Milan Fashion Week SS13

Andrew Whitty brings you the lowdown from Milan Fashion Week.

It is said that ‘Italians do it better’ and after a gripping Euro 2012 final that didn’t seem the case. However, the country has a different reason to celebrate – Milan Fashion Week. The city’s top designers and global superbrands did not dissapoint with a varied series of collections.

First up were Dolce & Gabbana who took the risky step of recruiting native Sicilians to walk the runway rather than the usual six-foot muscular Italian stallion. The collection was strong with, as always, impeccable tailoring and use of print throughout. The colour palette of washed-out blue and coffee stain brown gave the pieces a truly rustic feel, quite refreshing after London’s neon overload the previous week.

That other Italian juggernaut, Versace presented a series of outfits that could have come straight from one of the brand’s 90s heyday ad campaigns. Grecian print swimwear, bum bags and Bomber jackets; remember those? However, Donatella worked her magic and brought the collection up to date with her use of metallic accessories including ties and printed trousers, a must for every man’s wardrobe come next Summer.

The British were present in the form of wonderboy Christopher Bailey at Burberry. More use of metallics here. Imagine forcefully opening a tin of Quality Street with the chocolates flying everywhere and that is the Burberry Spring Summer 2013 collection. The iconic trench coat remixed and reimagined as always, this time foil-coated and in every colour from fantastic fuscia to glorious green. If you find this look too offensive but still want to be on trend, Bailey presented shirts in the same form; styled under a beautifully cut black suit, this worked well.

Colour seemed to be on Frida Giannini’s mind at Gucci also. Relying on a tailored silohette and the use of wonderful brights, the result was a simple, pleasing collection. Accessories were kept to a minimum with only seven of the 39 looks featuring bags, interesting for a house built on its luggage heritage. We particularly liked the use of cravats tucked under the collars of polo shirts; effortlessly chic, elegantly Italian.