��������

Leg is in, long is out. This, together with a revival of big, sexy, 1980s glamour, was the message of the first big day of Milan’s fashion week. Which is why Alberta Ferretti’s ethereal, romantic and serenely beautiful collection surprised the fashion crowds on Friday morning.
The designer went for an early 20th century flavour, with soft, flowing dresses, plenty of chiffon, and feminine hues—vanilla, cream, antique rose, pale yellow, lilac—further embellished by a sprinkling of floral appliques. Hats contributed to the oh-so-pretty Room with a View feel. Most of all, though, Ferretti’s clothes were remarkably longer than the rest of the Milan pack—although a handful showed plenty of leg, the majority were safely beyond the knee (mid-calf was a favourite length) and a few even skirted the ankles.

But it quickly proved a one-off. Nothing could have brought the point home more obviously than the Versace’s show, which took place later on Friday. The Eighties were a golden age for the house, and Donatella Versace revisited them with gusto, presenting a glamorous, sultry, in-your-face sexy collection. Called Alice in Wonderland in a Baroque world, it appear to pay only passing homage to Lewis Carroll’s story—and a lot more to the shape and form of women’s legs.

Predictably, hemlines rose up to underwear height, but that clearly wasn’t enough for Versace—so some of the ultra-mini skirts were made of see-through plastic or had a high slit on one side, just to make sure nothing was left to imagination. There were also corsets and killer heels, super-tight trousers and figure-hugging tops, bare backs and shoulders to complete the steamy look.

Even the very few sedate pieces—a peach blouse or a pretty small-check belted jacket, for example—were paired with barely-there skirts to give them a racy edge. Prints reigned supreme, psychedelic or Baroque over a palette of bright yellows, pinks, greens and apricots, with the odd bit of turquoise and black and white thrown in for extra fun. And just in case this wasn’t sufficiently flashy, Versace added some rock world touches with metal mesh, leather inserts, studs and what looked very much like chain mail.

If Versace was true to form, the other king of sexy excess—Roberto Cavalli—pulled a surprising turnaround on his Saturday show. Gone were the overtly sensual prints, the sequins, the dazzle, the tight, suggestive, body-hugging lines. Playing up to his Tuscan origins, the designer produced a Spring in the countryside collection that could have easily been inspired by Botticelli’s immortal painting.
Many of Cavalli’s creations echoed the garment won by the goddess Flora—loose, soft, wispy to the point of immaterial and, dare we day it? Almost romantic in their profusion of delicate floral prints over pale rose, cream, muted blue and terracottas. Unlike Botticelli, though, Cavalli paired all this softness with unusually masculine, tailored trousers for a hard edge. Of course, there was a hint of sensuality and extravagance here and there—transparent trousers, a nearly bare back, a black bra barely peeking through—but, given the designer’s usually flamboyant style, this was an unusually understated collection.

If Cavalli was subdued, Giorgio Armani was unexpectedly bright. His youth collection, Emporio Armani, started with sophisticated greys, navies, silvers, blacks and whites—then changed tune to, hot pink, orange and coral (paired with turquoise!), all, apparently, inspired by the colours of Mediterranean flora. For the former king of neutrals this is quite a revolutionary step. And like the main line, there were very few trousers in sight. Next spring and summer, Armani seems to imply, will be all about minis, minidresses and even puffball skirts.

Gucci, by contrast, reinterpreted one of the great classic of international couture—the little black dress. Only, it started out as the little white dress and it was raunchy, rather than ladylike. The first creations by designer Frida Giannini were of dazzlingly candid and hugged the body like a second skin. Later the colours changed to grey and black, but the style remained the same—tailored jackets, sculpted shoulders, pencil skirts and high-waisted leggings so tight they looked sprayed on rather than worn, and hard silhouettes made harder by the extensive use of shiny metal clasps, pulleys and harnesses borrowed from extreme sport equipment.
All this was paired with sky-high stiletto sandals and boots to create a powerful, aggressively sexy style that may not look sophisticated and refined, but certainly draws the eye.

While Gucci’s collection is fierce and assertive, Marni’s, which went on show on Sunday, is gentle and relaxed. Designer Consuelo Castiglioni chose flowing, soft lines in muted hued—peach, tobacco, tawny brown—brightened up by touches of gold. She presented plenty of loose dresses, soft blouses and fluid jackets worn in easy layers over pencil skirts or stripy leggings. Sashes at the waist and headwraps partly covering the models’ hair completed the casual look, which was given a pirate edge by big earrings. It all looked soft, comfortable, and eminently wearable.

Sexy was back on the cards at Dolce&Gabbana’s catwalk run on Sunday. One of the last of the big name shows, it was an ode to the designers’ Mediterranean heritage. They looked back at their Sicilian origin, but also at the sensual style of both Spanish and Argentinian culture. So they put their signature corset back at the centre of the collection and embellished it with lace and embroidery.

Think an offwhite corset peppered with black lace roses, worn over a frilly black miniskirt. Or black corset dresses, see through lace showing, rather than covering, the body beyond the underwear. There also were tango dancer-style suits, transparent pencil skirts, and fishnet dresses (worn over the obligatory corset). Women want sexy is the message coming from the show, and Dolce & Gabbana, who closed the run with their models dressing down to their underwear, delivered it big time.

But the entire week has been a triumph of the sexy look, albeit interpreted in different style and guises. If Milan’s designers are to be believed, next spring and summer will be all about being sensual, daring, body-conscious—and baring an awful lot of leg.