Prada Is All Heart For AW24, And The New Moschino Unveiled
Call it a fashion downpour.
Milan, after weeks without rain, treated show-goers to a deluge of downpours to make retreating inside the city's show venues on day two of Milan Fashion Week all the more appealing. Not least as day two means Prada day, and this time it came with added intrigue as it was followed by Adrian Appiolaza's Moschino debut.
Here, all the takeaways of note from the second day of Milan Fashion Week.
The Inspirations
A round of applause for Adrian Appiolaza, who assembled his Moschino debut in no time at all following the unexpected death of his predecessor Davide Renne in November and his subsequent appointment. The show notes hinted towards this being an introductory collection in saying that it is ‘a taste of what is to come.’ For the collection, the Loewe alumna looked to the house under the era of its founder, Franco Moschino: ‘Today, Franco Moschino’s universal, all-inclusive messages of peace and love feel as relevant and timely as they did in the past - here, reiterated for a new generation, a new era, with the same impact… An archive here is approached not as a repository of past ideas but as a living, breathing thing - Franco not as a distant memory, but as an active collaborator in spirit.’
At Prada, Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons showed no signs of giving up placing their work in an inherently political context. But it was also just what the front row needed — a reminder of love, of romance and the values of care and the familial. ‘We touched on the idea of romance, which is perhaps a taboo to mention, in this moment, especially within fashion,’ said Mrs Prada, always aware of her work existing within the wider ecosystem.
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There was also a strong look at the past, without any feelings of a retrospective playing out. ‘We strive to make something beautiful. And you cannot talk about beauty without going to the past,’ said Simons. ‘You cannot erase the history of beauty – the history is what defines our ideas of beauty today.’
‘This is a collection shaped by history. It’s not about nostalgia, it’s about understanding. Who we were, why we dressed like that. It’s about remembering our past, using this knowledge to move forwards,’ added Prada.
The show notes also put it plainly: ‘The past is an instrument, a tool for learning, used here to try to invent something new. Yet rather than an intellectual examination, this collection is an emotional reaction to ideals of beauty that still feel resonant.’
The Emporio Armani collection was a tribute to the beauty of a luminous night sky, ‘quilted with stars and ruled by a shining moon.’ The influences of the sky, in all its setting state, informed the colour palette of mauve, ultra-violet, jade green and grey, alongside the midnight hues. This selection of shades also then saw Mr Armani play with textures, moving through a variety of wool takes, to jacquards and faux-fur knits, while the silhouette, though enveloping, still placed a strong focus on the shoulders.
French author Colette was the inspiration at Max Mara, where her influence meant that ‘Max Mara’s consummate woman-in-control acquires a dash of Belle Époque elegance, with a hint of demi-mondaine glamour and a glimpse of the sensual woman within.’ Collete's androgynous proposition also offers Max Mara’s signature outerwear a new context. The show notes concluded by saying: ‘Who is the intended beneficiary of this careful attention to one’s appearance? Colette provides the answer, “Beautiful? For whom? Why, for myself, of course.” and Max Mara agrees.’
The Clothes
For Moschino, a house with defiantly strong codes and legacy, the AW24 collection was a return to motifs led by the peace and acid smiley logos, worn primarily across covetable knitwear. Appiolaza let it be known that the Moschino will be more wearable than the Moschino of most recent memory, with this visible in the trench coat that opened the show or the overall slouchy, louche silhouette, rendered in denim or tailoring. As explained, this was a taste of what's to come with the clothes here, showing that Appiolaza has not only a loyalty and understanding to the legacy of Moschino, but a sharp view on how to turn that into clothes people can actually add to their wardrobes.
Prada's collection was a tale of two halves, with most looks appearing wholly different from the front to the back, calling for double-takes as tweed skirts merged into silk slips, in flashes of neon brights for some. The colour palette played off on the one seen at the menswear show in January, where shrunken knits were paired in contrary colour duos, to prove that while this collection was Mrs Prada's most concerted effort on pretty in some time, there's no removing her constant ability to make the abstract intriguing. Ugly always finds its charms in the hands of Mrs P.
Simons and Prada kept the silhouette narrow, to bring a timelessness to the collection that pulled from the past with little loyalty as touches could be spotted from several bygone eras. The collection's most surprising element was the inclusion of bows. Going in a direction that pairs up with current trends (not something Mrs Prada and Simons are often want to do), they here challenged why are they trending now, bringing it back to ribbons being the ultimate signifier of femininity. 'Bows, frills, ruffles – are reconsidered, their meaning fundamentally reassessed. Why do they persist? Why do they attract?' asked the show notes.
In full, this Prada collection was one that perfectly offered up what Prada and Simons can best do in a climate like ours. They offered here a compassion and romance, while remaining beautiful and awkward in places, centring the softer elements of femininity while still retaining a toughness required in the inclusion of leather jackets or making up cocktails gowns in outerwear fabrics. To give Mrs Prada the final word on it: 'It is not so much a theoretical statement, but a conversation about emotions. For me, these are vital ideas, they are always present in what we create. Creating beauty, creating things with love.’
