Milan Fashion Week SS2024 report
Milan Fashion Week is one of the most eagerly awaited in the entire fashion system. The main protagonists of the industry take to the catwalk and it is from here that the trends for the coming season will be decreed.
Amidst changes of creative directors, debuts and important returns, after days of fashion shows, parties and presentations, it is only right to reflect on the novelties that have most catalysed attention and on what will materialise in the boutiques of the world’s most prestigious maisons in the coming months, including those in Galleria Cavour.
The spring/summer 2024 collection tells us about a sector in profound transition that is the mirror of today’s uncertain and changing times, where the wardrobe becomes a reflection of society but also a treasure chest of experimentation and evasion.
Among the new talents is Marco Rambaldi from Bologna, who with this collection confirms his ability to play with contrasts: from dark accessories to the delicacy of embroidery, from the pink and white palette to the malice of details on bodies and accessories. His remains a captivating and intriguing tale.
Fausto Puglisi succeeds, with extreme skill, in rewriting Roberto Cavalli‘s codes in a contemporary key, playing on the metaphor of the jungle and a feline and fascinating seduction.
Marco de Vincenzo, who has been at the helm of Etro for a year now, is projecting the maison into the future by exalting the heritage of the historical motifs that return on prints and accessories: without tradition there can be no contemporaneity.
And while the most eagerly awaited debut was undoubtedly that of Sabato de Sarno, one of the most touching moments was the farewell to Fabio Zambernardi on the Prada catwalk. For decades at Miuccia Prada‘s side as design director, his was a farewell accompanied by tears and a standing ovation from all the industry insiders and admirers.
Two great Italian brands are moving on safe and already traced trajectories: Ferragamo continues to focus on tailoring and Dolce & Gabbana on sensuality. The hidden meaning is that in uncertain times it is always better to play it safe and play on the codes that have made both fashion houses famous.
Daring, on the other hand, is Versace which, as always, delivers one of the most glamorous shows of the entire Milanese calendar and a high celebrity front row. Donatella’s skill lies in surprising and the SS23 collection is the exaltation of bon ton, pastel colours and the golden years of high society. Between pastel coats, suits and suits, however, the Medusa’s touch is always biting and bold with the return to the scene of an ethereal Claudia Schiffer to close the catwalk.
Femininity is also the watchword of Alberta Ferretti‘s spring/summer 2024 collection where light fabrics almost seem to fly around the models’ bodies to enhance their shapes, as in a dance evoking oriental evasions thanks to a palette that seems inspired by desert dunes.
Also positively surprising is Peter Hawkings, in his debut as creative director of Tom Ford. The feat of not making the founder regret his death was certainly arduous, but the glamour that conquered the Palazzo del Ghiaccio, in Milan, was able to convince even the most severe critics amidst Seventies inspirations, sexy silhouettes and auteur citations. Lastly, Matthieu Blazy, for Bottega Veneta, confirms his desire to explore different codes and worlds: quiet luxury becomes bolder without renouncing essentiality.
As the Milanese curtain closes, and as we wait to turn the spotlight on Paris, we can say that the coming season brings with it winds of novelty and experimentation because, as we know, fashion is the art of change, and to change it is necessary to become unfashionable.