While fashion week as we know it may forever be changed, houses in Milan are still finding ways to introduce their latest seasonal collections—whether in person or online. Here, we’re sharing what’s new from Prada, Etro, Emporio Armani, and Max Mara.
The debut collection from co-creative directors Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons, Prada’s Spring/Summer 2021 designs and presentation were conceived around the fact that technology is now a vital part of humanity. Covered from top to bottom in a golden yellow, OMA/AMO’s show space played with technology as a medium, via television monitors hung from the ceiling like chandeliers. The designs themselves offered many interpretations of the concept of a uniform through refined cuts and utilitarian details, like a black suit with a tidily draped shoulder sash suggestive of a military uniform, a full A-line skirt paired with a sweater with cut-outs and sporty buckle belt, and a printed Kimono-like draped overcoat styled with pointed kitten heels. The collection also featured art by Peter de Potter, who continued the exploration of technology’s dialogue with humans. Following the virtual runway show was a discussion between Prada and Simons, discussing the collaborative nature of the collection and answering questions sent by the public.
Courtesy of ETRO.
Presented on TikTok, ETRO’s new collection alluded to an endless Italian summer, putting nautical references at the forefront of the collection. Anchors, oceanic fauna, sailboats, rope motifs, and nautical stripes were applied to silhouettes that embodied a 1990s feel and made us dream of long days spent in the sun on the Riviera. Imagined in a palette of rich summery hues, the house’s signature prints (including one featuring a new Pegasus-Triton character) were found in bustier tops, lightweight twill blazers, capri pants, and vintage-inspired bikinis. Each look was completed with accessories like bucket bags, straw hats, and strappy sandals, like the ‘90s-esque pairing of a swimsuit top and printed skirt, an effortless white pantsuit with a silk scarf tied up in place of a top, and a tunic dress in a print of blue tones, cinched at the waist with a rope belt.
A short film set in a striking urban landscape introduced Emporio Armani’s Spring/Summer 2021 collections for men and women. Considering the conversations that take place between the city and the individual, the collection was infused with a sense of weightlessness, achieved through a fresh, natural palette and airy silhouettes. For women, there were pieces like A-line gowns, slip dresses softly cinched at the waist, blouses with soft butterfly ruffles, loosely fit pants, and amply cut cropped jacket tops. Menswear featured monochrome looks like open vests with trousers, relaxed suits styled with tee-shirts, and sporty pieces treated like formalwear. Everything was styled with chic, modern accessories like chunky sneakers and sandals, wrist cuffs, mini handbags, and macro-woven shopper bags.
Courtesy of ETRO.
For Spring/Summer 2021, Max Mara asked the women rebuilding the world, “What do you wear for a job like that?” Themes of rebirth, renewal, and reconstruction informed by Renaissance heroines infused the season, as well as the work of Max Mara Art Prize for Women winner Corin Sworn. Silhouettes were born from a hybrid of historic and practical contemporary styles, like long hems, large volumes, oversized pockets, drawstring closures, and statement sleeves. In neutral colors and hues like a variety of soft blues, were looks like a long skirt with a front pocket paired with a quilted sweater, a powder blue satiny hooded dress reminiscent of athleticwear, and a pairing of opposing pinstripes with an off-the-shoulder blouse and high waisted trousers.
