Runway Report: Milan Fashion Week Autumn 2023 Day 5 Recap

Day 5 in Milan brought some unlikely influences together: from Shuting Qiu’s infatuation with Czech painter František Kupka, to Giorgio Armani’s face-powder-themes collection, to Annakiki’s post-apocalyptic fantasies. Keep reading to discover more and make sure to check out our picks for day 4 here.

Here are our picks of the most memorable shows from Milan Fashion Week Day 5:

Giorgio Armani

An artist can draw inspiration from the most inconspicuous of places, and Giorgio Armani, it seems, is no exception. For his autumn 2023 collection, the designer looked at face powder – an enduring symbol of beautification. The collection was rich with silk and satin, sometimes as the house’s signature palazzo trousers styled with a sleeveless blouse or a bishop-sleeved coat, or as a bubble-pink dress cut in a manner like that of a cheongsam. Combining glamour and precision, Armani sprinkled fringed shawls here and there – not too much, to still maintain the modern feel of the collection – and mixed dainty floral embroidery with maximalist abstract prints. 

Annakiki

The young, talented couturier, Annakiki, had prepared something special for the Milan fashion week. Her autumn 2023 collection was an exploration of post-apocalyptic themes with the addition of cyberpunk and retro-futuristic elements. The runway was converted into a dystopian wasteland as models were equipped with leather bustiers and sleeveless canvas gowns adorned with pockets. Annakiki’s signature scallop shoulder biker jackets further enhanced the collection. A selection of liquid satin dresses and gowns were also displayed in the show, inspiring comparisons with the design of one Heliot Emil. The presentation was topped off by a remarkable knitwear line, including a distressed cardigan with fur trims – a reference, perhaps to the supernatural drama films of the 2000s (think Kate Beckinsale’s Selene when she was in high school). 

Shuting Qiu

Shuting Qiu’s shows at Milan fashion week are always a hallucinatory experience. At her autumn 2023 collection, such hypnotizing and startling visions were courtesy of Czech abstract painter František Kupka. From puffy jackets and miniskirts with fur trims in the colours of oil spills to the acid-cyan brocade dress with striped inserts on the sides and smiley-face appliques all over and the floral-printed bodysuit with a majestic, tiered coat in black and pink, the collection presented a perfect wardrobe for a fairy ready to conquer an illicit dancefloor in the earthen woods.