MFW S/S 2023: new creative directions and revisiting the past

Milan Fashion Week brings with it many big names in the fashion industry and expectations are always high. For next spring summer 2023 we have seen on the catwalk the debut of new creative directions as in the case of Ferragamo and Etro, but also a lot of revisiting of the past as in the case of Dolce and Gabbana and Moncler. So, on the one hand there are those who seek to breathe new life into the brand by proposing absolute novelties, while on the other there are those who propose novelties starting from the brand’s great heritage.
At Milan Fashion Week, minimalism was a key concept. In this wake, brands such as Tod’s, Max Mara and Bottega Veneta brought essential garments in neutral colours to the catwalk. In the case of Bottega Veneta, Matthieu Blazy, creative director of the fashion house for less than a year, focuses on denim and leather which dominate the outfits, with a touch of glitz given by the coloured feathers of the latest looks. On the other hand, Max Mara dares more with accessories, introducing thick-soled sandals, very wide hats and other types of headgear.
Gucci brings an extraordinary show to the catwalk, made up of emotions as well as clothes. For next spring summer 2023, Alessandro Michele focuses on bonds, by parading 68 pairs of twins who in the finale come together holding hands and then continue their journey together. Starring accessories with big bows and decorations falling on the face, prints and contrasting colours.
Revisiting the archive is an increasingly popular choice and on this occasion Dolce e Gabbana does so in collaboration with Kim Kardashian, drawing on the brand’s imagery from the years between 1987 and 2007. On the catwalk corsets, crystals, transparencies and clear references to the brand’s heritage, even in the accessories.
Alberta Ferretti is synonymous with great elegance and proves it once again by bringing to the catwalk long, light dresses in shades ranging from military green to orange, passing through turquoise, fuchsia and other intense colours. Organza, chiffon and crochet chase each other in the magical atmosphere recreated for the occasion.
Moschino = originality. Jeremy Scott’s imagination always travels far in search of new shapes and colours for his creations. In this spring summer 2023 collection, the element of the heart returns strongly, as does the explosion of colours, which we also find dominant in the Dsquared2 collection. Peculiar, wide hats in various colours matched with clothes enriched by props, such as sea inflatables that become real accessories.
Moschino | ph. Isidore Montag / Gorunway.com Moschino | ph. Isidore Montag / Gorunway.com Moschino | ph. Isidore Montag / Gorunway.com Moschino | ph. Isidore Montag / Gorunway.com Dsquared2 | ph. Alessandro Lucioni / Gorunway.com Dsquared2 | ph. Alessandro Lucioni / Gorunway.com Dsquared2 | ph. Alessandro Lucioni / Gorunway.com Dsquared2 | ph. Alessandro Lucioni / Gorunway.com
A recurring element in Anteprima and Missoni is that of stripes, which invade the clothes juxtaposed with other geometric shapes. Missoni plays more with colours, using shades of pink, turquoise and yellow, while Anteprima focuses on the shapes of the dresses that glide over the body.
At Fendi, soft dresses, structured blazers and cargo trousers embellished with buckles with the brand’s logo, in shades of acid green, blue and pink tending towards red, contrasting with more neutral colours. Acid green also returns dominant in the collection brought to the catwalk by Sportmax, juxtaposed with pastel colours and psychedelic prints.
Prada and Jil Sander put themselves on the level of simplicity, not renouncing to enrich the looks, in the first case with square necklines, prints and mary janes with a slightly upturned toe, and in the second case with feathers, fringes, sequins and glamorous accessories.
Maximilian Davis, Ferragamo’s new creative director, debuted with a collection immersed in a red ambience, where classic dresses alternated with dresses with more unusual cuts and colours. Speaking of particularities, Versace amazes once again by having Paris Hilton close the show in a bright fuchsia look with a veil on her head. The veil is a returning element in the collection, as are the plunging neckline, black color, fringes and lace.
Another new creative direction comes with Marco De Vincenzo for Etro. At the heart of the collection are the textures and motifs that populate dresses, miniskirts, shirts, coats and cargo.
Philosophy and Ermanno Scervino become the bearers of a new romanticism. Lorenzo Serafini for this collection is inspired by the photographs of Paolo Roversi, sticking to neutral colours and minimalist silhouettes. Scervino, on the other hand, proposes embossed floral decorations and sequins.
No. 21 watchword: sensuality. Alessandro Dell’Acqua dedicates the collection to love and passion, proposing red looks, transparencies, sequins and exposed lingerie. MSGM also dedicates the fashion show to love, and in particular to marriage, through tulle garments, visible briefs, ruffles and embroidered garments. Sensuality is also a pivotal concept in the Roberto Cavalli and Trussardi collections, which, albeit in a different way, bring to the catwalk cut outs that reveal parts of the body, vertiginous necklines, denim and leather.
Roberto Cavalli | ph. Isidore Montag / Gorunway.com Roberto Cavalli | ph. Isidore Montag / Gorunway.com Roberto Cavalli | ph. Isidore Montag / Gorunway.com Roberto Cavalli | ph. Isidore Montag / Gorunway.com N21 | courtesy of the brand N21 | courtesy of the brand N21 | courtesy of the brand N21 | courtesy of the brand
Giorgio Armani‘s typical elegance is also evident here with silk dresses and soft garments embellished with stones and sequins. Accessories, especially silver and gold, give that touch of class that cannot be missed.
For the brand’s 70th anniversary, Moncler is organising an extraordinary event in Piazza Duomo. The centrepiece of the event was the iconic Maya jacket revisited for the occasion. A show that involved thousands of people bringing the square to life with singing and dancing.
on cover image: Jil Sander, Dolce & Gabbana, Sportmax