Squashed between the much-anticipated shows of London and Paris, Milan’s six-day offering could be considered to be the baby of the major Fashion Weeks. However, #MWF is solid proof that size is no guarantee of strength; the Fashion Capital is playing host to all the major names in Italian fashion.
The event will feature Italy’s biggest designers, including Gucci, Fendi and Prada, but they’ll also be joined by some more pioneering names to come from the Italian fashion scene: Jill Sander’s clean lines and modern tailoring will be shown alongside the latest collection from young Israeli designer Daizy Shely.
So as London Fashion Week draws to a close, here’s what you need to know about Milan.
Debut shows
The runway shows will include debuts from Annakiki, the brand from Anna Yang, Calcaterra, and young Chinese designers Angel Chen and Xu Zhi, a guest of Armani.
Genderless runways
Several of the more traditional Italian designers made waves when they announced their decision to showcase both their men’s and women’s collection in the same show. Gucci and Bottega Veneta will both have “genderless runways”, with men and women walking the catwalk together.
This follows the move of Calvin Klein and Philip Plein in New York – Plein’s show was actually his first one in New York, after previous exhibiting at Milan Fashion Week.
Figures
Milan’s six-day fashion week will involve 70 shows, 88 presentations and several events and presentations by the Calendar of the National Chamber of Italian Fashion. Last year Milan Fashion Week’s #MFW hashtag attracted a total of 1,385,362 Instagram posts and generated 50.5 million euros; whilst it might be the smallest of the major Fashion Weeks, its timetable laden with iconic Italian designers will make it hard to beat.