Issued on: 02/24/2022 – 19:08
Milan (AFP) – The fashion ensemble showed its best face on Thursday despite Ukraine invasion concerns, as Milan Fashion Week guests and workers vowed to go ahead with shows.
The line-up, which included Emporio Armani, MM6 Maison Margiela, Prada and Moschino, appeared to come off with all the studied nonchalance expected at fashion events, but some admitted it was difficult to focus given the situation in the East.
A Ukrainian stylist and creative director, Anna Mazzhyk, said her parents woke her up at seven in the morning and learned that “Russia is attacking Ukraine right now,” she told AFP.
“I was crying before the first show because it’s hard for me,” said the 22-year-old Kyiv native, dressed in a puffy Prada vest and surrounded by her equally dressed-up friends.
“We all wear sunglasses to cover our puffy eyes,” he said.
Belgian model Louise Robert said backstage Ukrainian model bookers at Prada were visibly upset, trying to figure out when and how they could go home.
At Prada, co-designers Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons paired simple white tank tops with tiered, narrow skinny skirts. Tiziana FABI AFP
“It was like a bomb, an emotional bomb,” Robert said.
Still, make-up artist Chiara Tipaldi, 24, had acknowledged at Max Mara that although everyone was aware of the latest news, the fashion world functioned as “a parallel universe.”
“He tries to isolate himself from what’s going on in the world,” Tipaldi said.
A French videographer within the show, who identified himself simply as “Etienne,” said that maybe that was for the best.
“I think most people are crushed,” he said. “But we can’t do politics in here.”
Indeed, the catwalks offered distractions galore for guests, including Kim Kardashian, fashion week’s biggest celebrity so far, in the front row of Prada, decked out in avocado and black leather, to see her sister Kendall, newly redhead, on the catwalk.
At Prada, co-designers Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons paired simple white tank tops with narrow, tiered skinny skirts embellished with sequins, leather, or sheer thigh panels.
It all seemed to come off with all the studied nonchalance expected at fashion events. MIGUEL MEDINA AFP
Shoulders were too big on black dresses incorporating angled chains at the neck, while tweed coats offered a touch of whimsy with balls of curly lambswool on the biceps in green, pink or blue.
– Cages in Cavalli –
Previously, Max Mara’s Ian Griffiths showcased a comforting collection whose brown and cream hues and rich textures brought a reassuring sobriety to the mix, even as an oddly jarring soundtrack seemed to recall the news everyone was valiantly trying to forget.
Fuzzy teddy bear-style wool was seen in bomber jackets, coats, even pants and shorts, while an oversized double-sided quilted puffer coat was just what the doctor ordered in these trying times.
It even looked as if it could double as a sleeping bag.
Roberto Cavalli presented a theatrical collection of what designer Fausto Puglisi called “cage dresses” Tiziana FABI AFP
And for those who like strong, direct fashion, Roberto Cavalli on Wednesday night presented a theatrical collection of what designer Fausto Puglisi called “cage dresses,” with bands of fabric that barely cover strategic parts of the torso, along with the label signature over -the animal prints on the upper.
Cheetah bodysuits. Imitation Reptile Capes Leopard, leather and fringe together: what’s not to love when the world is falling apart?
Lush emerald jewel-toned mohair bodices paired with high leather collars, straps and metal rings, as if a mischievous Elizabethan princess suddenly found herself in the dungeon.
The fashion show’s usher, Alessandro Vailatti, said he thought no one should be ashamed of being uplifted by the flights of fancy on display.
“It’s important that we distract ourselves.”
© 2022 AFP
Source: www.france24.com