Of the four fashion capitals, Milan has long been considered the least stylish. While London and Paris are the innovative and artistic capitals respectively, and New York excels in commerciality, Milan has been defined by its loyalty to a Eurotrash sensibility. Versace’s splashy dresses, Dolce & Gabbana’s animal prints and Armani’s conservative suits seem to have appeared on the catwalk every season since the 1980s. The clothes were so gaudy or dull, even fashionistas were left scrabbling for new adjectives to describe the same old aesthetics.
But 2007 has ushered in a makeover. First, the Italian industry made headlines by wading into the skinny models debate. Its governing body, the Camera Della Moda Italiana, has agreed to ban thin models from the catwalks. It’s the only major fashion week to do so, and the decision has certainly earned Milan international respect.
And the spring/summer 2007 collections have sparked new interest in the Italian labels. Not only has an 1980s revival taken hold, bringing some edge back, but Milan designers have bought into key seasonal trends. Gucci, which has floundered since the departure of Tom Ford in 2004, showed 1960s-style tunic dresses. These frocks are going to be everywhere in the summer, and Gucci’s version captured the look perfectly. Donatella Versace has suffered maulings for designs so over-the-top that even Liz Hurley would turn her nose up at them. But this season, she sent subtle dresses and “tulip-cut” skirts down the catwalk. And won extra points for luring Prince to her front row.
Dolce & Gabbana could have had an easy ride this season. The label has featured animal prints since before most of us had even heard of the endangered-species list, so its leopard spots and zebra stripes have always done well. But the design duo staged one of the most directional shows of their careers. The Perspex corset dresses and armoured metal tops surprised the fashion press. Marni and Prada – the two most respected labels to show at Milan – were upstaged.
The spring/summer shows proved Milan was more than a predictable stop on the fashion train. The Italians nailed all the trends, showed career-changing collections and stirred up the thrills that style devotees crave. If you’re visiting Milan, it’s rude not to pick up something from one of the city’s fashion boutiques – even if only some sensible tailoring – but if you shop there this spring, you can pick up something not just on-trend, but part of something truly exciting.
British Airways flies to Bari, Bologna, Corsica, Milan, Naples, Pisa, Rome, Sardinia, Sicily, Turin, Verona and Venice. Visit ba.com. Alice Fisher is associate editor of Pop magazine.
