Milan Fashion Week is over with some interesting things to unpack. If you’re not in the business, here are the key things to keep in mind to better understand how fashion is translating this period characterized by uncertainty.
This season I was mostly curious to see how designers like De Sarno at Gucci, Blazy at Bottega Veneta, and even Davis at Ferragamo, were moving forward with their vision for these brands.
Generally speaking: Brands are trying to walk a very thin line by trying to stay relevant without falling into the trap of losing its tangibility. I do believe that this past season luxurious brands had to take a step back and focus on producing real, wearable clothes because of a dramatic need for concreteness. For this reason, some brands preferred going for a staple-pieces approach - without much storytelling or noise over their work - while others (like Avavav) went for the activist message instead. Avavav, known for producing viral content with its shows, presented its collection with trash on the pavement plus the models were thrown over the trash while they were walking. Diesel also tried to make a statement by inviting over 1000 guests to follow the show while being filmed in their rooms. All the other guests at the fashion show could see them on the walls creating a nice game of being looked at while watching - you might even think of ‘The Big Brother’ reference. Anyway, it was an interesting approach, probably to underline the fact that at the end of the day, it doesn’t make sense to close the doors to its customers.
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Diesel AW24
Bottega Veneta look 10
Bottega Veneta look 29
Bottega Veneta with Blazy - by being more simple and direct, he got more into the core of the structure of each garment, producing something more specific and intrinsic to the methodology of how he produces the products. The sinuosity of the cuts crafts a striking silhouette on the body, merging streamlined elegance with a structured yet flowing allure, creating a compelling game of contrasts.
Prada Look 114
Prada Look 10
Prada delivered a collection called ‘Instinctive Romance’ with cuts that reminded me of the 1940s style, a period defined by the war, is that random? Absolutely not. However, Miuccia Prada made clear that she doesn’t believe in messages and storytelling, she’s just focused on delivering a true form of beauty and elegance. This collection is also strictly connected to the movie that just came out called ‘The Zone of Interest’, a movie that despite the beauty and happiness of this family, depicts a terrible scenery that only the spectator - us - is truly aware of, which are the terrible truths of nazism.
Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons stated that ‘Fashion is never an end in itself, but is an expression of the spirit of the times and must be useful to face and change things.’ (Interview SkyTG24).
Ferragamo look 1
Ferragamo look 35
Ferragamo look 54
Ferragamo is a brand that since the arrival of Maximilian Davis has been going through a huge rebranding throughout the latest seasons. Last year I was captivated by the impeccably tailored coats and their masterful color palette. This year, the collection wowed me again with its meticulous attention to detail - in particular, the harmonious balance between the crisp, structured coats and dresses made of wool and the cozy, flattering cashmere ensembles.
Gucci look 6
Gucci look 33
Gucci delivered its second Womenswear collection under the guidance of Sabato de Sarno. While most brands fell for the upcoming trend of cuissard boots (over-the-knee boots) and Gucci with them, De Sarno’s approach has been the most sensual among the others. His collection did not lack of good color blocking and compelling contrasts of materials, with a lot of sheer dresses and embroideries and leather structured blouses. Apparently, Gucci doesn’t believe that we’ll be wearing long pants next winter.
What I have found very interesting is that, through his collection and his marketing strategy, he wants to separate himself from his predecessor as much as possible, Alessandro Michele. So while Alessandro was famous for producing concept collections with a very specific theme all the time, Sabato de Sarno instead prefers to have a more commercial approach and put the focus on the clothes and the wearability without any particular storytelling to accompany the show.
It is known that since his arrival everyone has been making comparisons between the two and even if I do like his vision for Gucci, I feel like I started to appreciate what Alessandro Michele did truly only when he left.
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