European Holiday: Top Trends from Milan Fashion Week SS22

Versace, Versace, Fendace. Double Prada. Luxury, quality and candour. Milan Fashion Week brought holiday hedonism back to the fore, and if there was any doubt that the Italians want to emerge as enlightened beings and redefine sexy while they’re at it; doubt no more. Neon and highlighter hues continued to dominate the runway in fuschia, orange, yellow and green at Georgio Armani, Versace, Prada, and MSGM - so, its safe to say the bright and beautiful trend as seen on the likes of Naomi Campbell and Dua Lipa will continue to break the internet and assist the post-lockdown wardrobe. Milan Spring Summer 22 was Donatella and Miuccia’s world, and we’re happily living in it.

But neon’s not all we’ll be wearing. Lashings of macrame, knotted and fringed, bralettes on their own, over tops and under blazers, and halter necks in every iteration possible; Milan continued the body party from a seductive lens, that Alberta Ferretti aptly proclaimed, “sensual, but not vulgar.” We take a look at the breakout trends from the resort-fest that was MFW.

Oversized Tailoring

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Boxy, brave and not so serious, oversized tailoring took to the runway from the major players in masculine shapes designed for office comfort, and cinched silhouettes for those wanting to take tailoring after hours. Fendi offered feminine silhouettes with elongated cuts, Versace's blazers kept tailoring playful with the house’s signature safety pins, while Jil Sander's deliberate slouch and padding in a soft palette was a welcome, relaxed change to sharp suiting.

Out from Under

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It seems we don’t have to quite let go of the half-dressing concept we’ve become akin to - what’s easier than a bralette and jeans? Thanks to the Tik Tok generation and the recent popularisation of Y2K’s tiny tops and lots of flesh, made famous by Paris Hilton and Mariah Carey; the idea of lingerie, bras, bustiers and corsets as daywear (and party wear) has returned. This time, in favour of pairing with softly tailored pants, baggy denim, over shirts and under jackets as the It-girl way of showing it all off. Missoni offered the tiniest iterations in bright summer hues, while Sportmax took on a more deconstructed stance on traditional lingerie.

Holiday Crochet

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Not your grandma’s tea-cosy. Milan’s resort offering took us on vacation with a variety of shredded, woven and knotted knitwear in a technical array of decorative styles. Alberta Ferretti’s macramé was knitted from silk threads and the crochet was crafted from organza ribbon which resulted in easy-going silhouettes for out-of-office mode, while Tod’s played with raw wool hand-knitted and crocheted into tunics and minidresses.

Denim Do-Over

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Denim, any way you like it. It’s hard to ignore the place denim has played in our wardrobe’s over the past few seasons - so, how do we make it feel new? Leave it to Milan to make luxe of fashion’s most divisive fabric; one which so easily borders on smart and very, very casual. Max Mara and Emporio Armani had the antidote in rigid indigo double, or triple, denim sets for elevated workwear for those not quite ready for the suit and tie. Baggy, loose jeans permeated several collections to accompany the tiny top phenomenon, and the butterfly motif at Blumarine, was so very Blumarine, as the early 2000s favourite gets ready to welcome Gen-Z to its body-baring designs, denim patchwork and cutesy embroidery.

Key Takeaways

Oversized suiting in traditional black, greys and neutrals meet not-so-traditional silhouettes, accents, cut-outs and embellishments. But it's not all for show; easy languid tailoring proves the perfect way to transition back to the office. Denim has been redefined to usurp the ultra-casual to suit the new workwear dynamic, or pair with super summery crochet creations.

From overt sexuality to the bohemia of tactile fabrications, beaded bikinis and low-rise denim cuts, Milan Fashion Week took us on a sun-bleached European holiday, and we're not complaining.

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