As the fashion week circus kicks into gear, first off the blocks is Milan. It’s always the more commercial fair but usually has a few big hitters that pique our interest but as more brands opt to do co-ed shows during the women’s fashion week, this season it all felt a bit flat. The calendar was definitely emptier and what was shown was mostly far from exciting. These are the few that we really liked though and, in the meantime, we hope that Paris is more creative and inspiring.
Prada
This was a rather strange offering from Prada who are usually very focussed but this time presented an eclectic, maybe even chaotic, collection of seemingly random clothes. But there were some beautiful pieces amongst it all: we especially loved the cowboy-shirt-knits and the (hopefully fake) fur Braveheart collars on the coats. Much was made of the return of slim trousers too – let’s see if that is a trend that pans out in the rest of the season.
Zegna
As you’d expect from a brand that is actually the front side of a huge luxury textile company, fabrics were centre front in this classy collection. Houndstooth checks, tweeds and oversized Prince of Wales all merged together, sometimes clashing, sometimes blending subtly. The silhouettes were loose and slouchy with the kind of attitude that comes from stealth wealth. The varied age of models also was a nice change for Milan.
Magliano
As mentioned before, we don’t really look to Milan for edgy creativity so it makes it all the more exciting when someone like Magliano shows there. Leaning into the brand’s dark, sexually fluid vibe, the collection struck a great balance between cool styling, innovation and desirability. We loved the outerwear and tailoring and the show had hands-down the best casting of the season so far.
