Looks by designer Stella Jean, left, and Bottega Veneta.Stella Jean; Bottega/Supplied
Milan Fashion Week was a study in extremes – style, weather and passion collided in Italy’s design capital. Hollywood A-listers descended for opulent showcases, while the city swung from torrential storms to sudden bursts of summer heat. This season pulsed with contrasts: earthy, grounded tones at Boss, Max Mara and Blumarine clashed with zaps of colour at Ferragamo, Versace and Fendi.
Versace’s runway show was a debut for creative director Dario Vitale.Versace/Supplied
Conversation centred on the debuts of four new creative directors at heritage houses (Gucci pre-empted them all last week with a star-studded fashion film). A final tribute to Giorgio Armani and his namesake line was held Monday night at the Pinacoteca di Brera, bringing Richard Gere, Spike Lee, Cate Blanchett, Glenn Close and Lauren Hutton to a presentation where models cried and walked to the sombre tones of Italian composer Ludovico Einaudi.
Yet, on the runway, the colour palette was far from solemn. Rich shades like those one would find surrounding Armani’s vacation home on Pantelleria island, between Sicily and Tunisia, flourished. The flowing evening wear recalled the region’s washed out skies, and palazzo pants and loose suits reflected the dry earth and purplish hue of its sunsets.
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In contrast, Saturday night’s Dolce & Gabbana show had brought out the laughs. Meryl Streep, in full Miranda Priestly costume, locked eyes with Anna Wintour in a viral meta-moment that eclipsed the clothes and reignited interest in the upcoming The Devil Wears Prada 2.
Versace stripped its guest list to the bare minimum for Dario Vitale’s discreet soft debut as creative director (two more events are planned for Paris Fashion Week). Instagram helped propel Vitale’s revival of late-eighties Versus energy – jeans, skirts and kaleidoscopic tees – framing the design refresh as a reminder of when the house was more clubland than cocktail.
Designer Stella Jean worked with Bhutanese and local Italian artisans to create inventive looks, like this evening dress.Stella Jean/Supplied
If there’s such a thing as fashion justice, however, Louise Trotter at Bottega Veneta and designer Stella Jean should be the names that everyone remembers this season. Their offerings were more than just collections – they were the moment, connecting culture and commerce with a prescience that no amount of celebrity fanfare can buy.
Jean returned to Milan Fashion Week after being absent for three years, offering a beguiling counternarrative to her blockbuster contemporaries – one that felt distinctly fresh, with clothes that did exactly what they promised. Her invite was as straightforward as a Google Maps direction, instructing guests to go “where Made in Italy meets the Kingdom of Bhutan. Up there. Between the Himalayas and Everest.”
The designer worked directly with Bhutanese artisans and local Italian craftspeople to create some of the most inventive looks of the week: an elegant, intricately stoned evening dress with a chromatic fishtail going from chest to hip, embroidered skirts styled with black and white rugby shirts, and a U-shaped necklace-top made of shells and red and white pebbles. Even her take on sheer felt novel, particularly with a white mesh form-fitting dress that was so detailed, a front-rower fell out of their seat trying to snap a photo of it.
A white mesh dress by Stella Jean.Stella Jean/Supplied
Jean’s background tells its own cross-cultural story. Born in Rome to Haitian and Italian parents, she modelled for Diane von Furstenberg before a life-changing chance encounter with Armani – who hosted her spring 2014 show at his Teatro – changed her fate. She paid tribute to him with an emotional gesture, coming out at the end of her show holding a T-shirt that said “Grazie Mr. Armani.” Her collection was so beyond what the majors were delivering that the Armani house should consider Jean as a potential successor.
Intersections were also the focus of another standout collection by one of the few other female designers on the Milan Fashion Week calendar, Bottega Veneta’s Trotter. Her debut was the most sought-after show of the week, flanked by a mob of fans outside. However, most of those fans outside the venue were there screaming for RM, the South Korean rapper from hit group BTS, who attended the presentation and attracted at least 200 devotees to any runway he went to.
Louise Trotter’s take on a relaxed suit, for Bottega Veneta.Bottega/Supplied
A highlight of the Bottega Veneta show were colourful, recycled fiberglass puffs, which hugged the models like neon straws. Trotter can also take home the award for best trench of the week; her oversized versions in beige and light grey showcased her incredible attention to detail. A trench-jacket hybrid in muted green leather with large straps going from shoulder to wrist presented a certain gravitas on the runway, as air travelled through the gap when the model walked by.
Trotter’s take on suits – including a relaxed one in a sublime Nero d’Avola wine shade – was also top-tier. Another notable feat were the bags, slouchy and unadorned in cool industrial greys, navy and black (strong contenders if a logo-less It bag renaissance takes over the market). Then there was a floor-length leather cape, edged with thin, delicate fringe, which Trotter’s team reportedly spent 4,000 hours hand-weaving.
Both Jean’s comeback and Trotter’s debut had the air of a Shakespearean aside – two characters who seem minor but are, in fact, major and foreshadow the story’s direction before anyone else catches on.
