Milan Fashion Week - It's a Wrap

Versace

“This [collection] is for a working woman,” Versace said before the show. “Everything is sensual, but sleek and simple.” Versace has undergone a re-birth, inspiring glamour through moderation. The first model emerged in a “blonde” understated silk jersey dress, paired with a tuxedo style blazer. A hint of safari chic peaked through a white and beige ensemble of short shorts and a cropped sleeved top, as did retro chic plastic coats in maple syrup yellow, while candy pinks and festive honey tints contrasted the minimalist shades of day wear.

The introduction of a royal blue blouson dress made the subtle shift from day to night. Golds, greys and olive shades saw not a single shimmer or sparkle, the new Versace attributes simplicity as the new iridescent tone. The leading Versace garments included the silk jersey dress, khaki inspired coats and tuxedo style blazers. “The blazer is back!” Donotella announced.

Only at Versace could a minimalist motif cause such a stir of excitement as the label brought Milan Fashion Week to a close. Next week will undoubtedly be dubbed the most anticipated collection to date as Francesca, Versace’s niece; will show her debut collection, under the Francesca V label, at Paris Fashion Week. A year after her completion in design studies, the twenty five years old ambitious designer will reveal her design talents. After the labels struggles in early 2000 the iconic brand has once again become an admiral contender.

Dolce and Gabanna

The controversial duo has paid “homage to contemporary art.” Their collection opened like a fresh canvas, featuring polar white 50’s inspired dresses and minimalist shades of beige and beach sand yellow. "There are no bows, no flowers, no lace. It's very linear, so rather than romantic, we call it sensual," said Dolce.

By the “third course” of models the garments became a visual display of living art. High waist skirts, rah – rah midway minis and dresses were ‘splattered’ with paint. Their contemporary inspiration came from observing the art within the Gramercy Park Hotel. They witnessed a collection of baroque divans and contemporary artwork which became their muse. Like the baroque movement suggests the garments of Dolce and Gabanna reflected the dramatic, tense, exuberant, and grandeur style of design.

Fantasy ballgowns brought the show to a close, strong crimsons, jet blacks and lavender-sunshine hues reflected the intensity of the dresses. Bigger than life the creations were constructed with layers of tule, and hand painted. One ball gown in particular reflected the intensity of a lavender and yellow hibiscus basking in the sun. The collection embraced all the popular trends including fantasy silhouettes, transparancy, minimilast garments and a touch of retro chic.

Fendi

The soft hues of a romantic Fendi collection accompanied an array of soft leather over sized clutches. The label celebrated ten years of the Baguette bag. An accessory worthy of far more than bag-of-the-minute status, Venturini Fendi described the bag as an ageless essential saying, "I think the Baguette deserves a longer life than an 'It' bag." The bag was exhibited in various shades, tones and sizes as it accompanied most ensembles.

Karl Lagerfeld embraced his love of "controlled graphics" with circular prints and patterns. Coats, boleros and cropped sleeved jackets at first emerged linear and symmetrical with little sign of curvature, but soon embraced the circular beginnings of collars, cuffs and prints. Lagerfeld admits his inspiration arrived in the form of a rainbow, desiring a softer line but essentially bored with flowers. Like many other brands the Fendi label has under gone a dramatic transformation from the iconic structured silhouette, responsible for building the brand, to a bonanza of fluidity.

A touch of a retro revival was evident in his use of angular cinches and sixties rainbow prints. His evening collection added a touch of drama to a somewhat illusionist, but demure collection. Organza and tulle remained the foundation for his dramatic display of evening wear, as gowns were adorned with glistening PVC inspired trimmings.