Dear reader,
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Welcome to our fashion week briefing, compiled with on-the-ground insights from Vogue Business and Vogue Runway editors that you won’t find anywhere else. Stay tuned for our recap of Paris Fashion Week, up next.
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A sense of ambivalence set in across Milan Fashion Week this seasonas editors rushed from one show to the next, up against heavy traffic and heavy rain, often to be met with a similar collection to the last. Designers leaned into commerciality and played it safe amid global economic challenges. It made for a fashion week dominated by fixed trends and repeated styles.\xa0
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In this season “limited by sameness”, attention was on the brands that did something different, saysVogue Runway’s Luke Leitch, noting Diesel, who opened the week for many with a showincluding 700 members of the public, patched in on Zoomon giant screens. The theme was transparency, so Diesel also live streamed its entire show prep process in the run-up.\xa0
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Many designers had something to prove this season, either presenting their debut or sophomore shows. At Moschino, Adrian Appiolaza presented a more wearable collection based on archival inspiration from Franco Moschino. As the designertoldVogue, he had less than a month to prepare, so this isn’t necessarily a true debut. Nonetheless, it’s a hint that under him, Moschino will feel more every day without losing a sense of fun. At Tod’s, Matteo Tamburinipicked up where Walter Chiapponi left off, while at Blumarine, Chiapponi pivoted to a more romantic, whimsical style, to mixed reviews.\xa0
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Sabato De Sarno presented his second womenswear collection for Gucci on Friday afternoon in a starry show attended by Daisy Edgar-Jones, Solange Knowles, Kirsten Dunst and Maude Apatow. Perhaps critics werehoping for some “spice”from this collection. But the designer believesthat it should be about the clothesrather than fantastical themes. AsVogue RunwayandVogue Businessglobal directorNicole Phelps notes, De Sarno’s debut collection has just hit stores, so the commercial success of the changing of the guard remains to be seen.\xa0
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At Tom Ford’s blockbuster show, the second from creative director Peter Hawkings, there was a champagne reception and an A-list front row, including Uma Thurman and Sharon Stone. With an extra-long runway, towering high heels, crystal gowns and a mash-up soundtrack including Beyoncé’sAlien Superstarand Madonna’sVogue,it was a highlight among buyers and press, who noted its fidelity to the brand codes.\xa0
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Simone Bellotti’s second collection for Bally also impressed, says Leitch. “It was a great combination of oddness and effectiveness that felt relevant to the brand.”\xa0
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As we’ve seen acrossmen’s AW24,New York,Londonandnow Milan, quiet luxury has evolved this season, giving way to bolder colour palettes and some touches of glamour. But even as some brands move away from the minimal aesthetic, luxury labels are still shooting for the top-spending shopper with high-ticket, heavily crafted garments and accessories.\xa0
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“The word luxury has been used a lot recently. Luxury, luxury, luxury. But this isrealluxury. Most of these pieces will be handmade in the atelier,” said Donatella Versace at a press conference before her show, which featured handwoven tweed suits and coats and a lot of tailoring alongside its usual high-glamour partywear.\xa0
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Bottega Veneta has always shot for the top-spender. But this season, designer Matthieu Blazy wanted to scale back his conceptual pieces, to serve his consumer top-end luxe in the everyday. It was “the show of Milan” for Simon Longland.\xa0
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On the final day of Milan Fashion Week, there was an injection of new blood, which provided some much-needed newness to the collections.London-based designer Feben made her Milan debut, supported by Dolce & Gabbana, and body-positive designer Michaela Stark launchedher new lingerie label Pantyvia a show at Fondazione Sozzani, supported by the foundation. And on Friday, provocative label Sunnei stayed true to form with another conceptual show designed to go viral. This time, as the models walked, an audio of their thoughts played out as if the audience were reading their minds. “Slay, slay, huh, huh, slay, slay,” resounded through the space as one model strutted. Another walked slowly, stone-faced. His internal monologue? “I need to pee. It’s the last show of the day, and I haven’t peed for hours.”\xa0
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Save for some bolder moves at Diesel and Marni, it was the emerging names that brought variation and flavour to Milan Fashion Week this season.\xa0
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Thanks for reading.
