Milan Highlights...

"It's a famine of beauty honey! A famine of beauty! My eyes are thirsty for beauty!" - Andre Leon Talley

Thank the lord for Milan because without it, all the fashionistas around the world would be running around in minimal daywear. Trust me, I love a good minimal trend, but my eyes were getting parched and they really needed some feathers, crystals, fringe, and sequins. You can tell by the lack of Prada and Jil Sander in my list that I am serious about this glamour thing. There is a time and a place for intellectual design, and this Milan season I want none of it. Lets bring out the glitz and the glam.

Alberta Ferretti

Soft, flowing, feminine, and chic. This was Alberta doing what she does best. The tromp l'oeil jewelry around the necklines were just the right amount of sparkle to these party frocks. I'm sure these dresses will be snapped up for the red carpets in no time. What is so great about Alberta is that the same dress can be worn by Dakota Fanning, Calista Flockhart, and Meryl Streep and still look entirely age appropriate on all three. 

Emilio Pucci

Leave it to Peter Dundas to quench my beauty thirst. The house has had a rocky past, but I think it is in good hands now, and Peter is really making a turn around. In a season where the hemlines are falling below the knees, a thigh bearing mini skirt feels like a breath of fresh air. As if things were not dangerously low in the front already...

Oh yes, lets see how little fabric we can get away with. Someone needs to keep the party alive beacuse Donatella Versace was certainly not doing it this season. The sequin work was breathtaking, the feather sublime, and the archived house prints updated to perfection. This is perhaps my favorite collection thus far because it blatantly breaks every trend. It's like a fish out of water... a brightly colored flashy tropical fish... not some flounder. 

Gabriele Colangelo

Another collection that has taken my breath with each texture look was Gabriele Colangelo. I'm sure the pictures don't even do it justice. If I saw these in person I would want to have a magnifying glass with me just so I can inspect the subtile embellishments and expert furrier work. The layering of wools and chiffons created such amazing depth to even the most basic dress. This was one of the best examples of pared down design I have seen this season. For a new designer a few seasons in this will be sure to get the buyers attention. 

Gucci

Usually Frida Giannini is the type to shamelessly go all out on night time party outfits, not quite so this season. She certainly didn't leave out the glam, but this time it was in a much more mature way. It's hard to break away from a house image that has been doused in Tom Ford's greasy chest oil one to many times, but Frida is finally making the house her own. A pair of trousers always make an unexpected evening look, but no one ever does them quite like Frida. A slightly lower hem length paired with the Gucci thigh high boot was more modest than seasons past, mostly because you loose the little sliver of skin that would show when she did them with mini skirts.