Milan Fashion Week SS22: Versace, Moncler, Salvatore Ferragamo, DSQUARED2

The basis of Versace’s Spring/Summer 2022 collection is the maison’s silk foulard: the ultimate, multipurpose accessory that has been a canvas for many iconic graphics and prints throughout the house’s history. Looking to the transformational potential of the scarf—a headpiece, a mini dress, a shirt, a swimsuit cover—and its colorful patterns, these new designs took on an electrifying palette of teal, lime green, pink, purple, and orange. While looks have been carefully constructed, they take on a haphazard sense of disarray synonymous with a carefree summer lifestyle, exemplified through choices like scarves wrapped around the body or peeking out from other garments, safety pin closures doubling as playful accessories, and easygoing layering. Looks we loved included a fitted, printed scarf dress with a split held closed with colorful pins and buttons styled with a glossy black headscarf and a mini basket handbag with its own matching scarf; a low-slung skirt and printed top, which both appeared as though they could have been fashioned minutes before from scarves and pins; and an acid green suit with patterned details on the flares of the pants legs styled with earrings and a handbag both fashioned out of vibrant printed silk.

Moncler Genius’s “MONDOGENIUS” debuted an immersive digital experience connecting viewers in five cities, that explored the contributions of 11 designers for the upcoming season. Hosted by the musician Alicia Keys live in Milan, and actor Victoria Song in Shanghai, the presentation also encompassed onlookers in Tokyo, Seoul, and New York, embracing the idea that culture and community are more important than the product. The presentation included 7 Moncler FRGMT collection from Hiroshi Fujiwara, juxtaposing humans and the digital world; 1 Moncler JW Anderson, which took the form of a short film narrating a story of students on a trip to an art museum, where each character was dressed in pieces from the collection; and 6 Moncler 1017 Alyx 9SM collection, artfully introducing looks like a futuristic white knit bodysuit and matching thigh-high boots and accessories within the context of a New York City apartment. The collection also featured collaborations with names like Palm Angels, Craig Green, Gentle Monster, and HYKE.

Energetic, joyous, and purposeful are words that came to mind seeing Salvatore Ferragamo’s Spring/Summer 2021 collection. A sanguine, mirrored runway set within Milan’s Rotonda della Besana was treated as a space of reunion, where onlookers joined together for the brand’s first physical presentation in a year, titled “Tale of Summer.” In a selection of natural and saturated tones, there were sophisticatedly carefree silhouettes informed by 1960s and 1970s cinema and a workwear functionality. There were standout garments like a long pink dress with a plunging v-neckline, a flowing nude skirt with a sheer mesh halter top, and an oversized powder blue blouse with pancho-like sleeves, paired with khaki pants featuring buckles at the ankles. Looks were each styled with a head wrap and long neck scarf, and footwear styles including a new take on a clog in canvas or leather, or brand classics like the bow-topped Vara and Varina flats.

DSQUARED2 embraced a dichotomy of dreamy fairytales and classic grunge for the upcoming warm seasons. Tough yet delicate elements brought unexpected pairings of multitextured layers—like lace and denim, velvet and metallic, or sheer silk with distressed fabrications—in a palette of rich, earthy hues like golden, mossy green, burgundy, beige, and indigo. Hints of late-1990s fashion shown through in platform sandals, dress-on-pants pairings, vests worn unbuttoned over blouses, and long, skinny knitted scarves wrapped once around the neck. Favorite looks included a sheer cocktail dress with a floaty one-sleeved silhouette and velvet floral appliques styled simply with a necklace and printed heels, a floral tank dress in blue with a matching scarf layered over shredded jeans and a white mesh bustier, and a pair of shimmery gold pants with a rust-hued blazer worn with a black scarf tossed about the neck.