Translated by
Nicola Mira
Published
Feb 23, 2021
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Milan Fashion Week kicks off king-size phygital edition on Tuesday

Translated by
Nicola Mira
Published
Feb 23, 2021

After New York and London, it is now Milan’s turn to roll - mostly online. This season, with the pandemic exacerbated by the spread of new Covid-19 variants, the Milan women's fashion week will once again be held chiefly in virtual mode. A format that has the advantage of being flexible, enabling the event to feature a king-size programme with a total of 140 presentations, showcasing the ready-to-wear collections for the Fall/Winter 2021-22.
 

Dolce & Gabbana will close the Milan Fashion Week on March 1 - © PixelFormula


Milan Fashion Week is scheduled from Tuesday, Feb. 23 until Monday March 1. It will truly get going on Wednesday 24 with the first of the catwalk shows, of which there are no fewer than 68 on the calendar. The rest of the programme includes 65 presentations and seven special events, among them a gala evening organised by the Italian Fashion Chamber (CNMI) for the fashion week’s opening. The date is set for the evening of February 24, with the DJs from Milan’s Club Domani party nights ... online of course, putting safety first.
 
Only two of the catwalk shows will actually be staged physically. The first is scheduled on Wednesday, by Daniel Del Core, the former stylist to Gucci's celebrity clients, launching his own Del Core label. The second show will close the fashion week on Monday March 1, alongside Dolce & Gabbana, and will be staged by Valentino behind closed doors at the Piccolo Teatro, a unique opportunity for the renowned Milanese theatre to re-open its doors after twelve months of lockdown.

Besides these two shows, another highlight will be the eagerly awaited presentation of the first women's ready-to-wear collection by Kim Jones for Fendi, scheduled on Wednesday. On Saturday, another debut, the first collection by Alessandro Dell’Acqua for Italian plus-size specialist Elena Mirò, making a come-back on the Milanese calendar after a 10-year absence.
 
Versace will notably give this season a miss, and will unveil its new collection online on March 5, overlapping with the Paris Fashion Week. Also absent is Gucci, which is now positioned outside the official seasons. But all the other leading Italian labels will be present, many of them with videos and innovative presentation formats.
 
Antonio Marras has set his video, which will be broadcast on Friday, within the prehistoric nuraghic complex of Barumini in Sardinia. On the same day, Marni will stage a three-act presentation, inviting the audience to discover its new collection at breakfast, lunch and dinner. On Saturday, Giorgio Armani will present its latest collection with two separate films, one for womenswear and one for menswear. Another novelty, and a first for Milan, is the collective video showcasing the work of 20 selected students from the Polimoda academy in Florence.


A look by Alessandro Vigilante, debuting in Milan on Friday- © Marcello Arena - Foto: © Marcello Arena

 
There are 14 debut names on the calendar. Starting on Friday with Pierre-Louis Mascia, a French fashion illustrator who launched his own label in 2007, in partnership with Italian fabric manufacturer Achille Pinto, now a majority shareholder.
 
The other new entries on the Milanese calendar, besides Del Core and Alessandro dell’Acqua x Elena Mirò, are Brunello Cucinelli; the ‘We are Made in Italy’ show by the Black Lives Matter in Italian Fashion collective; Onitsuka Tiger, the fashion sibling of Japanese sport brand Asics; Fabio Quaranta, a Milan catwalk show regular; and Maxivive, the androgynous label founded in 2007 by Papa Oyeyemi, a designer based in Lagos, Nigeria, renowned for his experimental approach.
 
Also, Dima Leu, an emerging talent from Moldova who first showed in Milan last month with menswear; Korean label Münn by Hyun-min Han; the Budapest Select collective show, promoting Hungarian designers; the brand new label by Alessandro Vigilante, formerly with Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci and Philosophy; CHB, the label launched in the midst of the lockdown period by experienced designer Christian Boaro, formerly with Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, Ferré and MSGM. And notably, the maiden event by engineering graduate and promising new Italian talent Giuseppe Buccinnà, who founded his label in 2015.
 
Among the presentations, some of which will be open to buyers and journalists while fully complying with current health protection rules, there will be the Milanese debuts by Moorer, Gonçalo Peixoto, Alabama Muse, Bacon, Push Button for Fila Korea, Peserico, Yatay, Canadian, Oof Wear, Revenant RV NT, AC9, Des Phemmes and Nervi.
 
 

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