Milan Fashion Week: An ode to staple fashion

As Milan Fashion Week draws to a close, the Italian leg of the spring summer 2017 collections have been a reliable tour de force for next season's propositions. While neither shocking or radically forward, Italian fashion gave something far more valuable, namely wearability.

After the mishmash of preceding London shows, forever focused on what is new and emerging it forgets to celebrate commercial, working fashion, Italian fashion week delivers what we've come to expect: the stability of offering real clothes. And whether in fashion, or the current state of world affairs, that is precisely what the doctor ordered.

Giorgio Armani

Perhaps the king of stability in fashion is Mr Giorgio Armani, who's staple of the contemporary two-piece suit for women has been a surefire hit for nearly four decades. The show notes for his SS17 collection read: “the lightness of the body, seductively revealing itself, finding a new balance between discipline and freedom.” These translated into loosely tied shirts in sheer fabrics, prettily embroidered but never ostentatious. Silk jacquard peplum skirts and shorts were perhaps a little tricky and off-kilt, but there was comfort to be found in elegant blazers, or an iridescent sporty cropped jacket in palest pink. The colour palette was mostly navy, beige and Armani staple of neutrals, with dash of subtle floral prints. The hashtag #charmani said all.

Stella Jean

A recent addition to the Milanese fashion set, Stella Jean, of Italian-Haitian origin, is a brand with a long horizon. Her is a colourful palette, made even more interesting knowing she favours sustainably sourced fabrics, aimed at helping trade workers in developing communities. Her quirky pairing of print and styling may have a Japanese sensibility, but the shapes, mostly tea dresses and longer length skirts, could be Laura Ashley or English countryside, minus the frump. Look 25 summed it up: a long sleeve dress in coral chiffon with a botanical garden print worn with tiered grass slippers. Sometime a pretty dress is just that.

Bottega Veneta

Celebrating its 50th anniversary, Bottega Veneta reintroduced a series of bags from its archive collection, including its infamous intrecciato woven clutch bag worn by actress and model Lauren Hutton in the 1980 film American Gigolo. Hutton made a return to the catwalk this season, arm in arm with Gigi Hadid, the current belle of fashion week, wearing a deconstructed mackintosh, the kind of luxe sportswear favoured by its creative director, Tomas Maier. Maier doesn't do uber styling or fashion crazy, instead focussing on pieces that work in the current zeitgeist, always considered and exquisitely produced. For the label's haute clientele there was plenty of leather, which came in ostrich and coat length versions to cropped or belted aviator style. All sumptuous, all very expensive. A pair of paper cotton overalls in maroon trimmed in leather will speak to the brand's urban sophisticate of customers. The audience gave a standing ovation when Maier and his team took their bow at the end.

Marni

Form, volume and intricate layering was the order of the day at Marni, one of the highlights of Milan fashion week. In a daring reveal of proportions, designer Consuelo Castiglione took the bumbag and reimagined it as chic and billowing, worn on the waist and front over volumous dresses and coats, but with a slimmer silhouette skirt or bottom. Elsewhere dresses, tops and jackets were distorted with nautical cords, ruched and pulled to alter the silhouette to enhance form, but never so wayward they couldn't be sold on the shop floor. Marni has one of the most fluid retail concepts in the luxury sector, where its playful collections truly come to life.

Versace

Versace may be the go to brand for traffic-stopping glamour and red carpet arrivals, but the Versace woman this decade has as much brain as she has body. These aren't clothes for librarians, obviously, but there was plenty of sportswear, like nylon tracksuits and parkas, and bodycon daywear with sinuous curve cutaways, which would be cool on the streets of London, New York or any urban setting. The wearability factor was seconded by the show's casting, which saw models span generations, including Naomi Campbell, Carmen Kass and Doutzen Kroes. The floor-sweeping gowns were not a focus for Donatello Versace this season, who stated pre-show “Sportswear is the future of fashion." The gowns, of course, make their exit during couture in July and March, when Atelier Versace spices up Paris couture week.

Photo credits: Bottega Veneta SS17, Bottega Veneta Facebook, Giorgio Armani SS17, GiorgioArmani.com, Marni SS17, Marni Facebook, Versace SS17, Versace Facebook

The international Fashion Week season for women's ready-to-wear kicks off in the month of September, with all eyes set on New York, Paris, London and Milan for next seasons latest trends. For all the women's wear catwalk season must reads, click here.