A Low-Down of Milan Fashion Week, Fall 2021

This year’s MFW fall/winter collection was governed by strong emotions, fight against a pandemic and some courageous statements!

Think fashion, think glamour and think the latest trends, and the Italian capital of fashion – Milan, is one name that is sure to pop up in your mind. From luxurious fabrics, delivering best in class quality, leading the fashion world of the industry to being the flag bearer of trends, Milan Fashion Week trumps all others. Fluid and ever-changing, fashion is definitely one field that can never stay still, can never be static. Much like a roaring stock market, trends set in, make a mark, fade away or leave without a trace overnight in this industry. Keeping up can sure be a challenge, that said, Milan this year somewhere not only depicted but paid attention to the minute details of this changing world. It showcased some prominent names (brands and designers), gave platform to some debuting collections as well threw spotlight on some emerging names this year in its Fall 2021 show.

L’Officiel India DigitalRead L’Officiel India in the digital libraryEvery issue and every cover story, on TCG Media.Read now

The world was and has been fighting a pandemic, there is no escaping it, so, to organise an annual show such as Milan Fashion Week on a global platform came with its own shares of problems to tackle. Keeping the Covid19 guidelines in mind, the show was organised with a digital stack up, that presented designers back-to-back collections for 8 days. The show had some of the biggies of fashion industry, including names like - Bottega Veneta, Moschino, Gucci, Valentino, Jil Sander, Emporio Armani, Versace, to name a few. So with all the giant ‘who’s-who’ and ‘what’swhat’ honouring the digital showcase of Milan Fall/Winter 2021 show, here is what caught our attention the most!

‘Optimistic’ collection by Prada

Morale is all time low, people are facing health challenges each day, anew. During these troubled times, Prada decided to bring a touch of optimism and transformation to its livestream Womenswear collection by Miuccia Prada and co-creative director Raf Simons. Said to be quoting ‘Optimism is mounting’ post their MFW show, the collection was seen fusing elegance with simplicity. What we saw were bold plain colors being paired with geometrical printed gumboots besides jacquard prints, suits in bold shades, inspired from menswear, faux fur, to name a few. The models were seen walking on a ramp that was made using marble and bright faux fur to further decorate it, all of which was created by Rem Koolhaas and AMO. That is not all, to elevate the mood a bit, Prada even sent out boxes of candies and treats this year!

Vibrant & wintery shades by Emilio Pucci

Yes, travelling wasn’t quite the thing this year and past, but that didn’t stop Emilio Pucci from showcasing cosy and plush winter wears in bright hues of yellow, white, lavender, pink, red and teal, to name a few. From single shades, to a print of some pastel colours, the collection showcased – coats, jumpsuits, bodysuits, jacquard polo’s, blousons, shorts, quilted bomber jackets and tunics, amongst others. Tiny little adornments to enhance the look and keeping it stylish yet elegant, was sure not amiss here!

Lively & radiant show by Dhruv Kapoor & Ara Lumiere

Titled as the ‘A New Enlightenment: Rise of Homo Empathicus’ collection, the winner of GQ’s Most Influential Young Indians 2017, Dhruv Kapoor of Delhi collaborated with Ara Lumiere for this fall show at Milan FW. Inspired by the designer’s self-expression and youthful cheer of how he sees himself, the collection depicts a mash of street and formal wears. One can see various impressions of different phases of youth, from the printed bowling shirts, loose hanging trousers, straight fit denims to baggy patchwork jackets. Besides use of bold colours and bright patterns, the duo also incorporated Chinese tigers and Japanese cats in some of their pieces, be it the back or sleeves. While explosions of colours and street style were primarily the highlight, some of the pieces also reminded us of the hip 90’s time, with its theme.

Gleeful play of colors by MSGM

Bringing back the puffy look, the collection by MSGM sported some kick-ass puffer jackets at the MFW 2021. Playful, attractive and super bold, they went all out when it came to experimenting with loud colours. From puffy jackets that had a neon-leather like look, to plush fur coats, long coats, denim jackets and glee full patterns, designer Massimo Giorgetti brought a lot of joy and happy vibes with his collection, to the ramp.

Funky knitwear by Missoni

Amongst the first few designers, to showcase their collection at MFW 2021, Missoni is prominently known for her cardigan’s collection, and that’s what she brought to the ramp in the fall collection! Angela Missoni focused on some luxury comfort as her inspiration for her collection, and knit wears fit perfectly in that theme. Focusing on women in their everyday living- work, home, leisure, shopping, outdoors etc.- the collection featured hoodies, cardigans, oversized sweatshirts, amongst others. Keeping it simple with a touch of glitters, not only did the collection look warm and comforting, but quite practical too.

Dark & mysterious collection by Valentino

The pandemic sure had its effect on the Milan’s Fashion Week this fall, and a glimpse of it was seen in the designers and the overall show; that said, effects of it were seen in Valentino’s collection as well. Since the show was phygital this year, and closed to live audience, Pierpaolo Piccioli said in a press conference that “The fact that we decided to have it reopened, albeit just temporarily, it was a sort of a punk act”. Visually passionate and sharp, his collection showed dark shades of black and white, with a hint of gold here and there. With a backdrop of shadows and dim lights, the models were seen doning crisp shirts with blazers, shorts, high collared turtle necks, coats and pants, all of which clearly spoke of the subtility yet depth of simplicity.

Finest Italian shoes by Sergio Rossi

There is no two ways about the fact that when it comes to mastering the fine art of shoe making, Italians have been and are acing it since forever! When a brand states that the shoes are made in Italy, it’s not just a boast, but a sign of trust that the best is being delivered to you. Even though the pandemic took a hit on Italy’s shoe making factory, Sergio sure didn’t let that reflect in his presentation at MFW 2021. Trying to give an adaptable aesthetic for the modern woman without any compromise on her sensuality, each part of the collection was designed keeping in mind a feminine sensuality, uniqueness and eccentricity. The bold collection used classic black in major part of its shoes and gloves.

A touch of sinister by Vivetta

There was something dark, something attractive yet something mysterious about Vivetta’s collection at MFW 2021. The faces of the models were covered by wigs, while their walk had a weird hunch to it on the ramp. Growing up with being surrounded by antiques and nature, she dabbled with flowers and earthly tones in her collection. What threw us a bit off-guard were the overall walk and sombre expressions of the models, but that was somewhere to depict the theme of her collection that seemed to be aiming at reflecting the good, bad and ugly in the society. All of these emotions were expressed in the – dresses, deconstructed tops, skirts, blazers and jackets.

Artistic show by Fendi

Kim Jones, titled as the art director for womenswear by Fendi, totally stole the show this year with his latest collection, that was streamed live at the Milan FW, fall 2021. Taking inspiration from his debut show of fine couture in January, Kim created the range as a respect and celebration to all the intellectual females of the Fendi family. Showcasing it in an exquisite space that had aligned glass cubicles containing the replicas of ancient Roman ruins, the whole setup had a historic yet regal look to it. The models donned suede trench coats enhanced with fur panels, rusty gold earrings, shaped as the brands logo, leather booths, tan off shoulder dresses with tan clutch, coats with long hems and fringes, V-neck silk dresses, to name a few. Speaking volumes about refinement, adaptability and oodles luxury, the Fendi collection, by Jones, was a beautiful balance between comfort and classic style.

From the April 2021 issue of L’Officiel India.