Whereas New York Fashion Week saw very few in-person shows, almost no street style, and nearly as many films as runway collections, Milan Fashion Week was about as close to “normal” as it gets mid-pandemic. Show-goers wore face masks, as did Pierpaolo Piccioli while he waved arrivederci at the end of the Valentino show, and collections included 2020-appropriate items like face coverings at Marni and elbow-length rubber gloves at Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini.
When it came to spring ‘21 clothes, Italy’s top designers were in the mood for romance — reimagined for today’s lifestyle. At Fendi, pieces printed with photographs taken by creative director Silvia Venturini Fendi during quarantine were presented on models including Paloma Elsesser, Mona Tougaard, and Jill Kortleve. Later in the week, at Valentino, co-ords crocheted with flowers warmed our hearts, while extra-big bags made a case for carrying a blanket, gourmet snacks, and natural wine for a day spent lounging at the park with your “quarantine crew.” Undergarments made an appearance in the form of bloomers (at Etro) and bra-like crop tops (No. 21), and everything was slightly sheer, sending the message: We’re indoors most of the time now anyway, so why shouldn’t we spend our days in high-fashion lingerie? And of course, there was the coming together of Raf Simons and Miuccia Prada, who presented their first collection as co-creative directors at Prada at the beginning of the week. As expected, it was swoon-worthy, with fashion’s version of a hazard blanket paired with the brand’s signature nylon backpacks and kitten heels.
Click ahead for eight trends that’ll have you falling hopelessly in love with Milan Fashion Week.
Clashing Prints
Just as they were in New York two weeks prior, clashing prints were a top performer in Milan. At Pucci, the brand’s signature mod prints came together in the form of a teal-and-yellow ribbed bodysuit paired with pink-, orange-, and-yellow tights. Meanwhile, at Sunnei, four different plaid patterns met on an oversized shirt dress, and, at Arthur Arbesser, a checkerboard layering piece was styled underneath a red-and-white vest.
Emilio Pucci
Monochrome
To balance out the clashing prints, many designers also incorporated tonal looks that were equally wow-worthy in their simplicity. At Fendi, in a sea of all-white ensembles, Venturini Fendi broke up the 67-look collection with a handful of red monochrome ensembles. In MM6 Maison Margiela’s spring lookbook, head-to-toe putty-colored looks appear against a backdrop of the same oddly satisfying shade, while, at Salvatore Ferragamo, creative director Paul Andrew used soft shades of purple, yellow, green, and blue to craft tailored looks.
Fendi
Gloves
No collection was complete this season without a pair of gloves, be they the protective sort or decorative. At Fendi, bodysuits with attached gloves were worn underneath sheer, printed dresses, thus proving that PPE can look elegant and sophisticated. On the other end of the spectrum, the gloves at Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini were all about utility — just maybe not the kind you’d expect during a pandemic. There, in a makeshift garden, models wore elbow-length rubber gloves paired with rubber boots, paint-stained jeans, and crochet sun hats.
Philosophy di Lorenzo SerafiniPhoto: Estrop/Getty Images.
Big Bags
Across the board, designers showcased massive bags, from cross-bodies to shoulder-strap, all of which could fit the contents of your entire life, including but not limited to, a picnic blanket, an entire picnic spread, a change of clothes, and probably your four-legged friend. But, of course, bags are getting bigger — between a dozen different face masks, gloves, hand sanitizers, and more, ever since the pandemic started, we’ve taken to needing so many more things. So rather than carrying two canvas tote bags and a tiny purse like we used to, now, we can get style and utility with this season’s selection of gargantuan bags.
SunneiPhoto: Giovanni Giannoni.
Exposed Undergarments
Since we spend most of our time indoors these days, it’s no wonder that lingerie and other undergarments reigned supreme on the catwalk. Across Milan Fashion Week, bloomers were layered underneath sheer, slip-like dresses, making it clear that underwear isn’t to be hidden any longer. Midriffs were aplenty with ultra-short crop tops making their way down runways at No. 21, Fendi, and Alberta Ferretti. To round out the contents of your underwear drawer, tights and socks also made regular appearances at Pucci and Sportmax.
EtroPhoto: Daniele Venturelli/WireImage.
Warm-Weather Layering
One of the best parts of cool temperatures is the ability to once again introduce layering into our wardrobes. This season’s designers got creative with their layering tactics, bringing about lightweight pieces that allow us to pile on as much as we want in the spring, without overheating. At Valentino, that meant layering a short-sleeved crochet button-down over a white T-shirt and suit shorts, while at Sportmax, long, airy trench coats were paired with micro-shorts and a breezy tank top.
Sportmax Photo: Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images.
Baggy Suits
Now that we’re at home, probably working from the sofa, restrictive suits are the last thing we’re looking for, making the recent trend of suits that are slouchy and baggy perfect for WFH life. In Milan, this untailored trend showed face at Sportmax, MaxMara, and Sunnei, as well as at Hugo Boss, MM6 Maison Margiela, and Alberta Ferretti.
Sportmax Photo: Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images.
Crochet
And the crochet trend continues… Just as we saw an influx of the lockdown trends during New York Fashion Week, so, too, did we see them in Milan. Alongside sheer, flowing gowns in fuchsia and fire-engine red at Valentino, were crochet shorts-and-polo sets on the menswear side and mini dresses for women. At Alberta Ferretti, crochet cross-body totes reminiscent of beach days in the ‘00s were carried by models wearing satin bra tops and eyelet micro-minis.
Alberta Ferretti Photo: Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images.
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