All of the Best Runway Looks from Milan Fashion Week Spring 2020
Tod's
When one thinks about Italian fashion and what it represents, craftsmanship above all else comes to mind, followed by heritage, leather, and sex appeal. Tod's offers the top three in droves, and is expected to deliver quality basics made in top-notch fabrics one knows will last a lifetime and end up in the closet of future generations.
That pressure to deliver heirloom-quality products sometimes leaves drama and ostentatiousness to other labels, and this season didn't go out of its way to break the mold. Standouts included the opening bomber and palazzo shorts ensemble paired with the brand's signature loafers (pictured here), a waist bag shown on an almost-'80s chocolate short suit, and a zebra trench coat, which seemed to be the show's biggest departure from the classics—but would easily complement a wardrobe of them. —Carrie Goldberg
Etro
This was a collection designed for Penny Lane, and all girls of her ilk. Etro's owned the festival girl for ages, but this was an even more direct take on pieces Veronica Etro knows they'll love. Our favorite pieces in this sea of modern bohemia, however, were the unexpected insertions of suiting and stiffer fabrics, like the mini velvet coat dress Bella Hadid showcased for the finale, before a sea of women in men's shirting and denim walked the runway as a group for the show's epic sendoff. It seemed, like the suiting, this was another through-line of Etro's Spring 2020 season: the merging of menswear with the brand's staple bohemian womenswear.
Amidst blouson sleeves, peasant frocks, and artfully knitted coats came some sharpness—with a soft side; these suits and riffs on button-front shirts didn't feel out of place. It appears that Penny Lane can have multiple sides of her personality, as most women do. She's the light of the tour bus, the boardroom, and all the streets she saunters down in between. —Carrie Goldberg
Fendi
Fendi brought on the prints and the It models to wear them for Spring 2020. Silvia Venturini Fendi managed to seamlessly fuse a moody ‘70s color palette featuring plaids and browns, bright psychedelic patterns, and ultra feminine quilted skirt suits together into one collection that felt both cohesive and cool. Sure there were runway appearances by Gigi, Bella, and Kaia, but the buzzy models didn’t overshadow the clothes here. Instead, playful skirt suits, short and sweater pairings, and sheer dresses with checked co-ords underneath stood out. It managed to capture the ‘60s and ‘70s spirit without veering into territory that felt too literal or campy. More excitingly, there was also a return of ultra oversized sunglasses, much to the chagrin of many of us who’ve struggled with the teeny tiny Matrix sunglass trend of seasons past. —Lauren Alexis Fisher
Bottega Veneta
At an all-time high of “New Bottega” fever on Instagram, the street style scene, and editorials, Daniel Lee had a lot to live up to for his second collection at Bottega Veneta. For spring, there were new iterations of the current puffy leather sandals that have flooded all our Instagram feeds, along with new quilted leather bags to match. But the creative director focused on honing in on the brand’s knits and buttery leather pieces—which ended up ultimately defining this collection. The cutout sweater dresses, leather Bermuda shorts, and outerwear were minimal, yet strong—proving Lee’s “less is more” vision has staying power for the modern woman. Throughout the predominantly neutral looks, pops of bright orange and pale baby blue stood out for a subtle ‘70s color palette. But again, it was less about the colors or the It accessories and more about the minimal silhouettes and cuts, all of which hit at just the right places. —Lauren Alexis Fisher
Max Mara
Three’s a trend and Max Mara created its own this season with side-by-side model walks down the runway. The inspiration was Killing Eve’s Villanelle, which if you don’t watch the show, is basically assassin thriller, but make it fashion. Capturing Jodie Comer’s chilling character, the beauty this season featured childlike double braids paired with a striking black lipstick. As for the clothes, there was a mix of utilitarian suiting, spy-esque jackets, and pastel evening wear paired with newsboy caps ideal for sleuthing. For the Max Mara woman, it was a fresh delve into workwear (hello Bermuda short suits) and slinky dresses for a night out. —Lauren Alexis Fisher
Prada
Prada's show notes point to a return to simplicity for Spring, "Reduction to an essence," it reads, "An antidote to complexity," it continues. If there are elements of a '20s flapper, or a '70s sophisticate, or '90s minimalist, it's incidental. This is a woman for right now, a modernist through and through. She wears a great jacket, a tiered, gauzy white dress, a leather skirt suit, a languid silk dress with embroidery—she knows who she is, and she likes to look smart. —Kerry Pieri
Alberta Ferretti
While Alberta Ferretti isn't always thought of first as a sustainable designer, she has been lauded with Ethical and Sustainable Awards. It's that kind of covert dedication to responsible practices the industry needs. Spring for the designer is about pieces that stand the rest of time, playful, boho-tinged mini skirts, trouser suits, and jumpsuits that refuse to look dated, and are always ready for a good vacation. —Kerry Pieri
Jil Sander
Clean, utterly un-fussy, simple, streamlined. Find your favorite synonym, but Jil Sander's Luke and Lucie Meier are not here for nonsense. Which isn't to say their Spring collection lacks interest. Subtle details like a lace like edging on a decidedly sexy wrap skirt, fringe on a floor-length white dress, exaggerated shoulders on an oxblood two-piece, add up to the sort of cool clothes women don't know they're yearning for until they see it. —Kerry Pieri
Versace
What's old is new again—but Donatella Versace proved with her Spring 2020 collection that she has no plans of veering away from fashion's forefront, while still staking claim on the brand's accomplishments of the past. The show began by hearkening back to basics: killer coats, sexy suiting, and sultry (as expected) takes on officewear and outerwear, all strutting through a scene where prints where projected on the walls, hinting at what was to come.
Then came the jungle prints, printed via a Google-provided technology on beaded cocktail looks, coats, pants, and more, with fluorescent options of the same ilk breaking them up in between. The jungle print was hard not to recognize. We so rarely think about the world before Instagram, and Versace's show asked us to take ourselves back, to the late '90s, when red carpets were paramount to street style and social media. One gown, above all, changed that game (and red carpet coverage) as we know it—Jennifer Lopez's jungle-printed Versace gown for the 2000 Grammy Awards. The gown was part of the inspiration behind Google Images, given the world's voracious desire to see it up-close, and Donatella's play with projections and smart printing acknowledged the brand's inspiration on modern technology with an ode to the past.
And then came the showstopper: The new, even more revealing (if you can imagine), version of the iconic jungle-print gown made its appearance—on J.Lo—as the show's finale, finally giving the gown the Instagram moment it deserved. —Carrie Goldberg
