The Daily Front Row‘s perennially chic correspondent Sofia Achaval de Montaigu is soaking up the glamour in Europe this month. Below, she fills us in on all the highlights and the unforgettable moments that took place in Milan this season.
“Once again, Milan finds itself at the world epicenter of fashion with a new edition of Fashion Week, which took place from September 20th to September 26th amidst high fashion brands like Bottega Venetta, Fendi, Prada and Versace, among others. Some of the celebs in town this season were Mónica Belucci, Alessandra Ambrosio, Ashley Graham, Brooke Shields, Sineád Burke, Julia Garner and Mark Foster, Heidi Klum. Some of the other highlights were Paris Hilton, who walked the Versace show in a mini sequin fuchsia dress and a veil over her head, Naomi Campbell walking for Boss with an oversized tailored suit, and Kim Kardashian’s collab with Dolce & Gabbana.” -Sofia
Fendi
Fendi opened the week presenting its collection inspired by the 90s. One of the elements Kim Jones took from that decade was the continued use of a geometric F, created by the celebrated Karl Lagerfeld during that time. This was seen in pieces like a laser cut leather vest and organza see through dresses and tops. Loose cargo pants offered a sporty vibe, while knee-high colorful boots completed the more sophisticated looks. The brand’s trademark bags were present in every walk, and they were brought to life by Silvia Venturini Fendi, the accessories’ designer. Peekaboo bags had chained leashes for the first time, while mini Fendi First bags were covered by smaller chains that looked like pieces of jewelry. The neutral palette, with beige as Fendi’s must have color, was intervened by vibrant colors like green, blue and red. In terms of hair and makeup, the production was after achieving classic beauty with a hint of freshness. Guido Palau and Peter Philips were the duo in charge of meeting that goal. The hair was styled softly but heavy, with a little bit of movement in loose waves and fake fringes. The make up created fresh and hydrated faces in a minimalist style. The show took place at Fendi’s headquarters in Milan, which accommodated guests like Mexican actress Ximena Lamadrid, British singer Lily Allen, La La Anthony, Rym Saidi and the brand’s Korean ambassador, Dami Kim.
Prada
Prada’s show is one of the most anticipated, and this season was no exception, since the brand announced a collaboration with Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn. The set was created by design studio AMO, who combined Nicolas’ visual intervention resulting in a presentation that included techno music and neon colors. The set was black, made of paper, and had windows with videos playing behind them. Upon arrival, the videos showed different images of walking shoes and other details that made us spectators spying on a house. Prada’s inspiration for this collection was the 90s, and the main colors were gray, white and red on clothes. Accessories like bags stood out due to their size. Shoulderpads are still in vogue and Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons played with the juxtaposition of silhouettes: oversized blazers were combined with tight pants. Shoes offered comfort, with platform shoes and flats being the season’s trend. Lingerie dresses were the collection’s must have item, alongside buttoned jumpsuits with shirt collars. One of my favorite looks was an off-white robe over a matching trench coat, which created an interesting overlapping of clothes. In terms of hair, models wore their hair down with a middle part and natural waves, while the make up stood out because of the big fake lashes. Prada’s first row was a show on itself, and it included celebrities like Storm Reid, Hunter Schafer, Leonie Hanne and actor Lorenzo Caprile.
Del Core
Del Core’s latest oceanic adventures were the inspiration for this spring collection, seeing as Daniel Del Core is a semi-professional diver who can reach impressive depths. The line was made up of elegant silhouettes with an “urban hue”, and it transmitted an energy that seemed to talk about a fantasy of living under the sea. Inspired by the shape of water and its state of constant change, the items achieved a contrast that began with floral jacquard suits of very precise cuts and ending with spectacular night dresses. Among the latter, we could see a voluminous skirt with golden sequins, resembling the coral reefs. In addition, we saw long satin dresses and tight corseted ones. The collection included a very wide color palette, which was also seen in the models’ make up, who had green, fuchsia and yellow eyeliner. One of my favorite looks was a black dress with a fishnet cape embroidered with pearls that moved to the beat of the model’s walk. Platform sandals completed the collection looks.
