MFW FW14 - I

Ahhh the Italians... ever so regal and luxurious. The designers of Milan fashion week sure know how to crank up the fashion heat. I've previously mentioned that New York is known for its wearable, pragmatic approach, whereas London is famous for being an incubator for newbies and churning out prodigious creativity. Meanwhile, the fine folks in Italy are the ones who give us opulence and grandeur without fail -- and they haven't let us down for fall winter 2014. Let's get started!

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Etro

Etro is known for its ethnic-like boho design sensibility and for next fall, the label did not hold back on reeling us into their world of rich textiles, painting the kind of portrait only Veronica Etro knows how to. This collection really, really appealed to me. It was fit for the finest young boho socialite of the gypset, or even better: rock royalty progeny being their most [normal] fabulous self picking up some flowers at the market (or better, yet, the souk) on a saturday morning. It was layers upon layers of shimmering silks, beautiful embroidered dresses, flowing maxis, knee-high suede boots, and for less temperate weather: cozy oversized plaid ponchos and throws, as well as chubby, fluffy furs. This kind of aesthetic has a gravitational pull on me, it is beyond my control.



Fendi

You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who wouldn't mind being snuggled into that ginormous fur hood Karl sent Cara down the runway with to open to show (and other iterations later on). You knew this was going to have the Karl stamp of cheekiness when she carried a furry doll of the man himself in said look 1. The way he mixes the house's fur DNA all the while taking the opportunity to play with shapes and proportions has somewhat become what I come to expect anticipate seeing on a Fendi catwalk. The outerwear was impossibly beautiful and encompassed many of the trends we've seen emerge from this fashion month: abstract prints, collage patchwork, coats galore, midi skirt, the galaxy (no Star Wars print here, but a starry universe print and, um, drones in the atmosphere, literally). These were clothes you wanted to go places in and the juxtaposition of light -- flowers, mesh, see-throughness -- and heavy -- furs, layers, parkas, boxiness -- was what you wanted to wear on your way there.



Gucci

The Gucci girl has gone mod for fall 2014! This collection referenced the 60s in an incredibly fresh way and in a palette that felt oh so modern: buttery camels, moss greens, dusty blues and pinks, subdued mustards. The shapes were fully swinging London, yet the vibe was very now, with beautiful soft leathers exuding that Gucci sexiness. The sensual quality was subtle, however, thanks to the plays with textures and the integration of denim. Frida Giannini made us long for pea coats and introduced a casual chic way to don fur that the girl of today will adopt in a heartbeat, not to mention those skinny suits and those a m a z i n g boots. My favorite Friday Giannini Gucci collection ever, if I may be so bold.



No. 21

Alessandro Dell'Acqua's No. 21 label has been a very successful extension of his namesake label since he launched it back in 2010. That classic Italian fusion of upscale and extravagant is how I would describe this label: he stays clean with his designs, but they look lavish and unique. This collection seemed to straddle the masculine-feminine line. I liked it.



Prada

A Prada collection is always so fascinating, if only because of Miuccia's approach. It's now a pretty well-known fact that her method of madness starts with something she hates and she riffs on it until she likes it. How brilliant is that? She's also one of the industry's most cerebral designers and she brings a refreshing intellectualism to her process. That said, fall 2014 was not based on one of her dislikes, but on a German avant-garde film director from the early 70s. In a way, this collection was both austere and light. It was dark, there was a haunting german singer providing the soundtrack, it was angular -- square, boxy coats, oversized chevron patterns on knitwear, lines defining the edges of the garments and waists -- the hair was slick and tight, the colors were solid and stark. But there was also a certain softness thanks to sheer dresses, fluffy and mellow Chewbacca furs (again with Star Wars, woof), silk satin flowing dresses. Miuccia knows how to paint a full portrait and take us on a journey, no matter if you like her aesthetic or not.

[all runway images via style.com]

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