This week has seen the infamous Milan fashion week.

With people coming from all over the world to catch the latest collections from the designers and get an insight into the up and coming trends for this year’s autumn and winter.

So what are the latest trends? And who is this week’s hottest designer?

Well this year is bringing a slight change to fashion as we know it. The top designers seem to be pushing a new look, restoring the hype caused after Dior’s feminine silhouettes graced the catwalk in 1947 after the war. There is a return to simplicity, emphasising the strong female image, whilst being updated to the 21st century. The designers have gone back to basics by making strong, clean cuts (similar to those of male garments) and pairing this idea with beautiful fabrics.

A pair of designers who seemed to push this idea the most was Dolce and Gabbana. The show’s title was “Sartorialita, Sicilianita, Sensualita” which translates from Italian into “Tailoring, Sicilian, Sensual”. These aspects were definitely apparent in their show, where sharp, sleek cuts coming from the menswear were made evident in the tailoring; the Sicilian influence will always shine through from Domenico Dolce’s upbringing; and finally there was the romanticism created from the atmospheric music and film-backdrop. They emphasised the “new woman” as, in Gabbana’s words, “she wears the suit, but it’s accessorised with headphones and an iPod”.

Image : www.telegraph.co.uk

The film showed the journey of these two designers working on their collections in their workshop; designing, sewing and fitting. This black and white sketch finished with the whole team at Dolce and Gabbana in front of the camera, just as the two men made their appearance at the end of the show.

Image : Dolce & Gabbana

Similar to many other winter collections, this duo revealed a primarily black collection, with black velvet appearing in most outfits. This really allowed this house to emphasise the cuts of the garments and the richness of the fabrics used. The last scene showed all 75 models parading down the catwalk in many variations of the simple black jacket, reinforcing this designer’s timeless black, geometric style. With this year being a particularly special year for the designers (as it happens to be their 50th collection as well as their 25th anniversary of working together) they really pulled out all the stops and in my view, delivered one of the best shows this season.

This very sleek but very powerful woman was also emphasised in Giorgio Armani’s collection, titled “the new chic”. He went for the very basic garments, such as pencil skirts, tailored trousers, blouses and jackets but gave them an oriental twist with exotic prints and judo-belts. This week Armani also promoted the street artist, Richard Hambleton, allowing him to exhibit his art pieces at the Armani/Teatro in Milan. Armani commented on Hambleton’s work, stating “art in all its forms is first and foremost driven by individual passion and creativity”. The exhibition will be open from 1st March to 12th March.

Richard Hambleton’s art work pieces. All items on display at the exhibit will be for sale.

Somebody who went against this simple vibe was Versace, who really shocked the catwalks with coloured sequins, coloured mirrors and geometric shapes. Similarly, a new face to this game, Marco de Vincenzo, has started to pleasantly surprise the audience with a blend of urban and rural influences, where sportswear chic played a main role.

Images : www.fashionising.com

Over the week, we saw a whole group of designers reveal their latest collections. From these, we can pick up the main trend of simplicity and beauty, where the aim is to create a strong feminine look with clean-cut male tailoring. The 70s also made a re-appearance in some of the collections, where the models sported bell-bottomed trousers and fringed scarves. So whatever you choose to wear next winter, if you focus on finding well cut, simple garments, you’ll be spot on. It’s time for a change, where we will all be expressing our femininity with a strong confidence.

By Helen Batstone