Milan Fashion Week with Olga Leffers or Italian Ancora

Indeed, the schedule of this Fashion Week was diverse and sometimes even too tight, which caused some overlap. For example, Kylie Jener's lateness delayed the Dolce and Gabbana show, we almost arrived late for the Jil Sander show.; both events were too close in the schedule. On our question about why everything was organized in such a way, the insider explained it by saying that many brands do not consider that their clients overlap. Such a clear segmentation of the client market. But first things first.

HELLO MILAN!

The weather this year has been both pleasant and frustrating. Despite the occasional rain, the sun was still there, and on some days it even became hot, which in general did not coincide with the fall collections, often cut from insulated materials, leather, and sometimes even fur. I felt really bad for models forced to wear insulated clothes, but as they sometimes say on the sidelines, fashion requires sacrifice.

For seven days, Milan and especially Piazza Duomo literally transformed, turning the streets of the city into a real catwalk without borders.

High boots shining in the sun, long coats and trench coats—a huge amount of denim of every style literally filled the city space.  It was very interesting to watch how trends from chicly organized catwalks merge with the everyday routine of urban rhythm and, right before our eyes, become street fashion.

We should not forget that Fashion Week has long been not only about shows but also about social events. One of them took place at the Royal Palace, where the opening of the photo exhibition Luigi and lango "Unveiled" took place. Naomi Campbell in a luxurious dress embroidered with scarlet stones, Irina Shayk dressed in a men's suit and lace bra, and the beauty Alessandra Ambrosio honored the opening with their attention. DiCaprio's new sweetheart was also present. Vittoria Ceretti came to the opening in a very revealing outfit made of transparent fabric.
Milan Fashion Week consists of many different events, both open to the public and organized for the inner fashion circle.

One of these events, and in my opinion, no less important (if not more so) than the entire Fashion Week, was the CNMI Awards, organized in collaboration with the UN Ethical Fashion Initiative and held at the La Scala Theatre.

By the way, for those who could not get to the shows and events, there was an opportunity to watch the broadcast on a huge screen installed in one of the central squares of the city.

ABOUT FASHION

This year, it seemed to me that there were more stars than ever before, especially at the shows of Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Fendi, and Prada. The celebrities who didn't make it to the Venice Film Festival by the will of the Screen Actors and Screenwriters Guild certainly made up for it in Milan by showing off their beauty and outfits.

FENDI

Clean lines, simple yet complex designs. Balance as a key word and absolute harmony from Kim Jones, who dedicated this collection to his muse Delphine Fendi, the artistic director of the Fendi jewelry house.

The union of masculine and feminine forms and the idea of laconic transformation were seen in every detail, including the new Flip bag, that transforms from a day into an evening bag in the blink of an eye.

PRADA

Miuccia Prada and Raf Simmons' new collection combined noble nurses' uniforms with subtle military officiousness.

Closer to reality and away from glamor, that's probably how I would describe what I saw. Bombers and billowing jackets, long coats, pencil dresses, and austere skirts. "Everyday life deserves beauty." Miucci Prada herself believes so, and her new collection is an unquestionable reflection of this statement.

GUCCI

"A story of wealth and lust, of red but also blue and green, of flash, spontaneity, and light, partying in the first rays of the sun. It is a story that is not hidden, proud, manifest, or taboo. Though it may seem like it should be, it is absolutely free and filled with euphoria. It is a story of music and late-night partying, of sweat, dancing, and singing. It's a story about family and kissing—lots and lots of kissing. It's a story about everything again, but this time expressed through joy."
These were the words Sabato said before the screening, making his point clearly and concisely.
The debut of Sarno, who replaced Alessandro Michele as creative director, is an event that everyone was waiting for. Some are filled with longing, others with distrust. And it is not surprising considering the loud marketing statements of the brand and Sabato himself on the eve of the show.
Shortly before the announcement of the new creative director, Gucci's social networks suddenly emptied. Not a single post survived, all of them safely tucked away in the archives, leaving behind absolutely no visual reminder of the past. The past is the key word—the aspect that the Italian art director decided to send into oblivion. To start from scratch, or, in other words, to begin anew. This is how the name of "Ancora" collection can be translated: again or once more.

The statement is really loud and very ambitious. And in my opinion, it was a little bit too much and ended up with the brand losing its identity and unique symbolism, exchanging it for simplicity and ordinariness. Gucci didn't just become like others; it stopped being like itself.
Everyone was expecting something incredible, as big as De Sarno's announcement itself. But there was no sensation.

The usual eccentricity of the Gucci house was completely absent. De Sarno clearly focused on the basic elements, laconic cut, and proportions. His way of looking at things could certainly be called "cleansing" and as if "defusing" the space after Michele's sprawl, if it were not for the loss of brand recognition. They say there's nothing like starting with a clean slate. Whether that's true or not, only time will tell.

VERSACE

Versace, a favorite of mine, like Gucci, has lost itself. Another attempt to please everyone by modernizing the brand resulted in the loss of Donatella's famous DNA. There was no trace of the former sexiness; some of the outfits became similar to Miu Miu and Prada, others to Chanel and Botega. The caramel color scheme in the style of Barbie as a whole was very bad in the perception of the brand, which has always been associated with female and male sexuality, cuts, massive pins, and perfect silhouettes.

The new spring-summer collection with the laconic name "Woman" consists almost entirely of different sizes of mesh, stockings, corsets, and lace cuts. Ultra-mini skirts and shorts, tights with cutouts, and long stockings. Supermodels Irina Shayk and Naomi Campbell in corsets, transparent trench coats of different densities, and even Renaissance dresses from the past with voluminous hems. A beautiful and sensual collection that was impossible to look away from. Visual aesthetics in their purest form."Sensuality is a very important aspect of femininity that has nothing to do with sexuality". A description from Dolce and Gabbana perfectly suits their "Woman."

WHAT ELSE?

I really liked the show from the Calcaterra brand. A perfectly laconic and practically applicable collection full of clean lines, voluminous silhouettes, fabrics in interesting combinations, and perfect fit. I sincerely admire designers who pay such close attention to details.

I was also impressed by the presentation of René Caovilla held on a stunningly beautiful veranda with a gorgeous view of Milan and the show of one of the most feminine designers, Ermanno Scervino. A brand that never changes itself, does not try to please trends, and carefully preserves its "fashion DNA".
I was pleasantly surprised by the unusual performance of the Attico brand, which set up sofas right in the middle of Arco della Pace street specially closed off for their first offline show.

REFLECTIONS

It is extremely interesting to take note of the different aspects of Fashion Week.
You just have to look closer at the emotions of people and brand team members. What for us is a pleasant event, an occasion, and even a celebration, for many of them is nothing more than hard work, associated with great anxiety and strong emotions. At the Ermanno Scervino show, I noticed a woman who was sincerely worried about her models and the whole show and, at some point, even cried.