Spring 2011 Fashion Week: Milan

Viva Italia!  The overwhelming trend on the spring runways has been the seventies...we'll see if Paris follows suit.  I LOVE the Italian designers, so it is difficult to pick favorites.  When push came to shove, Emilio Pucci, Gucci, and Prada's spring shows were the standouts.

EMILIO PUCCI
Peter Dumas is a designer to watch.  Every collection he's put out for Emilio Pucci has been flat out gorgeous, and this is only his second spring showing for the design house.  He has a tremendous sense of color and print (necessary when you are working at Pucci), and his designs are sensual and glamorous.  This collection has a very relaxed, earthy feel, but these dresses would still look right at home on the red carpet.

GUCCI
This collection is strong, sexy, and drenched in color.  What's not to like?  I think this is Frida Giannini's best show to date for Gucci.

PRADA
Miuccia Prada is not one to rest on her laurels.  After her critically acclaimed Mad Men-esque fall show, she did an about face for spring.  This collection pushed the envelope with goggle-like sunglasses, loud stripes, and baroque-style prints featuring monkeys and bananas.  To top it all off, the models were styled with gelled finger waves and a heavy silver eye, inspired by Josephine Baker.  I think Miuccia has a pretty good sense of humor.

HONORABLE MENTIONS
I had to throw these in to do justice to Milan.

Versus

D & G

Giorgio Armani

Jil Sander

Missoni

Versace

I am finally caught up!  Paris Fashion Week begins tomorrow.