MILAN (AP) — The Milan runway was all about transformation on Friday, the third day of Milan Fashion Week, mostly previews of womenswear for the coming spring and summer.
Sometimes it was about internal transformation, like at Gucci, sometimes upping your style game, like at Sunnei, and sometimes it was about brand transformation, like at Missoni. StellaJean and
Some highlights of Friday’s programs.
TWINSBURG BY GUCCI
Gucci Creative Director Alessandro Michele built a true parallel universe on the Milan catwalk with a surprise theatrical reveal.
For her Spring-Summer 2022-23 collection dubbed “Twinsburg,” Michele staged side-by-side shows inside the Gucci Hub, each unbeknownst to the other, until a wall was lifted, revealing identical-looking twins with step. synchronous.
For the final run, all 68 pairs of twins met in the center, held hands, and came together for the final run.
The reveal was so powerful, so unexpected, that normally jaded fashionistas could be heard confessing after they had cried.
“I was crying too. I really don’t know why,” Michele said backstage. “I don’t cry often, but maybe in the end it was appropriate for me to cry because it was so intense.”
“I think it is much more complex to do this work now. There are times when I wonder, why am I doing this? Someone is talking about nuclear war. Politics is a catastrophe. The situation on the planet is a disaster,” added Michele. “But as human beings, the only weapon we have is to imagine something else and make it happen.”
Michele said that the show was an exploration of our own inner selves and the revelation that we harbor a kind of inner twin, which could stop us or stimulate us.
His idea of ”the other” was shaped by an unusual family arrangement growing up believing he had two mothers: his own genetic mother and his twin sister. She called them both “mom” as they raised their families in neighboring apartments because they couldn’t stand being apart. She said that he only began to understand the difference at age 7, when his aunt died.
“I had two moms, because we all lived together, so I really appreciated what it means to take care of each other,” she said.
Michele said presenting her collection twice gave more power to the garments, each of which was designed to the eclectic standard that Michele has set with worldwide success.
They included a suit with pants that appeared to be held together by garters, revealing the upper thigh, a part of the male physique rarely seen in formal wear. Quilted floral jackets and pants were a genderless affair. A beautiful embroidered silk robe was pleated in the back with a trailing train. The looks were complemented by new metallic fringe face jewels, also seen on the sunglasses.
The notion of an evil twin was represented on the runway by motifs from the 1980s movie “Gremlins,” in which creatures transform to become mischievous. Appearing as plush accessories, patches and prints, the Gremlins were meant to underscore “the fear of your evil self,” Michele said.
Michele stamped the word “Fuori!!!” in some clothing in tribute to an Italian gay rights organization that was founded in 1971. Michele has spoken in the past about Italy’s failure to pass landmark legislation that would criminalize hate crimes against gays, women and men. disabled, and expressed concern about the forecasts. that a far-right party is expected to dominate Italy’s parliamentary elections on Sunday.
“The elections clearly show that freedoms are slowly being eroded,” he said. “There was a time when we were achieving a lot. It’s very complicated.”
THE SUNNEI ALTER-EGO
The designers behind Milan sensation Sunnei toyed with the idea of transformation, using cufflinks to portray alter-egos.
One by one, models in street clothes descended from the stands, made their way onto the catwalk and then through a revolving door, through which their twin returned, decked out in a new Sunnei look.
Designers Loris Messina and Simone Rizzo seemed to be telling a youthful audience of hoodie-loving streetwear lovers how to up their game, style-wise.
So one with a sleeveless sweatshirt and jeans was transformed into a green and blue striped shirt, which was worn with loose white shorts. A young woman in a black T-shirt and jeans returned as an alter ego in a long royal blue coat with a white satin collar and cuffs. A pair of khaki pants and a gray shirt disappeared behind the door, revealing a baggy lime green blouse with ruched pants, a sort of urban sweat suit.
THE GOTHIC GODDESSES OF VERSACE
Gigi Hadid rocked a dark hooded dress with a high slink factor. Her sister, Bella, was a blush-free bride in a deep purple lace corset and crinkled satin skirt. Emily Ratajkowski rocked a leather micro-mini with a rugged biker jacket and studded bag. And Paris Hilton topped them all in a shimmery fuchsia minidress, stepping high in silver heels.
