Giorgio armani
Despite the fact that the show of Giorgio Armani was one of the last in the schedule of Milan Fashion Week, we would like to start with it. After all, it is him (as well as the canceled football matches in Milan and the unscheduled carnival in Venice) that is cited as an example by the world media, illustrating the panic over the outbreak of the coronavirus in Italy.
On the morning of February 23, a few hours before the start of the show, which was supposed to take place at the Armani Theater, information appeared in the media that journalists, buyers and friends of the designer were no longer expected there. They decided to show the new collection behind closed doors - it could only be seen thanks to live broadcasts on the brand's website and in the official profiles on Instagram and Facebook. So Giorgio Armani decided to draw attention to the spread of the epidemic, which, according to press reports on the evening of February 22, affected 60 Italians (47 of them in the Lombardy region, whose capital is Milan). The designer succeeded: those who do not watch television news, but read only the fashion press, heard about the outbreak of the coronavirus. And they immediately put on masks, stopped going down the subway and greet each other with kisses on both cheeks according to Italian traditions,limiting ourselves to dry "chao!"
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In the collection itself, the Italian traditions laid down in the codes of the fashion house have been preserved: these are velvet total bows, cashmere cardigans, silk blouses, fur capes and shiny jackets shimmering in the spotlights of an empty hall. Interestingly, only one model of Asian origin took part in the show, but a photo of the designer with a dozen girls from China appeared on Instagram.
“Mr. Armani with his models at the Fall / Winter 2020/21 show, which ended with a declaration of love for China, a country with which the designer has always maintained special ties, both aesthetic and cultural. The girls pose in looks selected from the 2009–2019 Armani Prive collections that were inspired by China,”reads the caption.
Moncler Genius
Prior to that, the Asian participants in Milan Fashion Week were not only handshakes, but also the most anticipated. So, in front of the abandoned hangar on Viale Molise, chosen for the presentation of the Moncler Genius project, an army of thousands of fans of the South Korean singer Minhyun lined up. Young Italians and girls, who specially came to Milan to see their idol, tried to see him through the tinted windows of cars and fussily held out posters with the artist's image to them. Much calmer was the arrival at the presentation of model Coco Roshi, actress Shailene Woodley, bloggers Aya and Ami Suzuki and actor Will Smith, who is the face of Moncler.
Star guests, along with journalists and buyers from all over the world, walked through the hangar, divided into nine closed pavilions - according to the number of Moncler collaborations with other brands (in the new season, these are JW Anderson, Richard Quinn, 1017 Alyx 9SM, Grenoble, Craig Green, Simone Rocha, Fragment Hiroshi Fujiwara, 1952 and Poldo Dog Couture). The decoration was a surprise for the guests: the Simone Rocha pavilion appeared as a cinema with red velvet chairs, the Grenoble models literally walked the walls, and in the Poldo Dog Couture space, dogs were trimmed and dressed up. The whole presentation, of course, was based on jackets: quilted, as in collaboration with JW Anderson, strewn with flowers in the corporate style of Richard Quinn and even decorated with Swarovski rhinestones, as in a joint collection with 1017 Alyx 9SM. At the entrance, guests were greeted by another part of the Mocnler Genius project - suitcases developed in collaboration with the Rimowa brand. They received a digital display with a welcome message: "Welcome to the top of the world." And I must say that many guests at the presentation felt this way.
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Gucci
If the presentation of Moncler was the largest, then Gucci tried to compete in uniqueness and environmental friendliness. First, the creative director of the brand, Alessandro Michele, turned away from traditional cardboard invitations, inviting guests to the show using voice messages in instant messengers. Secondly, he almost completely avoided the set design: instead of the podium and decorations, a special glass cube was built, in which the models were prepared for the show right in front of the audience.
In the women's collection itself, as in the recently shown men's collection, the designer turns to the theme of childhood: things are made in small sizes, as if they were intended for children, and not for adults. On soft sweatshirts, stripes appear in the form of chicks, kittens and pink dogs, blouses get neat collars that are almost in line with the line, skirts are decorated with small bows with polka dots, and dresses are made in the best traditions of provincial proms (that is, simultaneously with ruffles, lace, draperies and voluminous shoulders).
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In the process of creating accessories, Alessandro Michele worked with the London department store Liberty (the brand Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini also showed a collaboration with him this season) and turned to the Gucci archives. Namely, he re-released the iconic Gucci Jackie bag for the fashion house. The model first saw the light of day in 1947, and in the 1960s was named after Jacqueline Kennedy. In the fall, its minimalistic variations in pink, blue, pale green and black, as well as a copy with the brand's signature vintage monogram, will go on sale. Alessandro Michele suggests wearing a bag with short gloves to match - judging by the shows at Milan Fashion Week, this is the main styling tool in the next fall-winter season.
