Judith Jones
The fashion month train is chugging along in Paris right now, but it's time to take a deep dive into everything we saw at Milan Fashion Week. Lately, Italian brands are buzzier than ever, thanks in large part to Daniel Lee's magic touch at Bottega Veneta, Silvia Fendi's new position at Fendi following Karl Lagerfeld's passing, and the news of Raf Simons joining Prada. As expected, all of these brands hit it out of the park this season and have set the bar high for fall 2020.
Poring over runway images, we noticed several themes that were impossible to ignore. First up: fringe. The detail was seen on both clothes and accessories at Bottega Veneta, Jil Sander, Prada, and many other heavyweights. Dresses and skirts looked like they went through a shredder in the coolest way possible. Five other trends also caught our eye from the Milan Fashion Week shows. Scroll down to shop them all.
If you still associate fringe with Coachella, it's high time you rethink the trend. Fringe detailing showed up at nearly every major Italian designer in myriad ways, including on dresses, skirts, and bags.
Double the fringe, double the fun. At Bottega Veneta, Daniel Lee committed to fringe in a major way. Considering how his quilted bags and shoes from previous seasons are among the most coveted designer items in existence, it's only a matter of time before these fringe accessories sell out.
This Jil Sander dress is destined for the red carpet. Why relegate fringe to an accessory when you can wear it from head to toe?
This Prada look killed two birds with one stone: It touched on both the belted-jacket trend as well as the fringe look du jour.
Shop the trend:
Ladies and gentlemen, may we turn your attention to the neck? This season, Italian brands were all about statement collars that had vintage vibes.
Alberta Ferretti's collars were flouncy and bow-bedecked. The frills add a touch of romance to an otherwise badass leather outfit.
Is it just me, or is this Moschino collar very George Washington?
Gucci's take on the collar trend included this exaggerated Peter Pan collar with sweet frilled edges.
Shop the trend:
If you're going to do anything to your jacket, blazer, or coat in fall and winter 2020, cinch it at the waist with a belt. The trending accessory gave oversize and puffy toppers a flattering silhouette, adding a touch of sophistication to every outfit.
Belts in all forms dominated at Prada, seen over puffy jackets and sleek blazers alike.
The accessory came sleek and simple at Versace, creating an hourglass silhouette on broad '80s blazers.
Belts added an air of elegance to casual, cold-weather jackets at Alberta Ferretti.
Shop the trend:
The runway shows in Milan confirmed that the leather trend is here to stay for F/W 20. There were plenty of layered leather looks, leather separates, and matching sets in rich and versatile black, beige, and brown hues. Many featured interesting silhouettes, from puff sleeves to cinched waists.
Alberta Ferretti proved the power of an all-black leather outfit. His leather looks exuded an '80s-inspired feel, cinched at the waist and accentuated with gold accessories, showing us that black leather is anything but boring.
Jil Sander gave the luxe-looking fabric a refreshingly modern touch with bold balloon sleeves, wide-leg trousers, and a rich chocolate hue.
Fendi wowed us with head-to-toe tan leather, complete with matching boots and a bag.
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Dramatic statement sleeves were seen in full force on the Milan runways in all shapes, forms, and fabrics, including ruffles and balloon sleeves. Puff sleeves, in particular, made a bold and refreshing appearance on coats, jackets, and blazers that billow slightly lower down the shoulder, exuding a romantic and contemporary take on the trend that’s been going strong for several seasons now.
When it came to puff sleeves at Fendi, the motto was the bigger, the better.
Max Mara's sleeve game was strong. Romantic, gathered puff sleeves were seen on coats, jackets, blouses, and blazers alike.
There's nothing like an exaggerated balloon sleeve to amp up an LBD.
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Move over, beige; gray is having a major moment for F/W 20. The neutral hue dominated the runways from head to toe and came in various fabrics, lengths, silhouettes, from suits to chunky knits and striking overcoats. The key to the tonal look is mixing various shades (and fabrics) within your ensemble, from darker ash tones to lighter heather shades.
Chunky gray knits reigned supreme on the Dolce Gabbana runway alongside smoky checks, tweed, and pinstripes.
Gray came in the form of striking suits and tailored separates layered under overcoats and finished off with slouchy suede boots.
Various shades of gray were mixed and matched at Max Mara, featuring interesting details such as ruffled sleeves and plush fabrics.
Shop the trend:
Up next, the top five new trends coming out of London.
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