To hold someone’s attention in today’s visually crowded world is a challenge, especially in an industry as face-paced as fashion, but the Fall/Winter 2020 shows at Milan Fashion Week proved that catwalks still have the unique power to capture one’s imagination.
Take Gucci, for example. The Italian luxury house showcased its FW20 collection on a merry-go-round runway where behind-the-scenes heroes — the dressers and the makeup artists — took the stage alongside the models. At Moncler, elaborate sets were built inside a massive show venue to display the brand’s new Genius collaborations. Acrobats were even recruited to model the Moncler Grenoble pieces — talk about a bold fashion stunt.
Fendi
For her second womenswear collection since becoming Creative Director, Silvia Venturini Fendi took a bold and almost risqué approach to dressing the Fendi Donna. Taking the boudoir into the boardroom, the collection explores the duality of soft and strong femininity by blending not-so-subtle references to lingerie with classic silhouettes of office attire. A quilted, pink satin bustier meshes with a beaded fringe pencil skirt, while built-in garter-straps of pumps and boots seductively hug the ankles and legs. Besides the attention-commanding separates and the drool-worthy accessory lineup, the show has also been praised for its casting. For the first time ever, the brand attempted to feature a diverse range of body types on its runway, as models Paloma Elsesser and Jill Kortleve both made their Fendi debut this season.
Prada
In a similar vein, Prada showed a FW20 collection that acknowledges both the sensuality and strength of women. A balanced mix of power and pleasure, the catwalk presented a series of versatile, utilitarian-chic looks made up of slashed pleated skirts, sweater vests, as well as blazers cinched in at the waist with belts and mini pouch bags. In addition to updated iterations of the brand’s headbands — a cult-loved street style item among the fashion crowd — the collection saw a range of stylish tech accessories made for smartwatches and even AirPods. Get an up-close look at the pieces by flicking through our gallery of the collection here.
Moncler Genius
A collaborative project led by Moncler and a distinguished group of design partners, Moncler Genius stole the show on the first day of Milan Fashion Week with a medley of visually stimulating and immersive installations. JW Anderson, who joined the initiative this season, delivered his first collaboration with the brand with a lineup of inflated, spiked creations that references his own womenswear and menswear archives. Returning designers Richard Quinn and Simone Rocha continued to incorporate their signatures into their Genius collections. While the former created ’60s-meets-spage-age duvet boots and couture gowns, the latter celebrated modern femininity with floral embroidered outerwear constructed with tulle.
Jil Sander
While remaining true to the brand’s unassuming color palette of ivory, navy blue and washed-out pastels, Jil Sander‘s FW20 collection is heavy on textures and volume, as design duo Luke and Lucie Meier worked with artful draping, poncho silhouettes and fringe detailing for their latest show. A blanket-like fuzzy wool dress offers a comfortable take on evening wear. Long fringe hangs from the neck to add interest and movement to an otherwise plain, monochromatic one-piece. Timeless accessories, ranging from oversized leather totes to slim clutches, complete the sophisticated ensembles.
Moschino
Inspired by the royal court of Marie Antoinette, Jeremy Scott‘s FW20 collection for Moschino puts a humorous spin on historical garments. Fit for today’s style queens, pannier waist-dresses are morphed into gold-accented denim and moto leather jackets. A lineup of whimsical, cake-shaped dresses, including a look modeled by Joan Smalls, serve as a tongue-in-cheek nod to Antoinette’s famous alleged words. More wearable pieces, like a pair of toile de Jouy-printed Bermuda shorts and a matching jacket, make the collection more well-rounded than it seems.
Gucci
While the performance aspect of Gucci‘s FW20 runway has easily made the show a memorable fashion moment, the collection presented was a spectacle in itself. Hefty cross necklaces, kinky leather harnesses and chokers went round and round the huge revolving stage, as themes of religion and bondage permeated through Alessandro Michele‘s latest range. Apart from vintage-inspired coats and suit sets, the show saw a handful of romantic tiered gowns made with Chantilly lace in dusty lilac and turquoise. After making its comeback at the Gucci FW20 Men’s show, the now revived Jackie bag has made another appearance in the womenswear collection, hinting at the retro design’s potential to become the next popular It-bag.
- Composite Imagery
- Yuri Hong/Hypebae
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