Milan Fashion Week Gripped by 90s Nostalgia

Milan Fashion Week will remain mostly digital for menswear previews in June. (LVMH)
Milan Fashion Week will remain mostly digital for menswear previews in June. (LVMH)
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Milan Fashion Week Gripped by 90s Nostalgia

Milan Fashion Week will remain mostly digital for menswear previews in June. (LVMH)
Milan Fashion Week will remain mostly digital for menswear previews in June. (LVMH)

Technicolor cargo pants, leather lumberjack shirts and guest stars such as Paris Hilton, Carla Bruni, Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss -- nostalgia for the 1990s swept over the just-ended Milan Fashion Week which channeled hits by Haddaway and Alizee on the runway for the spring/summer 2023 collections.

Here are a few of the trends:

- Cargo pants reworked -
Camouflage cargo pants -- emblematic of the 1990s -- were reworked in delicate fabrics and shades screaming Florida by maisons such as Fendi, which reverted to champagne silk as well as an eye-popping orange.

Versace opted for a version in deep violet as well as in pink satin for a boss-woman look favored by Donatella while Dolce & Gabbana revisited their classic looks including ripped jeans.

- Dresses over trousers -
Another trend that made a major comeback was the dress worn over trousers.

Miuccia Prada showed transparent gowns over pants and Fendi mirrored the same look to showcase fluid trousers, the obi and kimono tailoring.

Paris Hilton click-clacked down the runway in a shimmering pink dress with matching veil and Carla Bruni and Naomi Campbell flaunted trench coats for Tod's.

Armani, the master of the deconstructed suits, looked to India, China and Syria for inspiration with sarong-like trousers and fluid robes and the languid silk silhouette that Giorgio is renowned for.

- Sparkle -
Tops, gowns, pants and jackets in silk and satin all went back to sparkle and shine with shades that evoked the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Master showman and flamboyant couturier Roberto Cavalli turned to ivory -- the staple of bygone stars like Marlene Dietrich and Greta Garbo -- while young prodigy Matthieu Blazy showed off exquisitely worked scarves for Bottega Veneta.

Prada's undulating lines had warm colors while Versace used classic lace and black in its wedding gown.

- Knitted gowns -
Fendi and Jil Sander paraded knit gowns without motifs but with gashes in the midriff. Matthieu Blazy at Bottega Veneta had knitted jacquard dresses with trompe-l'œil motifs inspired by futuristic Italian artists.

- Fruit salad -
Apples, pears, cherries both in giant and micro versions dominated along with vibrant summer shades at Benetton's pret-a-porter line.

Roberto Cavalli emblazoned grapes, palm trees and pineapples on gowns while Jeremy Scott at Moschino headlined inflation chic with inner tubes as belts on dresses and dolphin-shaped wings as glove accessories to inspire "mood buoyancy", according to Moschino.

"This symbolic uplift starts with daytime looks to stay afloat," the fashion house said.

"A direct twist on the word 'inflation' then starts to enter the relief, with pool toys, life rafts and life preservers."



Recovering Giorgio Armani Says he Will be Back in September

FILE PHOTO: Designer Giorgio Armani appears at the end of his Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2025 collection show for Giorgio Armani Prive in Paris, France, January 28, 2025. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Designer Giorgio Armani appears at the end of his Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2025 collection show for Giorgio Armani Prive in Paris, France, January 28, 2025. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier/File Photo
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Recovering Giorgio Armani Says he Will be Back in September

FILE PHOTO: Designer Giorgio Armani appears at the end of his Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2025 collection show for Giorgio Armani Prive in Paris, France, January 28, 2025. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Designer Giorgio Armani appears at the end of his Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2025 collection show for Giorgio Armani Prive in Paris, France, January 28, 2025. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier/File Photo

The founder of Italian fashion house Giorgio Armani issued a message as he turned 91 on Friday to say that he will be back in September, after a health problem forced him to miss the Milan and Paris fashion shows in recent weeks.

It was the first time Giorgio Armani has missed one of his catwalk events, Reuters reported. His company said last month he was recovering at home, without elaborating on his health, while Italian newswires reported that he had been in hospital for some days.

"In the last few weeks I strongly felt the embrace of those who were thinking of me," Armani said in an open letter published by several Italian newspapers, mentioning family, colleagues, employees, the press and people on social media.

"Today, on my 91st birthday, I want to thank all of you for the closeness you have shown me. It wasn't easy for me not to hear your applause live. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, and I'll see you again in September," he added.

The next Milan fashion week is scheduled to run from September 23 to September 29.