If New York Fashion Week wasn’t enough to get your heart rate at a dangerous level, then the Milan fashion shows are sure to do the trick. Taking place during Sept. 21-27, the shows were spread out over various venues in the Italian fashion capital, Milan. The National Chamber for Italian Fashion founded Milan Fashion Week in 1958 and still lead a majority of the shows today.
This year’s trends were both surprising and bold. The underlying theme of the week was “sportswear.” Between the Versace plum and emerald jumpsuits, to the Dolce & Gabbana sweatshirt dress, sportswear-inspired looks were everywhere! Other than the few show-stopping gowns seen in the Gucci and Prada collections, a majority of the looks mirrored an urban/athletic aesthetic. Basically, if Milan 2017 were a Spice Girl, she would definitely be “Sporty Spice.”
After a week full of new creative looks, it was clear to the fashion world what Spring’s hottest trends were forecasted to be. The top three trends as seen in Milan were:
1. Sportswear
We aren’t talking about your Lulu Lemon leggings and Adidas T-shirt. Milan stepped up the game for any sportswear designers by making athletic seem both chic and couture worthy. Garments like Bermuda shorts, tracksuits and sporty leggings under suits or gowns were the hot topic of the week. Versace stole the show with their plum and emerald nylons; not to mention their use of famous model Gigi Hadid in a flawless navy suit. Max Mara also stood out using athletic-inspired bomber jackets to incorporate a sporty vibe.
2. Bralettes
These aren’t just any bralettes: these are the mother of all bralettes. The type of bralettes you wouldn’t wear under any old shirt, but the ones that make the outfit complete. The broad array of bralettes seen during Milan Fashion Week all had their own type of unique flare. The most talked about examples include the Prada runway line, which consisted of various fur and feather combinations (all worn over a type of blouse). The others heavily talked about include Roberto Cavalli’s lacey feminine bralettes, as well as the knitted Bottega Veneta’s masterpieces.
3. Flatform Shoes
As if we didn’t see this one coming! Flatform shoes were all the rage at London Fashion Week and were certainly going to make an appearance in Milan. The most innovative and creative of the bunch is awarded to Alessandro Michele at Gucci. He stole the spotlight with his two-in-one shoe creation. Such shoes give the consumer the option of a leather ballet flat that can either attach or detach from its decorative platform. This not only increases the products function, but opens doors to a whole new style of shoe! Other flatform looks from the week included the Prada sporty striped shoe, as well as the Versace take on the Teva sandal as a platform.
As the fashion trends of Milan hit the market, the fashion world has moved on to its next big event, Paris Fashion Week, that took place from Sept. 27 to Oct. 5.