Trends from Milan Fashion Week: swim, time travel, florals

Swimsuits 

This season saw plenty of swimwear hitting the runway. At DSquared2, Dean and Dan Caten delivered high-waisted 1950s-style bikini bottom shorts. Just Cavalli served up sports-punk tartan swimwear in bright colors and minimalist cuts. Meanwhile, Miuccia Prada went a bit more meta, pasting cartoonish bikini top shapes onto the outside of summer coats. 

Modernity, Antiquity & Irony

While there may have been plenty of skin on show with all the bikini bottoms, the real cheeky touch came from the clothes themselves. From Missoni’s laser-cut logos and Fendi’s web-browser-inspired ‘tabs’, to Versace’s 1970s rock t-shirts, this was a season for the knowing nod to the past. Dolce & Gabbana made digital prints of ancient Sicilian and Greek ruins, and riffed humorously on their recent tax scandals with belts made from giant gold coins. At Gucci, Frida Giannini cut sporty shapes out of lustrous silks printed with Art Nouveau motifs. 

Florals

In a year when even Jil Sander got into prints, floral patterns were the undisputed queen on the catwalk in Milan. Versace made punchy flower prints, while MSGM’s first runway show was packed with a patchwork of bold florals. Marni, like a number of labels, added an oriental twist to the theme, Consuelo Castiglioni creating kimono-style jackets with bold floral patterns. Elswhere (as at Etro) vintage floral prints appeared as part of a patchwork of different fabrics.