Womenswear SS16: Milan back in the game

By

Dominique Muret

Published
Sep 29, 2015

With the World Fair, running until the end of October, and Milan Fashion Week dedicated to the spring/summer 2016 collections, Milan was the centre of attention this past week. It had been a long time since the city had resonated such energy.

This fashion week gave new energy to Italy's capital of fashion, even going so far as to rejuvenate it. Even the parties were "cooler and more dynamic", said a one of the regulars of Milan's night scene.

From the party hosted by François-Henri Pinault in honour of Gucci's new Artistic Director Alessandro Michele, a true star of this fashion week, to the exclusive soirée held by Altagamma, the Italian stock exchange and Vogue, to the huge party thrown in honour of Riccardo Tisci, there was something for everyone.

The arrival of Peter Dundas at Roberto Cavalli was, however, less convincing. Although it is obvious that the label has received some rejuvenation, the pieces on display were too simple, almost basic, and left many disappointed Likewise, Arthur Arbesser's opening foray at Iceberg and that of Massimo Giorgetti at Emilio Pucci were observed with caution.

All in all, the collections seemed to all be aimed at increasingly younger women. Slowly but surely women's fashion is evolving, pushing aside excess and ruffles to go straight to what is essential. The shapes and volumes are becoming more ample and offering better comfort. The sportswear influence is evident.

The designers went for more apparent simplicity, with less prints and extras, apart from a few collections that went the opposite route (Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana and Prada, among others), highlighting large blocks of colour and monochromatic outfits. Among the most recurrent patterns, vertical stripes and thick horizontal bands of colour, as well as animal prints.

"We are living a period of change. Fashion is more laidback, imperfect, less constructed. Everything is mixed. The selections are made with a more refined, original, cultural eye," summed up Beppe Angiolini, owner of the Sugar boutique in Arezzo, in Tuscany.