Milan Fashion Week: ‘Optimism and joy’ at Versace, magical sunsets at Gucci, metallics at Prada, ties for Emporio Armani
MILAN — Presenting a playful and colorful collection of mismatched prints, Italian designer Donatella Versace said she had set out to bring “optimism and joy” to the catwalk with her show at Milan Fashion Week.
Friday evening’s Versace show, held at the medieval Castello Sforzesco, kicked off with models wearing clashing prints: zigzag tops and floral skirts, an aesthetic that dominated the spring/summer 2025 line for both womenswear and menswear. (See the show here: https://tinyurl.com/ycrwvzdy)
The mixed prints featured on silky dresses and skirts, shirts and knitwear which came in brown, blue, lilac and yellow, with hints of the Versace Medusa head print on some designs.
Outfits nodded to 1990s’ styles, with shirts sticking out from under short, unbuttoned cardigans, and there was also a selection of tailored suits and trousers in lemon.
“When there is so much darkness in the world — with this collection, I wanted to bring color, light, optimism and joy — we have never needed it more,” Versace, the design head at the Italian fashion house, said in a statement.
Some pieces were cut in shimmering gold — a corset, skirt, and strapless dress.
Models also wore colorful tights as well as slinky heels or platforms in bold hues, while menswear models wore suits with trainers or socks and sandals.
GUCCI
Gucci sought to recreate the magic of summer sunsets at Milan Fashion Week on Friday with a colorful line that at times nodded to the 1960s. (See the show here: https://tinyurl.com/573h6mn8 )
Creative director Sabato de Sarno began the show for his spring/summer 2025 collection, called “Casual grandeur,” with a tailored zipped jacket and floor-length trousers slit at the front bottom, opening up over sneakers.
Models wore draped or sleeveless dresses in various colors adorned with golden buckles as well as see-through lace frocks.
There were looks that mirrored 1960s styles with short A-line skirts, structured jackets, and shorts. Long coats were worn over tank tops and long denim trousers. Some coats were adorned with sparkling fringes.
Models walked down a red catwalk with lighting ranging from white to warmer shades, nodding to the “moment the sun dives into the sea at the end of an August day,” Mr. De Sarno said in show notes.
“It’s the moment we find ourselves. This collection is a tribute to those moments, and an invitation to stop, seek your own moment,” he said, as the show drew Oscar winner Jessica Chastain and Italian tennis star and world No. 1 Jannik Sinner among celebrity guests.
Accessories included large summer hats, an array of handbags, and footwear that varied from loafers and boots to platforms with transparent heels.
Mr. De Sarno’s color palette included grey, brown, different shades of green, white, orange, and red.
Mr. De Sarno, who presented his first Gucci show a year ago, has been resetting the Italian luxury brand with his sleek, pared-back creations since taking over from former designer Alessandro Michele, known for his eclectic, gender-neutral styles.
“A year later, this collection shows an accomplished journey of construction,” Mr. De Sarno said.
Gucci is the largest brand at Kering PRTP.PA where it accounts for half of the French luxury group’s sales.
In July, Kering reported a bigger-than-expected drop in second-quarter sales and forecast a weak second half, as the group works to re-energize Gucci while facing subdued demand from Chinese shoppers.
PRADA
Italian fashion house Prada played with distortion for its womenswear Spring-Summer 2025 collection at Milan Fashion Week on Thursday, presenting skirts suspended from belts, glasses with hugely oversized lenses and topless hats. (Watch the show here: https://tinyurl.com/yc879yue)
Designers Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons opened the show, called “Infinite Present” with a floral strappy frock followed by a black dress adorned with metallic rings, an embellishment seen on several outfits.
Models wore stiff shiny silver skirts, some bearing see-through decorative holes, colorful tights that morphed into trousers and tailored trousers as well as skirts that hung from belts.
The latter were prominent throughout the show, also appearing on handbags as a fastening or hanging low on one model’s hips.
There were fitted tops, hot pants, knotted blouses, and plenty of outerwear including macs and jackets in bright colors. One dark feathered dress was worn with an orange rain jacket. Some models wore sheer skirts over tight trousers.
Accessories included huge sunglasses and topless goggle-like bucket hats that covered faces.
Shoes varied from sandals to cowboy boots as well as plenty of colorful heels, some with stick out flaps on top.
EMPORIO ARMANI
Giorgio Armani offered soft fluid looks at Emporio Armani, the veteran designer’s second line. (See the show here: https://tinyurl.com/58vrpkzc )
He opened the show, called “Future Perfect,” with two models in suits and ties, an accessory that peppered the collection.
There were soft jackets, wide trousers, long skirts, light dresses and plenty of outerwear including trench coats and parkas. For the evening, models wore shimmering gowns or white shirts paired with shiny trousers and loose black ties.
Armani also presented menswear, offering loose trousers and blazers cinched with belts.
“The entire collection invites dressing with freedom and irony, quintessentially Armanian in its approach,” show notes said. “As always, the narrative is driven by the balance of masculine and feminine.”
Armani, 90, stuck to beige, grey, sage, and pink with bursts of blue and fuchsia.
At the end of the show, he greeted the audience with four design collaborators, including his niece, Silvana Armani.
He will present the latest collection for his main eponymous line in New York next month. — Reuters
