Though Milan Fashion Week has come to a close, we’re still thinking about the Spring/Summer 2023 debuts from Gucci, Versace, Bottega Veneta, Moncler, and Tod’s.
Courtesy of Gucci.
For the Spring/Summer 2023 season, Gucci’s Creative Director Alessandro Michele called upon fond memories of his two mothers who looked alike, dressed alike, and found wholeness in being together—his two mothers who were, in fact, identical twins. Naming the collection “Twinsburg,” Michele treated twinness as a powerful and miraculous occurrence, even going so far as to feature a cast composed entirely of identical twins for the presentation, which took place atop an industrial metal runway with photos of their like faces lining its walls. Hand in hand they walked, each set of twins debuting another look in double—a few of our favorites being an icy blue plissé ensemble with strings of pearls worn as earrings and dripping from a clutch; a silky pink jumpsuit with a ruffled ascot and shades featuring metallic fringe; and a velvety green dress with cheetah stockings and a red leather shoulder bag.
Courtesy of Bottega Veneta.
Bottega Veneta treated its Spring/Summer 2023 presentation as a microcosm of the world, with its diverse, contrasting cast of characters navigating a vibrant landscape by Gaetano Pesce. Through Pesce’s display of 400 unique Come Stai? Chairs—a cotton canvas structure painted individually with bright hues and the occasional graffiti words—and accompanied by a soundtrack by Afrodeutsche, the show introduced designs made for men and women. The looks unfolded as though each was a character in its own reality: the Italian bombshell in her effortless nubuck plaid and jeans (a look worn by Kate Moss), the businessperson subverting classic styles of tailoring (we’re thinking of a particular three-piece suit imagined in leather), and the sophisticated-but-radical dressers, dawning garb like a printed knit dress with beaded fringe in aqua and red, or a semi-transparent look with large tactile flowers and a matching handbag in yellow.
Courtesy of Versace.
Exalting those with a confident, rebellious spirit, Versace’s latest designs were inspired by the figure of a dark gothic goddess for the Spring/Summer 2023. This meant serious hues like black and purple, sensuous shapes that accentuated the figure, and details of lace, deep vees, leather, studs, and fringe. Imbuing an attitude that was nothing short of badass were looks like a matching bustier, mini skirt, and fringed jacket in distressed black leather with silver jewelry, a purple dress with lingerie details at the bust and a printed skirt, styled with chunky sandals, a fuchsia handbag, and a cuff bracelet, and a metallic purple hoodie dress with a neck that plunged to the bellybutton, layered with a giant shag coat.
Moncler “Extraordinary Forever,” photo by BFA, courtesy of Moncler.
Though Moncler didn’t introduce a new collection, the house kicked off its 70th-anniversary celebration with a Milan Fashion Week event that we’ll not soon forget. Taking over the Piazza Del Duomo for the launch of “Extraordinary Forever” (a 70-day global celebration) was a cast containing 700 dancers, 200 musicians, a 100-piece chorus, and 952 models—a total of 1952 people representing the year when the brand was founded. Dressed in white special-edition Moncler Maya 70 jackets, they flooded the piazza as nearly 18,000 onlookers stood by, before Teatro alla Scala’s prima ballerina, Virna Toppi, began the show with a solo. Under the direction of Sadeck Waff, the remaining dancers joined in unison before the electrifying performance culminated in a transition from orchestral compositions to a performance from DJ Lorenzo Senni,at which point the cast was showered with confetti as they took their final position.
Courtesy of Tod’s.
Titled “Italian Flair,” Tod’s focused on a collection of essentials and icons for Spring/Summer 2023. A minimalist attitude and the house’s artful use of leather brought us looks with a metropolitan feel that allowed room for freedom of expression and personal style choices, imagined in a versatile palette of neutral tones. Neither entirely classic nor were they to be considered trendy, we saw high-waisted trousers and supple button-ups, soft calf-length leather dresses with ballet flats, shift dresses with oversized, silk-lined trenches, lace-up boots with a military attitude, and handbag styles from compact to oversized.
