Milan Fashion Week kicked off on Tuesday, February 19. Initially put on by Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (then the Camera Sindacale della Moda Italiana) in 1958, their aims were strengthening the “value and discipline of the moral, artistic and economic interests of the professional activities carried out by the different categories of the numerous sectors involved with fashion.”
Now six decades later, the early days of Milan Fashion Week 2019 have seen pictures from various designers point to a world of possibilities. A world not just the product of hard work but delicate fantasy which reverberated its way into reality.
At last year’s Milan Fashion Week, the catwalk contained a lot of playing with proportions in the sense that models would be wearing a short skirt with a long jacket that highlighted their legs with a high-low effect. Designers also had a lot of fun with proportions by serving up a lot of sheer and peekaboo moments.
This time around, pretty much everything was on the runway. The most notable looks by designers such as Max Mara and Alberta Ferretti featured a monochromatic ensemble with slicked back hair and earrings to provide an accent color. Runways saw Gucci blurring gender lines once again, but this time featuring a modern victorian twist mixing feminine blouses and boyish trousers. A more bold look by Moschino involved big 80’s inspired hair and outfits requiring multiple pieces with patterns, images of products, and random pop culture references.
Milan is the third fashion show in the list of what are regarded as the “Big Four” fashion weeks. However, Milan showcased so many voices and even called back to some of the trends of previous fashion weeks.
London’s Fashion Week was just before Milan, running from February 15 to February 19. The designers of London’s Fashion Week definitely flirted with tailoring and patterns as well, feeling as though they were almost sort of trying to prepare audiences for the out-there aesthetic of Milan.
One of the most fun looks had the models in colors, textures, and poses that could have given off vibes of carefree artist. The line by 16 Arlington included pattern-mixing, shiny textures and sleek monochrome suiting as if everything was a feast for the eyes. The monochromatic looks of Asai travelled through the runway highlighting wintry and fall shades of color serving up texture, attitude, and even accent colors.
Unlike the other two shows, London showed iridescent fabrics a little love, letting the eye of the cameras and audiences worldwide do what they do rather than declaring bold and specific statements. While just as romantic as New York and occasionally as kooky as Milan, London’s whimsy could be gentle in that you got the feeling that the models and designers wanted you to embrace characters. Instead of saying to the world “embrace this as reality”, London told you a story that you could indulge in as such.
