Riot Grrrls and Golden Girls at Milan Fashion Week
Radical comic book heroines at Prada and shimmering gilded supermodels at Versace: the high points of the seven days were woman-powered
Miuccia Prada brought in underground manga and zinester comic artists like London-based Brigid Elva to inject her tailoring-heavy collection with militant, activist Grrrl power (at least visually). For Sarah Mower at Vogue.com, it was 'an empowering show' in 'the language of girls who would take their scissors to old dad coats, chop up old dresses to wear over trousers, and decorate themselves with protest pins and gig souvenirs.' Mower observed that such girls probably wouldn't be able to afford the Prada version, though.
On a very different note, Donatella Versace blew everyone's socks off with a glittering nostalgic celebration of her brother Gianni's legacy. The Tribute collection marked 20 years since his murder, and no gilding was spared as Donatella revived Gianni's most iconic designs. Indeed, she concluded the show with a fanfare of 1990s supermodels (Carla, Claudia, Helena, Naomi, Cindy) who stomped down the runway in gold chainmail dresses and 'reduced the jaded fashion audience to gibbering fanbots', according to Vanessa Friedman at The New York Times. Friedman herself was affected too, declaring that, 'for one cathartic moment, you couldn't think about anything else.'
Consistency was the keyword at Gucci, as Alessandro Michele, the designer who has brought astonishing growth in profits and profile, declared his intentions to carry on with his outlandish, eccentric design blueprint – 'a glorious jumble of references', as Jo Ellison at the FT dubbed it: 'If you could imagine it – diamanté chinstrap, brocade boxer shorts, purple sequin papal robe, prim tweed skirts and purse belts, circus ringmaster jacket with blouson sleeve, Bruce Jenner-era tracksuit top, 1980s robo-roller disco tops and matching sparkly tights – it was out there,' Ellison marveled. And when millennial buyers are so much under Michele's spell, who would dare question this magus of mad fashion.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Dolce and Gabbana picked love as the theme with a set made of giant playing cards – 'Queen of Hearts' (who else). Love sprung forth from many sources, as Nicole Phelps of Vogue.com observed: 'Many of the more elaborately embellished pieces borrowed the regalia and finery of the face cards found in a 52-card deck, in fruit and vegetable prints –who among us doesn't love to eat? – in cherubim prints (naturally), and in the revival of the lingerie-exposing hourglass wiggle dresses and corseted tailoring with which the designers began making their mark more than 30 years ago.' But the pair weren't only looking back – the night before the main fashion show, they held a secret show of eveningwear modeled by sons and daughters of wealthy clients and millennial influencers. It was 'one part Le Bal des Debutantes and the other part Hollywood movie premiere', according to Phelps's report on Vogue.com – and in that regard, it was business as usual at Milan Fashion Week.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - November 2, 2024
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - anti-fascism, early voter turnout, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Geoff Capes obituary: shot-putter who became the World’s Strongest Man
In the Spotlight The 'mighty figure' was a two-time Commonwealth Champion and world-record holder
By The Week UK Published
-
Israel attacks Iran: a 'limited' retaliation
Talking Point Iran's humiliated leaders must decide how to respond to Netanyahu's measured strike
By The Week UK Published
-
A panoply of design at London Fashion Week
In Depth The world of fashion reacts to the best of the SS18 shows, which brought cleaning-inspired chic, streetwear and plenty of pink plastic
By Rebecca May Johnson Published
-
The spirit of youth: London Fashion Week Men's
In Depth Some played with gender and the theme of childhood while others opted for calm staples against a backdrop of political uncertainty
By Josh Sims Published
-
Wearable and sellable is key at Paris Fashion Week
In Depth It was a week of refreshingly serious, complex and wearable clothes in Paris, says Rebecca May Johnson
By Rebecca May Johnson Published
-
More is not always more at Milan Fashion Week
In Depth The beating heart of high-glamour saw a week of complicated excess in Italy, but it was a little too much for some critics
By Rebecca May Johnson Published
-
London Fashion Week: Art world Escapism
In Depth From strong women and political statements to space age and appliqued flowers, LFW provoked mixed reactions
By Rebecca May Johnson Published
-
Subtle politics at New York Fashion Week
In Depth While the mood at this season's NYFW was somewhat subdued, a handful of designers dared to be different, writes Rebecca May Johnson
By Rebecca May Johnson Published
-
Paris Fashion Week: All change
In Depth If ever there was a reminder that times they are a changin', it was at the catwalk shows in Paris
By Charlie Boyd Published
-
Social media takes centre stage at Milan Fashion Week
In Depth Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter were all the rage in Italy as designers staged fun, photo-friendly shows, reports Charlie Boyd
By Charlie Boyd Published