Runway Report: Milan
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

In the 1990s, the success of Italian fashion houses seemed unstoppable as they projected their super-slick glamour and sex appeal. But today, they feeling is different. Conspicuous consumption and showy cleavage are out; subtlety and substance are in. And this has been stirring up change at Milan Fashion Week.
The most newsworthy event was Frida Giannini’s first full collection for Gucci. Ms. Giannini is the second designer to take over after the departure of Tom Ford (her predecessor, Alessandra Facchinetti, was dismissed after only two collections). Taking charge of a label that has been in a state of public turmoil for nearly two years is not an easy task, but Ms. Giannini, handled the pressure well. By making a necessary break with the label’s past, she created a new identity for the house. Ms. Giannini’s Gucci girl is not the sexually charged night crawler that Mr. Ford made famous. She’s more the kind of woman you’d actually want to be friends with – a fun, friendly woman who doesn’t take herself too seriously.
The look includes ’40s-inspired dresses in strong colors and whimsical floral prints, mixed with edgy-tomboy style. Cocktail dresses, with delicately puffed sleeves and subtle beading, were cut short and bouncy. Sharply cut Bermuda shorts worn with supple motorcycle jackets had a lighthearted, charming sexiness. Ms. Giannini did not make earth-shattering fashion statements, but she probably just needs some time to grow. Her collection was definitely a step toward a new and younger Gucci image that could be positioned as the Marc Jacobs of Milan.
If Ms. Giannini caters to a fresh-faced clotheshorse, Miuccia Prada appeals to her more sophisticated older sister – or perhaps the bohemian but fashionable aunt. Ms. Prada has worked with the idea of demure femininity for many seasons now, and this time around, her garments were practically anti-sexual. The Prada spring collection was a pared-down exercise in loose volumes and straight silhouettes. Knee-length smocks with drop-waists – if there were waists – hung from wide shoulder straps. Slightly deflated puffed sleeves came off the shoulder, and the skirts were arranged in rumpled asymmetrical layers. Colors were pale and muted: white, pearl gray, light bronze, and gold.
It should all have been supremely unflattering, but somehow Ms. Prada worked her magic into each dress, making the collection fluid and romantic instead of dull and frumpy. That said, this collection was repetitive, and it’s hard to imagine that these demanding clothes (beanpoles only, please) would provide the cash flow that the label reportedly needs right now.
You know that the concept of restrained sexuality is a trend to reckon with when it starts to show up at Versace. Donatella Versace – who has had a soul-searching year of drug rehabilitation – was indeed feeling clean and serene. The usual Versace vamp factor was toned down in fluid silk jersey gowns with lean A-line skirts, and skinny trousers shown with soft blouses. The staple goddess gowns were rendered in rainbow-colored pastels and sported simple and unadorned silhouettes. There were some revealing bathing suits that looked like unraveled bandages, but overall, this was a kinder, gentler Versace look that seemed more in tune with the times.
One of the first labels to introduce a more innocent image to the Italian fashion scene was Marni. Designer Consuelo Castiglioni has consistently worked with an almost childlike silhouette of wide skirts and loosely fitted tops. Colors and prints are always a key component for this label, and for spring 2006 Ms. Castiglioni concentrated on 1950s-inspired florals in vivid blues. Though adhering to a similar style year after year may seem repetitive, it could be a smart business strategy. Marni gives its consumer the kind of clothes she can count on.