Prada
At Prada, like at Gucci, the motives of the women's and men's shows overlapped. And not only in the collection itself, but in the set design: the fall-winter 2020/21 shows were held in square arenas erected on the territory of Fondazione Prada and flooded with red light. Only this time, the walls of the arena were decorated with floral prints by British architect Charles Rennie McIntosh, and in the center, instead of a Trojan horse, was the figure of a broad-shouldered Atlanta. She was echoed by feminine looks in the power-dressing style loved by Miuccia Prada: oversized jackets, skirts made of coarse suiting and fur coats with raised shoulders. They were balanced with 1920s-style accessories (such as beaded fringed nylon handbags) and pastel-colored shoes (pink rubber boots and blue trainers that easily transform into over the knee boots). Miuccia Prada shows that a woman's strength lies in her weakness (and the recognition of this weakness). And he confirms this by the appointment of the second creative director Raf Simons. Why she needed help, we talked in detail here.
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Salvatore ferragamo
The location of the Salvatore Ferragamo show was familiar to visiting journalists, buyers and friends of the Italian brand. The Rotonda della Besana complex, which served as a cemetery in the 17th and 18th centuries, hosted a show of Paul Andrew's previous women's collection, but unlike this one, not in the rotunda itself, but along its perimeter.
The entourage of the late Baroque building, which many guests saw for the first time, was impressive: monumental columns, clean walls and a huge vault that amplified the echo of the energetic soundtrack. Importantly, the appearance of the rotunda was in harmony with the mood board of the collection itself: like Miuccia Prada, Paul Andrew was inspired by strong women, whom many, according to him, are accustomed to idealizing: Michelle Obama, Virginia Wolfe, Nancy Pelosi, Nina Simone and Fulvia Visconti, daughter of Salvatore Ferragamo. The brand's team found Fulvia's book, in which she collected photographs of plants for inspiration. Andrew turned them into embroideries on warm sweaters and prints on Studio bags, which paired with high-waisted leather pants, suiting jumpsuits, plain gray capes and conservative skirts just below the knee.
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Fendi
Fendi held a show of the new collection a day after the anniversary of Karl Lagerfeld's death. And it seems that only now I have learned to live without him: no initials of the designer on carpets, documentaries about him on display, sketches of his authorship in creating clothes. Silvia Venturini-Fendi, who was left to work on the collections alone, had a clean, light and minimalistic (which is quite unusual for the aesthetics of the Italian brand) show. This was indicated by the set design in the form of soft velvet sofas placed all over the pink catwalk, as well as the clothes themselves: wool coats with voluminous sleeves, cashmere dresses with emphasized breasts, powdery sweaters with dropped shoulders, architectural leather coats, transparent blouses with ruffles, etc. - again - plain gloves. We like this femme fatale, and this new Fendi too.
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Versace
The invitations to the Versace show, which for the first time in the history of the fashion house combined women's and men's seasonal collections, were made in the form of mirrors. But, having arrived at the location of the show, Lina Bo Bardi Square, the guests discovered that the kingdom of these mirrors turned out to be crooked. Each guest could see their reflection not only in the mirror, but also on special digital panels, placed along the length of the entire podium. Moreover, at first it was clear, and then vague and difficult to recognize, although champagne was not offered to guests at the entrance.
The organizers of the show applied the effect of a distorting mirror to the final fashion show of the models: first, astrakhan hats, striped cardigans, tracksuits, quilted skirts and plaid jackets were shown on the catwalk, and then moved to screens. There also appeared a projection of the designer's bowing out, and not in a vague, but in a clear version. Probably, in this way Donatella Versace wanted to say that trends are elusive and temporary, and Versace is eternal.
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Bottega veneta
The main theme of the Bottega Veneta fall / winter show was freedom, which was emphasized by the set design in the form of a projection of dancing Renaissance statues and live music. It seems that the creative director of the brand, Daniel Lee, who took office just a year and a half ago, but has already won several prestigious awards, including as the best designer, feels freer. If in previous seasons he adhered to natural shades traditional for the Italian fashion house and flirted with branded elements, for example, weaving (intrecciato), now he adds acid colors (light green, pink and bright red) to the collection, resorts to avant-garde styling (cuts the hem fur coats and makes the cardigans look worn), abuses sequins and sequins (dresses look likeas if Instagram effects were applied to them) and experimenting with accessories. Superstars - Bottega Veneta Pouch and Arco bags - will soon be replaced by embossed marshmallow-like clutches and ravioli-like plaited tablets. The appetite has already played out, it remains to wait for the autumn.
BOSS
Live music was also played at the BOSS show held in the Social Music City space. Thanks to the orchestra, which performed the compositions of Henry Scars Struck, as well as the delicate purple color that filled the space, the show of the new collection was more like a theatrical performance.
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After a series of minimalistic female and male looks - leather trousers, suede sheepskin coats, three-piece suits, cardigan dresses, total bows all in the same purple color and hand-embroidered coats from German masters - the creative director of the brand Ingo Wilts appeared on the catwalk. went up to the orchestra and shook hands with the conductor. Perhaps this touching moment spoke about the importance of harmony between the shown collection and the atmosphere around it, which is sometimes so lacking for many brands.>