Milan Fashion Week
Milan Fashion Week is one of the "Big Four" fashion weeks alongside New York, London and Paris Fashion Weeks. Spring collections are historically shown in September, while fall collections are historically shown in February. Milan falls as a the third major fashion week during Fashion Month, following New York and London, and before Paris. The main venue for Milan Fashion Week is the Milan Fashion Hub, though many designers show off-site.
In 1958, the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italia (National Chamber of Italian Fashion) was formed, with a mission to promote Italian design. Italian brands began to rise in prominence because they were more affordable than their Parisian counterparts.
At the time, many of Italy's major cities were in competition with each other for who would become Italy's fashion capital. Milan began to edge out some of its competitors, like Rome and Florence, thanks to strong links to manufacturing and the growth in ready-to-wear. In the '70s and '80s, the success of Milan-based designers, including Giorgio Armani and Gianni Versace, helped to solidify Milan's place as a fashion capital.
Versace, in particular, drew attention to Milan during fashion week, casting supermodels such as Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista and Cindy Crawford in his shows.
Today, many major brands show collections at Milan Fashion Week, including Gucci, Fendi, Bottega Veneta, Missoni, Ferragamo and Etro, as well as Giorgio Armani and Versace.
Historic moments at Milan Fashion Week have included Tom Ford's 1994 debut show for Gucci, which began a revival for the then-stagnant brand. There was also Miuccia Prada's 1996 show featuring dull greens, browns and purples, contributing to the ugly-chic era of '90s fashion. More recently, at Versace's spring 2018 runway show, Donatella Versace brought back the '90s with the era's supermodels, including Crawford, Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, Carla Bruni and Helena Christensen, who walked in the show.
Milan Fashion Week
Camera della Moda’s Capasa Touts Italian Fashion Industry Assets
Presenting the calendar of Milan Fashion Week, which runs Sept. 19-24, Capasa was upbeat about the industry…
Milan to Host Its First Azzedine Alaïa Exhibit
Curated by Olivier Saillard, the exhibition will be unveiled on Sept. 20 and run during Milan Fashion Week…
Milano XL Project Focuses on Sustainability for Second Edition
Comprising six installations, the project will run Sept. 12 to 24, celebrating Italian companies' know-how…
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Vogue for Milano Marks 10th Anniversary
Running Sept. 13, the event will promote fashion ahead of Milan Fashion Week.
Bottega Veneta to Skip Spring 2019 Runway Show
Newly appointed creative director Daniel Lee will make his debut for Bottega Veneta on the catwalk in Milan…
Fila to Show at Milan Fashion Week in September
The company will also inaugurate an exhibition at the Triennale Design Museum, opening on Sept. 19.
White Milano Focuses on Research and Sustainability
In its latest edition, running June 16 to 18 during Milan Fashion Week, the men's and women's trade show…
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Sartorial Monk Men’s Spring 2019
The designer delivered a coed collection paying homage to Japanese minimalism and Italian tailoring.
Cividini Men’s Spring 2019
Piero Cividini played with geometry to inject a modern spin into his knitwear collection.
Big Uncle Men’s Spring 2019
Sabino Lebba and Riccardo Moroni focused on uniform dressing in this small, contained collection of workwear…
Prada Men’s Spring 2019
Prada was seeking a "more elegant" style for her man, something youthful, but discreet - and not baggy…
Triple RRR Men’s Spring 2019
The designer celebrates his roots with this collection combining playful prints with sartorial accents and a…
Isabel Benenato Spring 2019
The designer developed a minimal collection focused on black and white tones.