1. Giorgio Armani
This collection didn’t have a single trend in sight (unless you count his very subtle printed blouses and jackets) and that made it all the more appealing. Armani’s fluid and silky trousers, dresses, suits and jackets came in cool shades of gray, blue and taupe. They had a timelessness that will attract women who value style but couldn’t care less about being “in fashion.” Or shoppers who have grown tired of splurging on looks of the season. In other words, the collection was filled with smart investments for conservative financial times. These were grown-up, confident clothes that brought to mind women like Meryl Streep or Angelica Huston. But while the clothes read mature, they looked the most modern that we’ve seen from Armani in recent seasons. That said, the collection was not without drawbacks: mainly, awkward layering such as a tent-shaped dress over split-leg trousers.
2. Roberto Cavalli
Milan Fashion Week started off with a gold moment (Gucci). So it only makes sense that it ended with one too. In a collection that was like a middle finger to Italy’s flailing economy, Roberto Cavalli opened his show with brazenly flamboyant, bling-tastic mini dresses, skirts, blazers and sinuous gowns covered in the kind of embellished gold regalia that could blind someone. It was a rich, flashy collection, in that each piece featured baroque embellishments, prints and embroidery that oozed money and glamour. Think: A Jennifer Lopez video and the entire Michael Jackson “This Is It” wardrobe, dipped in glittery trimmings. Expect to see these super-sexy dresses in a pop star’s concert set soon.
3. DSquared2
Dan and Dean Caten’s runway shows are always campy, flamboyant productions that add fun and humor to Milan Fashion Week. But yesterday’s show was a classic case of staging trumping the clothes. They created an impressive Glastonbury-like set that looked great until the models — in sexy, clingy bodysuits and dresses — began to slip and fall on the muddy runway. But they scored high marks for realism.
