Milan Fashion Week Fall 2014-15: Highlights

The country that prides itself on artisan craft and timeless luxury had a whole lot more to offer this season. Milan Fashion Week 2014 saw flying drones encircling the Fendi runway while Moschino had their entire collection turned into literal fast fashion with a tongue-in-cheek reference to American pop culture.

Or how about that ring of fire at Roberto Cavalli to really get things heated for fashion week?

However, if Mcdonalds and Spongebob do not entice you then you’d be pleased to know that Milan Fashion Week held strong to its usual allure of polished construction.

Folklore

Dolce & Gabbana presented a series of folkloric tunes for past collections and while this season was a tad different, it was still folksy in its core. The collection unfolded, as would a fairy tale – depicting the surrounding scene of animals and birds before delving deep into the story.

The Sicilian fairytale as they put it comprised of beautifully embroidered dresses with a tinge of appliqués or even Red Riding Hood capes and billowy long, magical dresses coupled with knight hoods.

On the other hand, Marni had a less literal interpretation of folk with the amalgamation of architectural lines and hint of tribal culture and oversized shapes.

Sixties Showdown

Fashion has always been a cyclical whirlwind and without fail every season has its nod towards the past.

In their usual cinematic showdown, Dsquared turned to 60s glamour with column gowns, feathered capes and Mod jackets. Whereas, Gucci’s honour to the 60s focused on outerwear but done in pastels of dusty blues, pinks and greens.

Clearly, the glamour, shift dresses and feathered capes of the 60s are bound to be a hit this Fall.

Fast Future & Fired-Up

No one talks about Milan Fashion Week without a reference to Jeremy Scott’s American pop culture entrance to Moschino. His rendition of Moschino irony resulted in a runway filled with Mcdonalds memorabilia – uniforms to happy meal boxes to Chanel-esque bags – and dresses made of candy wrappers and nutritional facts. If anything, Jeremy delivered a clear tribute to the future of fast fashion, as literal as it may be.

Then Fendi’s fur-infused collection came around and as much as the clothes were striking, the flying drones were a welcomed distraction. These drones were specifically live streaming the runway and essentially gave viewers at home closeups of the looks that even front row-ers wouldn’t receive! How’s that for the future of live streaming?

Things got a little heated at some shows and we’re talking about Roberto Cavalli’s ring of fire and Philip Plein’s explosion. Perhaps they wanted to signify fashion week being hell-ish on designers in a tongue-in-cheek manner or they simply hold an odd fascination for fire. Whichever the case, the collections made up for the warmth.

Newfound Understatement

While some designers revved up their flamboyance factor, others who had it in their DNA for years turned the gears back down. In this case it was fashion’s favourite dazzler, Versace.

By stripping her collection of embellishment and sparkle, Donatella Versace was able to champion her ability to deliver understated silhouettes cut to perfection. The sex appeal remained with cutouts made in strategically appropriate places and equally stunning high slits for the evening gowns.

It wouldn’t be Versace without sexy.

Prada’s collection is a continuation of the previously shown men’s collection. Taking her inspiration from movies, specifically of Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s, she delivered a slew of 70s slinky sheer dresses, shearlings and a mix of dark and explosive coats. Even without the sparkle, Prada has a knack for making sensual pieces – even if they’re covered in outerwear.

If we dare say so, Versace and Prada have created one of their most commercial collections to date.

For more fashion week coverage:

New York Fashion Week Fall 2014-15

London Fashion Week Fall 2014-15 

Paris Fashion Week Fall 2014-15

Tarandip Kaur