MILAN — It often seems like anything goes in fashion today — hemlines are both up and down; jeans are both narrow and boyfriend — but as the five-day show and accessories cavalcade that is Milan Fashion Week came to an end, a consensus of sorts began to emerge. Here’s what to expect, wardrobe-wise, in 2020.
Orange Is The New …
… black, be it tangerine, traffic cone or Creamsicle. From the sun-drenched 1970s caftans that floated down the runway at Alberta Ferretti and the neon double-breasted coats with pale blue embroidery at Prada to the tiered fringed skirts inspired by Pakistan at Stella Jean and Marni’s silk tunics bold enough to stop traffic, Milan was positively popping with color. More mellow variations could be found in the saffron tones at Arthur Arbesser and the burnt amber interspersed with grays and greens at Etro. Just remember to balance out the brights with something a little more somber. Then get some juice.
Long Story Shorts
Shorts suits already fill the closets of street style stars — so much so that Vogue has referred to the look as a summer solution to “dressing professionally without overheating.” Though they have yet to gain momentum with women in the real world, that rarely stops fashion designers from trying to convince us otherwise, and they are hard at it, the bigger, more Bermuda-like the short, the better. At Max Mara, the outfit came in monochromatic pastel shades accessorized with a matching tie and military cap, while at Tod’s they ran long and in chocolate brown, with an equally outsize blazer to match. Things took a more casual turn at Salvatore Ferragamo with a high-waisted periwinkle blue leather look alongside a hooded mac. And at Bottega Veneta, where leather also reigned supreme, the creative director Daniel Lee drifted into basketball territory, with thigh-length black shorts teamed with the latest iteration of his sold-out quilted mules. Get shorty.
That 1970s Shoe
Vertiginous platforms are not exactly a new footwear trend, but in Milan the appetite for serious elevation has reached new heights. Gianvito Rossi took inspiration from 1970s disco nights with soaring, strappy sandals in metallic python and psychedelic prints presented atop revolving records, while Aquazzurra had a black and white silk offering and roller skates in rainbow metallic stripes. The Age of Aquarius infused the runway at Fendi, while Marco de Vincenzo offered a towering retro chunky heel. And Miuccia Prada — as ever — did things her way, offering more comfortable flatform, or flat-platform, lace-ups and stacked leather brogues.
Little and Large
When it came to handbags this week, the motto at first glance appeared to be the bigger the better. Continuing a trend also seen in New York and London, Bottega Veneta opened with giant slouchy cross-strap leather bags while Hugo Boss featured canary yellow drawstring backpacks. At Fendi, models came down the runway swinging capacious maxi totes. And at the La DoubleJ presentation, the brand’s founder J.J. Martin offered up enormous canvas holdalls in bold colors and prints, perfect for a day at the beach — or storing a dog or small child, for that matter. Since every yin has its yang, however, and everything that goes up must come down, tiny also was a trend. “I like big, big, big, but also small, small, small,” chortled Silvia Venturini Fendi backstage before her show. She wasn’t alone. For those not blinded by the Jennifer Lopez cameo at Versace, there were mini bejeweled cigarette boxes on a chain strap (also, a matching lighter); at Marco de Vincenzo, wee sparkling pochettes affixed to waist belts; and at Jil Sander, dinky white leather bucket bags. Forget everyday essentials, barely a credit card would fit in these styles. Sometimes, though, less really is more.
Call of the Wild
As sure as the sun will rise, there will always be animal skin in Milan. Since brand after brand is going fur-free, however, these days they are more prints than actual puma (or tiger, cheetah, you name it). At Jimmy Choo, for example, the creative director Sandra Choi used a menagerie of leopard, zebra and snake skin prints for her shoe collection, all given new tones and colors in a variety of heel heights, often contrasting with one another to riff on ideas of posturing and camouflage in nature. “Nature is something to be respected and admired, but I wanted to push it into new arenas, to make it feel fresh and modern,” Ms. Choi said. “Nothing is as it seems; everything is a fusion.” At Bulgari, a collaboration with Alexander Wang produced chic, actual snakeskin, shopper totes in blacks and leafy greens, or layered, multi-pocketed bags finished with clasps in the shape of the Italian luxury house’s signature gold serpent head. And because where there is wildlife, there is nature: Florals were fully in bloom at René Caovilla, where ankle bootees were encrusted with shimmering diamanté flowers, and at Giuseppe Zanotti, where giant leather orchids with structured petals were affixed to sandals — either flat or high-heeled — with straps that wrapped around the ankles like a vine. Finally, over at Furla, the 92-year-old brand that introduced a new arched-door logo this season, a cross-body leather style in dusky pink was printed with exotic white magnolias. What can we say? Everyone knows it’s a jungle out there.
