From Dolce & Gabbana’s Sicilian-themed collection to Prada’s graphic florals (and wild toe shoes), Milan delivered a week filled with drama. See highlights from the runways.
“I love to play with color for spring,” said Gucci designer Frida Giannini backstage after her show. And indeed, it was true: what came down the Milan runway was as sunny as Gucci gets. There were bright blues, greens, yellows, and pinks. Dresses and suits came adorned with ruffles of every variety. As Robin Givhan wrote of the collection: “These were clothes that were all about life in an effusive environment, a place where the clear light makes everything seem bigger, louder, and more gregarious.”
It was the season of flowers for Miuccia Prada. There were big, graphic flowers all over her runway: on sheath dresses, swing jackets, and even fur coats (that’s right, furs for spring!). But what took the cake were the toe shoes, which came in a variety of heights and colors—many of which were also adorned with flowers. As Robin Givhan wrote: “The shoes were a marvel of chutzpah, horror, and utter eccentricity.”
The Max Mara collection was enough to get you in the mood for a safari: there were khakis in a range of camel, tan, and gray, in utilitarian shapes. Things got a little wild with a few animal prints—which were interspersed with a few shadowy blue dresses.
Giorgio Armani’s collection, which debuted Sunday evening, introduced different ideas of party attire: there were light cocktail numbers, short tailored pants, and long sweeping dresses. It was an airy and ethereal collection of silvers and blues—which felt like some romantic interpretation of the night sky, dotted with stars.
There’s always a strong sense of place in Dolce & Gabbana’s collection. This time around, it was a postcard from Sicily. Tunic tops, full skirts, bloomers in prints and materials (even burlap!) that recalled southern Italy. But, as Robin Givhan remarked of the cartoonish black faces that adorned earrings and tops: “There was nothing ponderous or political about this collection—no matter how gut-clenchingly odd it might be to see a kind of Golliwogg face on a designer shirt worn by a white model.”
Bright colors, high hemlines, Medusa heads: all expected elements of a Versace collection. And spring didn’t disappoint: Donatella sent down the runway a lively assortment of tie-dyed prints, flowing chiffon dresses, and lingerie elements in bright, cheerful hues.
Vittorio Zunino Celotto / Getty Images
At Bottega Veneta, it was all about the dress. Tomas Maier introduced feminine (if not a little ’40s-inspired belted frocks) with interesting details such as frayed edges and delicate beading. As Maier said of the collection: “It’s about making women feel confident.” And from the looks of the clothes, it shouldn’t be hard.
Jil Sander returned to the label that bears her name after a 10-year hiatus, and debuted a collection on Saturday that was understated and sleek. She introduced variations on the white dress shirt, with elaborations on her signature minimalism in shades of navy and merlot. But it was a stark departure from a brand that had become, under Raf Simons, both cooler and more alive. Sander had said she returned to the brand because she still felt she had something relevant to contribute, but as The Daily Beast’s Robin Givhan wrote of the clothes, the collection was “tasteful, understated, beautifully proportioned, but ultimately unremarkable.”
The Alberta Ferretti collection that made its debut was an elaboration of what Ferretti does best: a romantic and ethereal collection filled with liquid silks, flowing hemlines, plunging necklines, tulle, and tattoo lace. As WWD remarked, this designer’s “well of hyper-romantic beauty” … “never seems to run dry.”
Consuelo Castiglioni brought big shapes to Marni: A-line skirts, oversized tops, and bell-shaped dresses. The colors ranged from pink and blues to greens and blacks, with windowpane checks being the overarching pattern. As the designer explained in her shownotes, the collection was about “sparseness as elegance.”
The collection Karl Lagerfeld and Silvia Venturini Fendi sent down the runway was defiantly futuristic. It featured color-blocked separates—which translated to "framed," solids with colored borders—which, as one critic observed, looked almost three-dimensional and “Lego-like.” There was fine leatherwork, with angular shirts and skirts. The result was a modern vision for an 87-year-old house, which featured references as far-reaching as the Sistine Chapel and contemporary sculptor Anish Kapoor. Whatever it was, it worked. As Lagerfeld remarked backstage, the collection was themed around “The Big Bang.” “There are enough flower prints around,” he said.
Peter Dundas said his spring collection, which was shown on Saturday night, was inspired by Vietnam. There were a few Asian motifs and military references, but an intricate “woodblock” motif ran throughout—which lent a bit of sexiness to the collection. Things looked strong for evening, as well, with Joan Smalls finishing out the show in a dramatic red halter dress. As Style.com’s Nicole Phelps asked: “What’s an Emilio Pucci collection without a print? A very good Pucci collection, it turns out.”
When you think of Missoni, you may think crazy prints, wild colors, chunky knits, and lots of layers. But the Spring 2013 collection was quite different. It opened with several all-white looks, without any knits or layering. It was a sleek and simpler message. Then, color eventually entered the collection in shades of red, orange, green, and blue, introducing interesting colors and textures, with heels accented with neon stripes. And it ended with monochrome, too: a series of layered black pieces, and finishing with a stunning black evening dress with a high slit.
Antonio de Moraes Barros Filho / WireImage
After a week of flirty dresses and bold prints, Massimiliano Giornetti’s collection for Ferragamo felt like transportation to a different town—if not a different season. There were crocodile boots, suede trench coats, and leather jackets. As well as the skins, there was a little cashmere. (Let’s hope it’s a chilly spring.)
Venturelli / WireImage
