From the modest to the thoroughly un-modest, Prada, Max Mara, Moschino and Blumarine at day 2 of Milan fashion week. Keep reading to discover more and check out our Milan Fashion Week Day 1 picks here.
Here are our picks from the most memorable shows from Milan Fashion Week day 2:
Prada
“What I care about now is to give importance to what is modest, to value modest jobs, simple jobs” said Miuccia Prada in the show notes of her autumn ’23 collection. Not looking to value “extreme beauty or glamour” this season but instead she wanted to give importance to clothes and uniforms that people wear in real life. From nurse inspired clinical long white dresses and shirts to the humble duffle coat and no-nonsense crew neck jumpers worn over long white skirts, the designs were genius in their simplicity. Overall, Simons and Prada delivered an original collection of substance and one that felt fitting for the mood of the season.
Max Mara
Camel is alive and well at Max Mara. In a slightly tongue-in-cheek homage to the beloved neutral tone (so deeply associated with the brand) creative director Ian Griffiths presented a camel filled collection: from camel quilted bomber jackets right down to camel ribbed knee- high socks, camel also came updated in brocade and jacquard. Camel aside, for autumn ’23 Ian Griffiths presented what he called his “interpretation of dignity”, something he has always stayed true to during his three decades at the helm of Max Mara, delivering dignified, classically elegant, and timeless clothes season after season, this year translated in monochrome ankle-grazing coats and sleek tailored trousers. As “wardrobe dressing” and “quiet luxury” seem to be the buzz words capturing the 2023 mood, it seems Max Mara is unusually in step with the Zeitgeist.
Moschino
Long known for drawing inspiration from pop culture, instead for autumn ’23 Jeremy Scott looked to surrealist painter Salvador Dali’s 1931 oeuvre The Persistence of Memory. Doesn’t ring any bells? Scott’s drippy lapels and curving hemlines might jog your memory – just like the clocks in Dali’s masterpiece – the clothes seemed to quite literally melting to the ground. Other looks that had no connection to Dali’s surrealism but stood out nonetheless: a decadent jewel encrusted bra top and a pink satin dress worn with metal and leather cuffs. The models each sported wildly exaggerated spiky punk mohawks – a feat of engineering rather than hairdressing. Mixing punk with Salvador Dali? Something that only the weird and wonderful creative mind of Jeremy Scott could pull off.
Blumarine
Attendees of the Blumarine autumn ’23 show were greeted by a sinister setting, complete with a giant burning ‘B’ at the top of the catwalk. In case you didn’t guess, creative director Nicola Brogano was inspired by Joan of Arc this season – the peasant girl who led the French army into victory and was later burned at the steak. Translated through warrior like clothing: chainmail inspired gowns, glossy metallic looks paired with aviator style miniskirts and an earthy colour palette reflecting the middle ages. The past few seasons we’ve seen the Blumarine girl reinvented into a multitude of characters: from the Y2K pink barbie to the gothic mermaid of last season, I wonder what characters Brogano’s imagination will serve us next.
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