5 Of The Best: From Milan

Clash picks out five of our favourites from MFW.

Following London – famously a celebration of young talent and increasingly on the up for business too, thanks to one Natalie Massenet – Milan is a game of old school players.

Household names are ten a penny and for some critics, so too is predictability. These are the brands for whom sales flow whether a collection is desirable or not, thanks to the ever present luxury handbag equation.

But there was a lot to see (94 looks at Emporio Armani!), and for the most part it pleased the eye greatly.

Here Clash picks out five collections that did just that, and some.

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Prada Can Miuccia do no wrong? We wouldn’t put it past her. Put simply, she is the thinking woman’s go-to designer, the lady for whom the ugly is simply the undiscovered. Perhaps it’s her close association with the art world (forever fashion’s straight A student brother), but time and again her collections offer an aesthetic that delves beyond a season.

Here was a return to the sports details first hinted at with the women’s looks debuted in June, via stripes, pleats and legwarmers.

Moreover there was colour, embellishment, heavy weight fabrics, and faces, the latter adorning all types of garment and painted on screens providing the show’s backdrop.

Iceberg For Spring Summer 14 Iceberg gained a new Creative Director in the form of Alexis Martial; prior to his appointment he served five years assisting Riccardo Tisci at Givenchy.

And a breath of fresh air was what walked the catwalk, as SS14 offered a cool sea of light, watery shades, a world away from the rock star aesthetic of SS13.

There were nudges to both Givenchy and Nicolas Ghesquière era Balenciaga, as well as iceberg motifs and a selection of white sheer pieces, the latter adorned with a swirling edge and reminiscent of a girlish 90s look.

Max Mara They who make the camel coats so very well, this season also created brights rather nicely. Stuck in the middle of a show that focused on whites and greys, a section of block colour saw models wearing sunglasses and carrying bags. Some baring just one, others caring one in one hand with a second neatly held under the arm; it made for a strong female lead.

The other looks were calm and cool, with great collared jackets and simple headscarves creating a feeling of modernity.

Jil Sander Jil Sander’s third season back designing under her own name was a sexier affair than her first, this time last year. Replacing the buttoned up white shirts and jacket dresses layered over white tees were bare midriffs and low cut necklines.

Thin translucent knits – as seen at Lucas Nascimento and Shaun Samson – were present, seen here worn high up the neck, while a simple black belt played a starring role.

Sander strayed from her classics via a single print, an iridescent dress, cut out black satins and fringing, but for the most part it read as a Jil Sander collection.

Marni The Marni girl is going to take up visor wearing next summer, apparently. Versions of the hat sat low on every model that walked for the label, while her feet were decorated with flatform flipflops (nicer than the name suggests).

Lengths were primarily kept long, while colours went from cream and white to heavy shades of red and green. Faux flower petals provided fantastic texture across strapless top, jackets and skirts, while the final few looks were also dusted in beads. 

All images from Style.com.

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