Top, from left: Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Bottega Veneta, Fendi, Versace
Bottom, from left: Salvatore Ferragamo, Prada, Moschino, Jil Sander, Max Mara

By
Alastair McKimm

BEST OF MILAN, SPRING 2016

Short and sharp or long and lean, there was a cleanliness and purity to the Spring 2016 shows during Milan Fashion Week, as demonstrated by our fashion director Alastair McKimm’s top ten collections from the week. One year into his tenure at Jil Sander, Rodolfo Paglialunga softened the brand’s characteristic hard edge with frayed seams, winking cutouts, and relaxed hats. Donatella Versace worked a military inspiration, with strong-lined outerwear and iridescent camouflage prints that were an enticing mix of power and sex. Jeremy Scott took his Moschino collection to the streets—quite literally—with safety-grade neons and visual puns on Caution tape, Stop signs, and even a traffic cone for a hat.

Alessandro Michele continued his redirection at Gucci, and the lace, bows, and frills that seemed such a shock just a year ago have now clearly filtered down through the rest of the fashion ranks. There was a youthful cheer at Dolce & Gabbana, where the classically Italian outfits were accessorized with baskets, shopping bags, and smartphones primed for taking selfies. Max Mara pursued a nautical theme, with sailor stripes, porthole prints, and graphic oversized star and stripes motifs.

Massimiliano Giornetti’s swinging designs at Salvatore Ferragamo had a pleasantly feminine flounce in the layered and ruffled dresses. Bottega Veneta’s Tomas Maier sent out an outdoorsy collection, with natural tones and artsy camouflage that did not distract from his characteristically gorgeous gowns. The vibrant palette used by Karl Lagerfeld and Silvia Venturini Fendi at Fendi made a transfixing progression from red through coral, plum, peach, cobalt, and taupe to black, playing across oversized silhouettes and shapely stitching and embroidery. And Miuccia Prada brought an eclectic melange of prints, shapes, and styles, offering a refreshing new way of looking at classic Italian design in a season that was bursting with revived energy. Take a closer look at all ten opening looks in our slideshow below.

See Alastair’s top ten collections from New York and London.

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Left: Gucci
Right: Dolce & Gabbana
By
Alastair McKimm

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