At Tom Ford, tailoring was the take-home message. Opening with military-style duffle coats, Peter Hawkings followed up with sleek suiting for her moving from soft cream through to violet purple. The inherent sex appeal of the Tom Ford label was there too, of course. Spotted most obviously in outre mesh dresses closing the show, but also in a second-skin leather dresses or halterneck minidresses made up of frills and Y2k energy.
Emporio Armani's nighttime inspirations transcended literally into the clothes themselves, as the closings look came laden with starry, starry prints and became a shining of example of after-dark dressing. Elsewhere, signature Armani abounded with tailoring and knits worn layered to sit and fit with its woman's pre-existing wardrobe.
Meanwhile at Max Mara, its loyal customer will find much to love in Ian Griffiths' latest for the house. Working through a palette that pulled on neutrals done with extreme precision, find coats alongside sumptuous knitwear to make the perfect winter wardrobe for the woman who knows true finery. Finishing the collection was a run of evening dresses that could make Max Mara a new name on the red-carpet circuit this awards season.
The Accessories
So, what about the next Prada bag of note? This collection was less about pitching a new style as it was an encouragement to simply carry your favourites in alternative way hinting at the notion of suspension. The house's signature Galleria tote and Cleo bag were updated with an add-on strap that fitted in the crook of the arm to free hands of each's top handle.
Accompanying the bags were feathered hats with patent peaks, sunglasses worn with the intention of emulating a cat-eye make-up look and sweet pointed satin shoes with wear-everywhere minimal heels.
Allow Appiolaza to update your humdrum. With the first exit accompanied by a bag of bread and fresh vegetables, a precedent was set for what was to follow, with the designer adding Moschino's pithy signature to everyday essentials.
Hats and headwear were equally of note, be it the trending cowboy chapeau, the headscarf or even a homespun style newspaper hat reimagined in various proportions.
At Tom Ford, gold jewellery was big and bold, with wrists filled with statement cuffs and chains blown into XXL proportions around the neck to add to the brand's continued dedication to high-octane glamour. There was also a strong decree for the return of the clutch, with logoed options worn throughout the collection, while other bags sat neat under the arm with short shoulder straps.
The note on clutch bags being back was also seen at Max Mara, though its had more of a daytime appeal with its clasp fastening and soft leather look. Other accessories here included neat belts worn with a variety of ensembles, directional shades and the stealthly simple inclusion of gloves, be it with outerwear or skimpy dresses.
The one accessory the fashpack wanted the most? Well, considering Milan's precipitation, it had to be Emporio Armani's umbrellas.
The Sets
A discerning transparent floor at Prada gave guests the idea that they were floating over a naturescape of a babbling brook, as a meadow scene played out three-feet under iron-flanked glass flooring. The push and pull of nature versus the manmade an obvious statement from Prada here.
At Moschino, where Appiolaza payed homage to the house's original codes, the set followed suit. Walls were covered with dream-inviting clouds and entrances were swathed in fabric for dramatic impact, recalling show settings of seasons past.
Make it rain said Mr Armani at the close of his show. As models walked out across the silver runway, 'rain' fell from the ceiling as umbrellas opened and, because this was all a fashion fantasy, models' faces lit up with wide smiles, in stark contrast to how the arrival of a downpour might occur back off Planet Fashion.
Hawkings continued Ford's preference for a high-octane, minimalist show setting by turning the lights down low, but even amongst the pitch blackness of the show space, necks craned as nobody could resist taking a glance at how Sharon Stone was reacting to the Basic Instinct soundtrack that played out. Then, a stream of light bled through the show space and the collection was unveiled.
The Front Row
At Max Mara, a stealth showing of clients, models and influencers, all dressed up in its stellar outerwear. Think Bianca Balti, Lucy Hale and Jasmine Tookes. Though on its show day, the brand had a serendipitous A-list outing as Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex was spotted wearing its Lila Cashmere Coat when out and about in Beverly Hills. A coincidence? Of course, but a nice one at that.
At Prada's show space, a line-up of A-list actors arrived dressed in the best of Miuccia and Raf. Hunter Schafer, the definitive contemporary Prada woman, wore a coat zipped-up high to the neck to sit alongside fellow Prada face Emma Watson and Letitia Wright.
Along the FROW, Tracee Ellis Ross took on the spring/summer 2024 collection's fringing to cosy next to Amandla Stenberg, Mei Nagano, Ma Yili and Yara Shahidi.
Others in attendance included Gwendoline Christie, Rina Sawayama, Ellie Bamber, Lily James, Thomasin McKenzie and Anya Chalotra.
Later in the evening, Tom Ford had a starry turn out for its latest collection unveiling. Iris Law brought the glamour in a skimpy all-gold look, complete with platinum cropped hair and visor-style sunglasses and sat next to Callum Turner, while a little along the line Amber Valetta caught up with Alek Wek and Sharon Stone.
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