There were frayed jackets, pants and dresses with sheer panels, and denim puffers. The most memorable point of the collection sees a series of looks plastered in bold graphics — close ups of the fanged smiles of models in bold blues, yellows and reds reminiscent of pop art. While many designers are collectively paring down, Martens makes yet another case for denim-fueled maximalism.
ROBERTO CAVALLI
Fausto Puglisi’s most recent work at Roberto Cavalli (the brand’s Resort 2023, Spring 2023 and Pre-Fall 2023 collections) at large seems to speak to a more mature Cavalli customer, one concerned with kaftans, full coverage gowns, wool coats, cut-outs on occasion and a sense of simplicity (at least as simple as Cavalli gets) when in the event that the brand’s signature animal print isn’t present. For fall, Puglisi is paying a visit to the archives, and the result is one that will undoubtedly be Gen-Z approved. Between low-rise leather pants and velvet-lined kimonos, the collection successfully dances the line between Y2K and boho. There were a number of design tricks midway through – flared trousers that were denim, velvet and a sheer material all at once, a pair of multi-wash jeans with a mosaic-like motif, and meanwhile, other styles appeared to be made of silk, but printed with denim-mimicking graphics, and blended in seamlessly. What followed was a string of looks centered on a black, bohemian-gothic lace. While a prominent Fall 2023 trend (if not the most so), the styles hark back to early 2000s Cavalli, too. Especially so with the brands that ruled fashion’s past, everything is cyclical, indeed.
PRADA
Hardly a house to venture too far from sensibility in the first place, Prada’s fall collection was one that was wearable through and through, almost feeling like a workwear collection (Raf Simmons did tell journalists backstage that this collection was one of reinterpreting traditional uniforms, hence the utility references and the like). Standouts include two pebbled leather skirt suits (one, cement gray, and one, fire truck red), boxy, faded suede blazers, and what felt like more wearable, trainless versions of the brand’s fan-favorite Spring 2022 skirts. Then, there was what Raf called a take on wedding attire — a few white skirts with floral appliqué, because it’s not quite Prada without a touch of playfulness.
BLUMARINE
Nicola Brognano may have been a bit heavy headed on the repetition this season (look too quickly and the first 16 looks of Blumarine’s Fall 2023 presentation could almost be mistaken for the same two or three looks restyled multiple times). It did, however, successfully usher in what may be its hero pieces, or at the very least, refreshing elements it was interesting to see the designer expand on, namely shearling bustiers, mini skirts and jackets. Since his knockout debut collection at the brand, Brognano’s image of the Blumarine woman seems to shift ever so carefully — one season, she’s matured, the next she’s returned to a playful purveyor of the mcbling era’s greatest hits. With the second half of this collection marked by the brand’s now signature draped silhouettes in jersey and knit fabrics and earth tones, if not entirely illustrative of a customer as mature as last fall this time, Blumarine fans will enjoy that this is collection is mostly practical, for the smart dresser who keeps a few trendy tricks under her shearling-trimmed sleeve.
MOSCHINO
Moschino’s latest collection is by far not Jeremy Scott’s most animated (there were no pool floaty hemlines or giant baby bottle props), but fans of Salvador Dalí’s The Persistence of Memory may draw some similarities between the 1931 painting and the first 17 or so looks from the collection as Scott created “dripping” silhouettes reminiscent of that of the clocks in the famous art piece. There were skirt sets and dresses made to mimic tweed in a way that was either very Chanel or very Moschino, but its prints, hemlines and even buttons were warped as if in a melting state. Then, while a few brands (I.e. Burberry, Blumarine) hinted at a punk theme this season, Moschino left no second guesses as fishnets, faux mohawks, studded chokers and takes on the leather moto jacket consumed the near rest of the runway.
FERRAGAMO
Young talent is the future of luxury fashion, as 27-year-old Maximilian Davis proves with his second collection at the head of Ferragamo. It’s one that balances staying true to the house and its customer, while simultaneously providing a fresh perspective. Having already received praise from the tuned in collective, Ferragamo and Davis is a union that seems to be working. The collection was mostly mild in color palette, save for pops of yellow and red, and silhouettes were pretty controlled (another collection fit for the working woman, though there were luxurious takes on athleisure as well). Where Davis shined were the particular details at a second glance — a sculptural heel here, a deliciously oversized handbag there, and perhaps where the designer is his strongest, all around immaculate tailoring.
GCDS
GCDS’ Fall 2023 show was a social media hit, whether it was its star-studded front row (reels and TikToks of Dua Lipa attending in a black lace dress made its rounds), or its set (models trekked down a runway in front of a giant, spooky-eyed cat head), or the collection itself. As for the clothes, designer Giuliano Calza made it abundantly clear, neckties for women are in. Calza expanded on this idea over 43 looks, the first, a leather skirt set with a biker flair that’s sure to be a bestseller, then came a series of pinstripe workwear and academia-core looks. Three models bearing a yellow zebra print provided a segue into the collection’s next section, which felt like reimaginations on the traditional tuxedo. Then, Calza played with ties paired with black and pink tweed before circling back to another section of yellow where the most exciting elements were the fuzzy, knit fabric used. If Calza has hit the nail on the head, school is most definitely in session for fall.
GUCCI
Gucci may be in between Creative Directors (Alessandro Michele announced his departure from the Italian house in December, and his successor Sabato de Sarno isn’t due to present his first collection until its Spring 2024 collection), but the collection produced by its design team this season turned out to be one of its most exciting as of recent. It’s a breath of fresh air from Michele’s (enjoyable) wackiness and, with references to Gucci under the Creative Direction of Tom Ford, it comes with just enough nostalgia to add excitement to the contemporary. Slender pencil skirts felt unmistakably 2000s, while a chrome puffer skirt felt futuristic. There were loads of references to the sexed-up nature that was Gucci under Tom Ford as well — The top in look one was only but a teeny tiny chainmail logo bra, to start. Most of the chatter around the collection was in regards to the return of a certain 2004 horsebit shoulder bag (this time, some are puffer-fied). Pulling out the old stops has, yet again, proven successful.
BOTTEGA VENETA
Mattheiu Blazy is already a crowd favorite. Just four shows into his tenure at Bottega, he has a reputation among what seems to be the majority as a designer that just makes plain good clothes. In a fashion climate wherein brand collaborations, celebrity partnerships, and viral gimmicks reign, Brazy extracts intrigue from clothes that are simply for the everyday (at least for the Bottega client), and it’s an impressive feat. This collection felt as though Blazy were looking to no trend forecasts, instead nearly each piece is something the wearer can imagine in their closets forever — Skirt suits with structured leather waists, ostrich leather button down tops, a pair of balloon trousers. It seems no recent Bottega collection is complete, however, without a touch of Blazy’s leather manipulation. The designer opened his first collection as the house’s Creative Director with a white tank top and a pair of jeans that each turned out to be leather imitating cotton, and the look has been reimagined to appear in each of his collections since, including this one (see: the finale look). The designer’s latest trick of the eye was a pair of cable knit slipper boots that were also actually leather, proving that Blazy knows how to take every corner of the wardrobe to the utmost point of luxury.
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