A Tantalising and Tactile Milan Fashion Week

Wed 3 Mar

The Italians are SO over the pandemic. Milan Fashion Week was a frenzy of looks for going out, for attracting attention, for flashing a bit of glitz and glamour. The calendar was filled with designers who snubbed the loungewear wave for ideal looks for a post-pandemic passeggiatta. Sex appeal aplomb, this fashion week felt excitingly like the fashion week’s before Covid-19 (Can you even remember such a time?) Yes, it was still fashion week through a screen, but with an infectious fizzing feel.

Valentino AW21

None more so than Valentino. With a poetic performance from London musician Cosima, Valentino’s AW21 collection felt tangibly powerful. It was starkly monochromatic but sensual and inviting too. Legs were bared, lace was sheer, hemlines were shorter and sharper. It was a clever step from the neon tones and romantic bulbed silhouettes of previous seasons but equally emotive. Prada, too felt like a step in the right direction. Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons had struck a balance of signatures; clasping shawls, scrunched sleeves, layered polo necks, and Art Nouveau prints worked in tandem to create a perceptively sartorial collection.

Prada AW21

More was more at Moschino, but it was much, much less at N21. Alessandro Dell’Acqua stripped right back, baring flesh with lace lingerie-inspired pieces. It was Noughties in its supermodel aesthetic - one could picture a clubbing young Kate Moss in these dresses. Trends from that era have been on the rise, particularly after our nostalgic TV and film choices over lockdown. Bluemarine tapped into this tenfold, with a collection that pulled straight from Oops I did It Again...-era Britney and Paris Hilton’s The Simple Life. With styling by Lotta Volkova, this will be a Gen-Z hit this Autumn, I’m sure.

Moschino AW21

All in all, from Sunnei’s brilliantly bonkers footwear to MM6’s enrapturing outerwear, this was a hit of a week. With the news of lockdowns soon-loosening over the world, we’re allowing ourselves to get excited about what to wear once we’re out. This week’s Golden Globes proved that we are chomping at the bit for lavishness and luxury, and so, it was perfect timing for Milan to let loose with their look-at-me looks.