In case you missed it – Lord knows I almost did – here are some quick bullet points (with the exception of Armani) of the most notable shows that went down in Milan Fashion Week Fall 2020. I’ve included video of each show, so feel free to stay awhile and enjoy!
Giorgio Armani
After cancelling his live runway show and streaming it online to avoid the Covid-19 outbreak, the 85 year-old designer made headlines a second time within days. After his Emporio show, he gave an impromptu speech to reporters, which started strong and then … well, you’ll see:
“I am tired of hearing about trends. They are nothing. I want to improve the woman who lives now. There’s all this musing about the past as a trend, but I don’t agree with it at all, so please stop writing about trends … Write about what [Alessandro] Michele did at Gucci, what Miuccia Prada did at Prada and what I am doing, but let’s not play this game. You should get to the bottom of it, what is the thinking behind what we do. Stop being dominated by raving about the Nineties [as an example]. I am at a moment when I can say what I think.”
He had me cheering at this point. Y’all know I’m ALL ABOUT the art underneath the trends. It needed to be said. I was convinced Mr. Armani and I were nothing if not soulmates.
But then he kept talking.
“There is so much talk about women being raped, but women today are regularly ‘raped’ by designers … I am thinking of certain ads where women are shown in a provocative way, half naked, and many women feel pressured into looking like that. That for me is rape. It’s unbefitting. Look around, they think that by wearing black leggings and a bomber they become modern. Excuse my outburst and the strong words, but I felt like I had to say this.”
This, understandably, more than grated the nerves of journalists and observers around the globe. There is a lot to unpack there, and it surely deserves its own article, but at the very least it minimizes sexual violence against women and suggests that we have no agency in choosing how to present ourselves.
Off of the soulmate list, onto the sh*t list, Mr. Armani, although he may be lower on my list than his Italian counterparts Dolce and Gabbana. Let’s say he’s at the gate of purgatory to my sh*t list, while D&G bounces between the 5th circle of hell (anger), the 6th (heresy) and the 9th (treachery) – placements are, obvi, subject to change.
By the way – his Giorgio show was glorious. Velvet, jewel tones, the whole nine yards. And Covid-19 free (so far).
Armani quote via WWD.
Versace
Cultivating confidence in a world of digital distortion.
Moschino
A hilarious, not-so-subtle commentary on the top 1% of the top 1% (by the top 1%). Did I mention that I had cake for lunch?
Gucci
An unsettling portrait of the passage of time (and actually the stuff of my nightmares – that said, it’s a genius collection).
Marni
Finding beauty in worn things (worn as in used, but I suppose also as literally worn), intersected with a continuation of the sustainability in fashion movement.
There you have it! Quick takes on Milan Fashion Week Fall 2020.
A lengthy thesis on culture, gender, time, climate, etc could be written about any of these (and believe me, I was tempted). Which sticks out to you as having a strong message?
love
Stig
