Fashion Week returned to Milan, presenting glamorous collections, going big.

The Milan Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2023 started from February 21 to 27 in the Italian city, and it came to an end leaving great fashion moments. The Italian fashion capital welcomed some of the biggest names in fashion to showcase their latest collections to industry leaders, international creatives and more, spanning over 50 shows, including Prada, Gucci, Ferragamo, Fendi, Dolce Gabbana, Moschino and Diesel. The season left us with a list of multiple emerging trends, which are sure to be seen everywhere in a near future.

One of the biggest trends seen this season was transparencies or lace. Gleen Martens explored an experimental and ambitious core for Diesel with a collection of textures and patterns, along with a set of condoms as a representation of freedom. The collection took centre stage with denim, transparencies and of course leather. More skin was flaunted at Roberto Cavalli and Dolce & Gabbana. The former channelled hedonism and excess, animal motifs, lots of faux furs and black lace reinvented in countless different ways, from corsets to figure-hugging dresses. Meanwhile, Dolce & Gabbana sought a glamorous aesthetic through lingerie clothing.

Needless to say, these collections were more than inspiring. Without further ado, we’ve rounded up the top 8 of the best shows presented at Milan Fashion Week.

MOSCHINO

Paying homage to aristo-punk culture and the surrealist works of Salvador Dali, Moschino’s Donna Fall/Winter 2023 collection was a shock of pure electricity. Creative director, Jeremy Scott, also fused Salvador Dali’s surrealist inspirations with aristo-punk. Behind a small mountain of condoms, the collection took center stage with denim, transparencies and of course leather.

DOLCE & GABBANA

The duo Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana opened their fall/winter 2023-2024 runway show with sensuality as the main protagonist. “Sensuality is an important aspect of femininity that has nothing to do with being sexy,” the two designers say in the show notes. “Sensuality is intrinsically related to an inner experience that makes a woman spontaneous and natural. Free from any fabrication.” they continued. The latest collection showed pantsuits and coats along with sheer, and sometimes embroidered, dresses in lace, tulle, and chiffon. Black cropped jackets and pants were worn with white shirts and black ties in the collection called “Sensual.” The Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2023 collection also included looks in red, tights and shoes, white satin, chiffon dresses, pantsuits and coats.

GUCCI

Gucci presented its Fall 2023 collection, designed by the in-house studio team, ahead of the debut of new creative director Sabato De Sarno in September, developing a new heritage concept, which took shape in the latest collection. In terms of clothing, functionality was a clear consideration this season. Compared to previous collections, there was an emphasis on workwear such as separates, knitwear and dresses, with the occasional striking jacket. Evocative silhouettes, vintage, attitudes and the reintroduction of the archetypal trapezoid-shaped chain “maxi Horsebit” bag added a new dimension to the House’s heritage. The collection included relaxed suits, flared pants, faux leather ensembles, trench coats, striped shirts, baggy jeans and more. Leather chords, rhinestone-encrusted mesh dresses and the iconic Jackie bag also took center stage in the collection.

DIESEL

Italian label Diesel unveiled its latest Fall 2023 collection during Milan Fashion Week. Against a giant backdrop of 200,000 condoms, Belgian creative director Glenn Martens wanted to nod to both sex positivity and explore themes of freedom, pleasure and experimentation. “We like to play at Diesel, and we are serious about it,” Martens said in a statement. “Have fun, respect each other, and be safe.”. Denim remained the protagonist, but it transformed. Models also strutted around the condom avalanche in ultra-low-rise jeans, denim garments, ripped silk dresses and more. The runway show was accompanied by a techno soundtrack to reinforce Diesel’s message of pushing boundaries. The collection also featured leftover nylon coated with plastic and heated, deadstock faux fur painted, blow-torched biker jackets, and more.

ROBERTO CAVALLI

For the Fall 2023 season, the designer showcased his latest ready-to-wear collection, transporting the Cavalli woman into the American southwest. A warm and earthy colour palette took centre stage, while denim blues, blacks, and faux fur were also seen during the runway show. Turquoise stones were spotted as opulent jewellery pieces. On the runway show, the collection also featured fabrics moving like water as shirts flood open and kimonos stream behind. Floor-length dresses flew, and woolly coats poured onto the runway, too. “It’s my first true Cavalli collection,” said creative director Fausto Puglisi.

PRADA

Co-creative directors Raf Simons and Miuccia Prada unveiled their latest collection for Prada Fall 2023. The brand played with uniform dressing – as in clean, minimal and tailored. “Uniforms are sartorial representations of care and responsibility, transformed utilizing the aesthetic language of eveningwear,” it says in the show notes. “Wedding dresses, symbols of love, become everyday attire, their skirts proposed with sweaters as a new form of quotidian dress. This exchange, between the notion of the everyday and occasion wear, the familiar and the exceptional, gives a different importance to both.” – From Prada.