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
Missoni RTW Spring 2018
To mark her 20th anniversary as creative director, Angela Missoni threw a party on her runway, and invited a…
Loro Piana RTW Spring 2018
The cashmere specialist was keen to showcase how its luxurious fabrics work for warmer weather.
Antonio Marras RTW Spring 2018
Antonio Marras created a window into Fellini's world with a fashion show within a theatrical production…
Vogue Italia Throws Bash in Milan
Riccardo Tisci was the creative director of the event.
Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini RTW Spring 2018
Lorenzo Serafini channeled the tomboy glamour of style icon Tina Chow.
Agnona RTW Spring 2018
Bright colors and airy silhouettes contributed to the lively, happy feel of this elegant collection.
Winonah RTW Spring 2018
Winonah de Jong injected a summery, joyful attitude in her feminine collection.
Blumarine RTW Spring 2018
Anna Molinari's spring collection aimed to find a balance between sensual and romantic.
Bottega Veneta RTW Spring 2018
Bottega Veneta's Tomas Maier took a sporty turn, delivering a sportswear attitude elevated by smart…
Tod’s Spring RTW 2018
The design team delivered a youthful and cohesive collection.
Elisabetta Franchi RTW Spring 2018
The costume-y collection wasn't tied to any particular trend or season, but there were still some pretty, if…
Versace RTW Spring 2018
Twenty years after her brother Gianni Versace's death, Donatella staged a moving show in his honor on Friday…
The Original Nineties Supermodels Close Versace Show as a Tribute to Gianni
The show was a tribute to Gianni Versace and closed with five of his favorite supermodels: Naomi, Claudia…
Roberto Cavalli RTW Spring 2018
The collection murmured rather than roared, and it's clear the ground is shifting under the house of Roberto…
AmfAR Goes Pink as Milan Gala Celebrates Angela Missoni
A host of models toasted Missoni's Award of Courage at the glitzy gala, which featured a performance by…