The excitement of returning to the runway in Milan unfortunately coincided with war breaking out in Ukraine. While the mood was sombre, Giorgio Armani stepped up to take a stand as he showcased his collection sans music as a mark of respect for the tragedy unfolding. While there was a mix of glam and optimism in the fashion forecast, big fashion houses unveiled exciting collaborations and new evolutions to their house codes. Snapshots:

Giorgio Armani

“My decision to not play music in the show was made as a sign of respect towards the people involved in the unfolding tragedy in Ukraine,” said the designer as he became the first one to take a stand in the ongoing crisis as Milan Fashion Week unfolded. The collection in itself played to the designer’s strengths of great tailoring, chic silhouettes and muted glam.

Versace

Tailoring, satins, chainmail and bustiers are the usual suspects in any Versace show. These were spotted aplenty along with a smattering of houndstooth and a puffer jacket. PVC leggings, neon colours and a lot of boning on bustiers were key highlights. But the most interesting bit was the evolution of the Versace monogram.

Bottega Veneta

New creative director Matthieu Blazy took to his new role easily as he showcased a collection that alluded to the brand’s rich history in leather. From a skirt with a fringe to a pair of casual jeans and a tank top, and woven thigh-high boots, the collection was versatile for wear.

Dolce & Gabbana

Riding on reinvention for the Metaverse, the show saw the designers present retro-inspired designs such as blazers with exaggerated shoulders, puff sleeves. “Iridescent surfaces, crocodile prints, shiny materials with eco fur, laminated, new type of jerseys and nylon are all examples of materials that have been taken to extremes,” said the show notes.

Gucci

“I’ve always been averse to the myth of the exact vision that inevitably ends up in freezing the immaginific power of the world. For this reason, I wanted to restore another feature of the mirror. That is, building aberrations, enchantments, ghosts. I’m thinking about the magical mirrors described in the catoptrics treatises of the 1600s: mirrors set into precious wunderkammer, that behave like machines of expansion and transfiguration of reality. In these theatrical machines, the weirdness of the optical trick creates dizziness and wonder: a head losing its eyes, a tree growing into a forest, human bodies turning into horses, divinities becoming multiheaded. It’s the celebration of the metamorphosis, where the playful mechanics of refractions shatter every spatial limit and pave the way for escape,” read the show notes from Alessandro Michele as he put Gucci on the runway in Milan after two years. If anyone knows how to make a comeback, it is this designer as he did so with aplomb and a collaboration with Adidas. Gucci logo suits merged with stripes from Adidas. The caps, beanies and the suits were key to the collection.

Moschino

With light fixture acting as statement headgear and set design based on Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, the showcase was as over-the-top as the designer’s take on fall/winter. Glam and the essence of “camp” ruled the runway as the designer took a bow in a red astronaut’s spacesuit.

Pictures: Getty Images