28 Sep 2010, Posted by admin in Fashion, 0 Comments

milan roars back into relevancy–the top 5 collections

Milan fashion week has been a bit lost for the last several years. Sure the world is on a first name basis with some of its leading designers (I am talking about you Giorgio, Miuccia and Roberto) but big business doesn’t always translate into trendsetting creativity. Well Milan is back with a vengence this season with fun fashions that women will be dying over when the weather turns balmy once again. Here are View From the Front Row’s top picks from Milan fashion week. Let us know what your favorites from the week were in the comments section!

1. Prada

Miuccia Prada called her spring 2011 collection “minimal baroque.” I think it should be called what every woman wants to wear. Fun prints (the chiquita banana shirt says it all), wedge shoes and pop colored fur stoles that the models were carrying just for the fun of it felt fresh and easy. It happily allowed me to forget about the parade of beige that happened in New York a week prior.

2. Jil Sander

Raf Simons is clearly coming into his own at Jil Sander. This season he took a cue from Isaac Mizrahi and played with the lexicon of Americana and couture. Brightly colored ball gown skirts were paired with perfect tee-shirts, floral gowns were featured prominently and there were even touches of gingham. It felt irreverent, playful and entirely chic.

3. Giorgio Armani

Armani was clearly have a major navy moment for spring 2011. He was inspired by the Sahara desert and bedouins (albeit chic bedouins who wear sequins and pantsuits and crystals). It was a precise and controlled collection that was one of Armani’s best in years. Tribal jewelry and turbans rounded out the collection.

4. Dolce & Gabanna

The almost all-white collection from the design powerhouse couldn’t have felt fresher. Lace, crochet, and a velvet floral fabric gave the collection a bohemian and antique feel. Of course the show stopping finale didn’t hurt matters–a parade of supermodels in white lingerie inspired looks is quintessential Dolce.

5. Missoni

Missoni was having a serious tribal moment for spring 2011–one that involved acid colors, clothing featuring funk lyrics, and lots of layering and embellishments. It felt like an acid trip for the modern woman, and a watershed moment for the family owned Italian house which has been trying to lure in younger customers.

–Leah Bourne