Milan Fashion Week is something that fashion admirers look forward to every year. With a variety of name-brand runway shows like Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Giorgio Armani, Diesel, Moschino, and Moncler, Fashion Week is a seven-day spectacular that draws thousands of show-goers and onlookers alike in order to spot the newest and hottest trends for the upcoming year.
As a 20-year-old student currently studying abroad in Milan, there was no doubt in my mind that I had to try to stand outside of and get into as many shows as possible, as this was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I could not miss.
On one of the first days of Milan Fashion Week, I had the opportunity to attend something very rare: a show that was completely open to the public. Hosted outdoors by Izumi Ogino’s Milano-based brand, Anteprima, at the beautiful Sempione Park, the onlookers were in complete awe of the vivid colors attached to the modernist chic pieces that were walking down the runway. For the very few minutes that the show was running, there was complete silence, for no one wanted to miss seeing a single look from Ogino’s successful, beautiful display.
The themes of modern yet classic pieces carried onto the runways of the following two shows that I was able to stand outside of that day: Maison Margiela and Emporio Armani.
When making the decision to stand outside of or attend any of these runway shows, it became apparent very quickly that you must bring your A-game or else you will not belong in the crowd. These shows are not only an opportunity for A-list celebrities to show off their best looks, but also an opportunity for rising influencers to get snapped by photographers, hoping that their name, face, and look gets out there.
The one show that I would vote for having the best-dressed attendees and onlookers was the Gucci show. From head to toe, the accessories, the clothes, the jewelry, the shoes, and the sunglasses were awe-inspiring to every single person inside and outside of that building.
Though this all sounds like a perfect experience, there are, of course, a couple of shows that I honestly expected more from: Dolce & Gabbana and Moncler. After Dolce & Gabbana’s troubled past, it was clear they were trying to lift themselves out of their grave by co-designing a collection with one of the most famous women in the world: Kim Kardashian. Though, in theory, this did help bring hundreds more onlookers to their show than any other show during the week (except for Moncler), the show was more focused on Kim herself rather than the incredible pieces going down the runway.
The Moncler show was also slightly disappointing in that only one jacket from their collection was shown. Though there was a beautiful choir of 100, a symphony of 200, and 700 dancers all putting on a massive production in front of the beautiful Duomo of Milan, barely any of the 18,000 attendees were able to actually see the show due to the crowd. Though I appreciated the artistry and creativity and the musicians and dancers, I feel that they should have shown more pieces from their collection. Furthermore, they should’ve featured some stunning vivid colors during the show rather than just the one white jacket showcasing their new logo.
Though these two shows were a little disappointing, I would like to mention Hui Milano, a beautiful and inspiring brand whose show I was lucky enough to sit in. Merging the lines between edgy, sporty, and modern, Hui was a brand I was not expecting much from, yet I came out of the show knowing that it will rise to the top very quickly.
Being a passionate fashion lover, I was ecstatic to have the opportunity to attend Milan Fashion Week and be around all of the beautiful models and creatives in the industry for an entire week. Seeing the trends that will be popular this upcoming year was also incredible to see in person; for now, I know what to expect on everyone’s social media and the red carpets in around six months.
The trends I saw most? Definitely sparkles, sparkles, sparkles. There was not a single show in which I did not see attendees or onlookers wearing sparkles, and there was not a single show that did not have sparkles featured on the runway. On top of the foreshadowed trend of sparkles, sleek-cut lines and blazers are definitely in for women, as well as bright pops of color.
Featured image via Ana Paula Gonzalez.
So interesting!!
this is really cool. i wonder what other fashion trends will come from what you saw