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Bottega Veneta
For Bottega Veneta’s Summer collection, the creative director Matthieu Blazy joined artist Gaetano Pesce, who created a set of resin chairs and floor for decorating the inside of an abandoned fabric at the South of Milan, resulting in an invasion of color and sparkle for an ideal set. The casting included diverse models, both men and women of different ages and even the legendary Kate Moss, who wore a plaid shirt and leather pants that looked like denim, one of the show’s most interesting moments. The collection included casual looks in plaid and denim and leather and tailored suits for evening wear, since Blazy’s goal was to create dynamic items apt for every occasion. However, the clothes that stood out the most were the dresses and coats in plaid and irregular graphic prints, inspired by the colorful drawings created for men’s suits by Giacomo Balla. Enormous hobo bags also were present, alongside clutches and sparkly boots. Towards the finale, I chose my favorite looks: three long dresses with feathered skirts in red, yellow and teal. The first row was full of artists, including the mother and son from the Academy winner, The Power of the Dog, Kirsten Dunst and Kodi Smit-McPhee.
Max Mara
Ian Griffiths, Max Mara’s creative director, was once again inspired by historical figures. On this occasion, he traveled to the 1930s and took Renée Perle and Eileen Gray as his muses for a collection titled “The Blue Horizon.” This worked as a starting point for the backdrop, which had a blue ocean and sky, the presentation’s frame. Dresses shined on the runway in a series of abstract floral prints towards the show finale. Most accessories were made out of burlap, from sandal platforms to big beach bags. The color palette was dominated by beige and black, although it also included yellow, green and light blue. The super minimalist make up included a touch of coral on the lips. Sitting in the first row were Lili Reinhart, Olivia Palermo, Jessica Wang, and Nicky Hilton.
Dolce & Gabbana
Milan’s Fashion Week day 4 was marked by Dolce & Gabbana’s new collection in collab with Kim Kardashian.
Many fans gathered by the Métropol in hopes of seeing Kim, creating a big commotion at the show’s entrance.
In addition to the show, a black and white tape was projected, showing Kim with platinum white hair having pasta in a restaurant. The models walked to the beat of rhythmic music to show the collection titled “Ciao Kim,” whose pieces were chosen by Kardashian from the fashion brand’s archives from the years 1987 to 2007. This also included reeditions of historic pieces. The line had lots of underwear playing as outerwear: lace black stockings, bustiers, and black bras. Everyday wear, inspired by lingerie, stood out the most in looks like the opening one, made up of a tight dress with visible stockings and garters, corsets with crystals, and bralettes and bodysuits. Sparkly fabrics were combined with denim, these ones being my favorite ones. The star accessory were the “KIM” chokers, which adorned the models’ necks, while black veils offered drama in the best Italian style. Kris Jenner, alongside Kim’s children Chicago, Psalm, North and Saint West were sitting in the first row to celebrate Kim, who came out by the finale with a bow while using an incredible black dress, accompanied by the designers, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana.
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Missoni
Under the guidance of up and comer artistic director Filippo Grazioli, Missoni’s line portrayed a modern mindset through sensual fabrics, elegant transparencies and striking ornaments. The designer presented his first women’s line for the Italian brand with a show at the Universita Bocconi. Following the minimalist and sexy trend of the 90s, he created designs tight to the body with elegant silhouettes that included variations in length: they were either midi or mini. Another highlighting decision was repetition: we could see the same outfit in both long and short variations and in 5 different colors: yellow, cyan, magenta, black and white. The brand’s trademark prints were also there, like the classic zigzag in asymmetric cut dresses. To complete the looks, models carried big silver earrings and bracelets, while strap sandals climbed over their calves. A sparkling runway and unpolluted white staircase were the ideal scenario for Filippo’s designs to stand out. In the first row, Paris Jackson and Indya Moore enjoyed the show.
