Milan rising
With London designers grabbing the headlines of late, the Italian houses had their work cut out for them. And, judging from their spring-summer collections, they have risen to the challenge, writes Francesca Fearon
Are the shiny golden coins and gilded lace on the Dolce & Gabbana catwalk a sign things are looking up in Milan? If so, it is not a moment too soon, for the clink of big money has not been heard in recession-hit Italy for a long time.
An industrial town, Milan is not exactly fun central but, with fresh talent, launches and parties galore, there is a renewed sense of energy this fashion week. It can be seen in the masses who have descended on the Golden Triangle, the area around Via Montenapoleone, to spend big at the new flagship stores of Fendi, Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo and Bottega Veneta. It can be seen in the buzz surrounding the "buy now, wear now" collection by Stefano Pilati, the former Yves Saint Laurent designer now at Agnona (part of the Zegna group), who debuts a season-less collection called Zero for the brand, that goes on sale immediately in a Via Sant'Andrea pop-up store.
Luxury fashion empire Kering and Vogue Italia have joined forces to showcase young designers. Giorgio Armani has provided his theatre for young Italian-Haitian designer Stella Jean to present her exuberant mix of African prints and patterns in. Marco de Vincenzo, who is attracting the attention of Fendi, has proved a wizard with pleats and optical patterns. Shanghai-based Uma Wang, after a brief hiatus, has returned to Milan with a conceptual collection of layered dresses and tunics in gauzy textured fabrics inspired by the sun-bleached colours of Mediterranean shorelines.
It all adds to the citywide buzz.