Forget the muses. These were Donatella Versace’s dark gothic goddesses, representing a collection that conveyed feminine power as only Versace can.
“I have always loved a rebel,” Versace said in the show notes. “A self-confident, intelligent and somewhat diva woman.”
Bright hoodies dipped in navel-deep hoods, wrapped in furry, fur-like jackets made from recycled chiffon and lace. Flowing chiffon gowns had high slits and were worn over satin pants, the Versace logo billowing from the long, flowing skirt. Sheer black dresses featured cutouts that exposed skin. Cascading fringes on jackets, dresses and pants. The color palette was decidedly dark, rooted in purples and blacks, with a few flashes of red, lime, and fuchsia.
The show conveyed a strong sense of feminine ritual as models traversed a dark candlelit catwalk lined with stained glass windows featuring Versace’s Medusa head, before exiting through glass-enclosed spaces where men in bathrobes lounged on gilt chairs in middle of purple columns. underlining a shift in power dynamics.
STELLA JEAN CELEBRATES DIVERSITY IN ITALY
Haitian-Italian designer Stella Jean returned to the Milan runway after a two-year hiatus with a tour-de-force that highlighted the talent of 10 new designers of color whose design history is tied to Italy.
Jean made a commitment in 2020 not to show up at Milan Fashion Week until she was the only black designer. The We are Made in Italy movement that she founded with African-American designer Edward Buchanan and Afro Fashion Week Milano founder Michelle Ngomno ensured that she would not.
Buchanan opened the show with denim-tinged knitwear from his Sansonvino 6 line, followed by capsule collections from WAMI’s latest Fabulous Five designer group, and Stella Jean’s creations that combine Italian tailoring with artisanal references he sources throughout. the world.
Each of WAMI’s new designers shares a connection to Italy, whether through family or by moving to study or work here.
Italian-Indian designer Eileen Claudia Akbaraly showcased her Made for a Woman brand that makes ethically sourced raffia garments and accessories in Madagascar. New York-based designer Akila Stewart founded the bag brand FATRA that works with reused plastic waste. India-born Neha Poorswani designs shoes under the name Runway Reinvented. Vietnamese designer Phang Dang Hoang’s clothing line blends Asian and Western cultures, and Korean designer Kim Gaeun’s “Villain” brand blends elements of traditional Korean costumes mixed with modern hip-hop culture.
“There are so many Italians who are not Italian, who are immigrants who feel Italian. I think that’s so beautiful,” Stewart said.
The show closed on a note of celebration, with models, designers and activists gathered on the catwalk, clapping and swaying to the tune of Cynthia Erivo’s song “Stand Up.”
Jean implored Italians in the crowd to vote during Sunday’s parliamentary elections, sounding optimistic despite projections that far-right and anti-immigrant parties are likely to win.
“Do not be afraid on Sunday, September 25. Our situation will not get worse. We must trust our country,” she said.
TRANSFORMED MISSONI
Historic family-run fashion house Missoni has taken a new turn with a new creative director who has searched the archives for clues on how to make the brand’s fine knitwear relevant to a new generation.
A star-studded front row signaled the target audience: artist Paris Jackson, American actor Madison Bailey, model and social media influencer Maddie White and Brazilian model Alessandra Ambrosio.
Creative director Filippo Grazioli’s youthful silhouette relied on deep V-slit miniskirts over jumpsuits and pretty sequined sheer dresses over zig-zag culotte panties.
Models sauntered down the runway braless through see-through blouses, moments Grazioli said were a tribute to brand founder Rosita Missoni’s decision to send models to a Florence runway in 1966. Missoni went into exile to Milan, his home ever since.
The looks featured oversized zig-zags as well as less familiar geometric patterns from the archives. The shoes of the season were wraparound lucite platform heels. The looks were complemented with flat silver jewelry.
Not all of the pieces adhered strictly to Missoni’s knitwear ethos, including sequin-studded ballet skirts and sheer maxi dresses, like the one Paris Jackson wore with black-and-white zig-zag culotte pants.
Marking the transition, Missoni employees filled half the seats in Bocconi’s subterranean atrium, while Milan business school students watched from above through glass windows.
Source: news.google.com