Milan holds one of the most dominant presences in the fashion industry, being one of the most important fashion capitals in the world.
The new styles and trends presented during Milan’s Fashion Week trickle down and travel across the world. With time, they'll influence the fashion you see every day.
Milan Fashion Week begins Feb. 19 and ends Feb. 25. Milan’s history in the world of fashion dates back to the Italian Renaissance, when its impressive production of luxury goods led to the word “millaner,” an older version of the word meaning things of high value such as jewelry and cloth.
Milanese fashion was then inspired by French design, which had a somber and simplified style. This style did not include decoration or ornamentation, but instead emphasized the tailoring and quality of the products alongside the variation of fabrics and textiles.
Milan Fashion Week is one of the most important and prestigious events that the National Chamber of Italian Fashion organizes.
The National Chamber of Italian Fashion is a nonprofit organization that promotes and coordinates the Italian fashion industry and the training of young Italian designers.
It fully coordinates all the events, including facilitating the work of showrooms, buying offices, press offices and public relations firms. National Chamber of Italian Fashion is also responsible for drawing up the calendar of the shows and presentations, managing the relations with the institution and realizing an image for the season.
To start the new year, and in preparation for fashion week, Versace’s Men's Fall 2019 collection showcased in Milan stretched the boundaries between classic and contemporary Italian fashion. Versace kept the classic Italian look and quality and combined it with contemporary decoration and ornamentation.
A 1990s bondage theme is heavily present in the beginning of the collection, including printed harness T-shirts for men, leather pants and open-backed black silk jackets for both men and women.
Suits and suit jackets accessorized with safety pins, a famous classic Versace design element, were also featured for both men and women. Toward the middle of the collection, a heavy street-style motif as contrasting lace lining and fluorescent colors took over the stage.
Walking in the show for Versace’s womenswear was Bella Hadid, one of the world’s most famous supermodels who has modeled for luxury labels such as Chanel and Givenchy. Hadid walked down the runway in a black, two-piece dress with harness straps and an ornamented black puffy jacket.
The fashion the world sees in Milan sets the standard for classic Italian design and quality products made by the world’s leading designers. Milan Fashion Week is a celebration of Milan’s deep roots in the world of fashion and haute couture as an art form. The garments that will be exhibited on the runway will trickle down and provide us with a detailed map of where the world of fashion is headed.
The looks from Milan Fashion Week will be mass produced and ready-to-wear versions will become available to the mainstream. Then, it’s up to us to either accept or deny the vision of tomorrow’s fashion.
