Containment wins the departure to exuberance at Milan Fashion Week

“Existencialismo en un hotel de lujo”. Así definieron los críticos literarios la obra, y sobre todo la vida, de Françoise Sagan. Esa mezcla de intelectualidad y hedonismo, de gustos caros y cierto desdén por lo material que tan bien encarnaba la autora ha servido de punto de partida a Ian Griffiths, director creativo de Max Mara, para imaginar su colección de la próxima primavera. A fin de cuentas, la marca italiana ocupa en el imaginario colectivo una posición equidistante entre la sobriedad y la exclusividad, una especie de lujo cerebral que, como Sagan, estiliza la profundidad. “Además, este último año todos nos hemos vuelto un poco más existencialistas”, dice Griffiths. Pero en su propuesta no hay melancolía, tampoco una lectura literal y estereotipada de la burguesía rebelde. Max Mara imagina a la Sagan del siglo XXI con un repertorio de nuevos básicos lujosos: donde antes hubo camisas marineras, jerséis de cachemir y gabardinas masculinas, ahora hay suéteres de cortes estructurados, abrigos fluidos de colores luminosos, faldas de punto ligero y sutiles vestidos de plumas que enfatizan el movimiento. Un armario que conjuga esplendor y contención y logra en cierto modo lo que otras firmas buscan: generar deseo a través de una complicada sencillez.

The rebellion was also the starting point of Kim Jones in his second collection of Prêt à Porter for Fendi.In his case, the French bohemia did not be embodied, but the cultural life of the New York of the seventies.Investigating the archives of Karl Lagerfeld, the designer met the logo who created one of the faithful collaborators of the Kaiser for the house in his early years, the illustrator Antonio Lopez: irreverent artist, night agitator and pioneer in visible the queer culture.The strokes he drew for Fendi resurrect today in the form of prints."The new generations have to know their work"Create for Dior's male line, of which he is also an artistic director.A strange translation to the present of a story, that of the years of New York hedonism, too revisited to be able to rescue something purely original from it.

For fun without clipping, cavalli.In fact, its creative director, Fausto Puglisi, rejects the classic concept of inspiration."I prefer to talk about attitude and emotions than specific creative concepts," he says on the phone.Its collection, how could it be otherwise, is an ode to the animal print (tiger head included) that does not accept double readings: from the tight and tiny dress to the miriñaque skirts, yours is a succession of excessive and eclectic graphic motifs"They express the desire to party and enjoy again," says Puglisi.

At the other extreme, that of the silent revolution, Giorgio Armani has been installed almost half a century.On the second day of Milanese parades, the designer celebrates 40 years of Emporio Armani with an exhibition curated by himself and a parade that reviews some of the brand's milestones, one of the first author's teachings that decided to bet on accessible prices.Dressing everyone is still the maximum of Armani, who has once again resulted what he knows how to do, functional and easy to wear that makes the difference through subtle nuances, such as Denim's tailoring or the decent pattern shirts.But this time there has been a great novelty: together with Giorgio they have greeted after the show Leo Dell Orco, creative director of the male line, which already appeared in the man's parade, and Silvana Armani, niece of the creator and in charge of theWomen's line.Succession rumors sound in the Italian house.

Unlike New York and London, which have raised the return to the catwalks as a celebration full of daring and markedly optimistic collections, in the first two days of Milan Fashion Week there has been more containment than excess than excess.Alberta Ferretti has also op.Until number 21, who has always played his best asset with color combinations, he has preferred to dye most of his white collection.It may not be necessary to change to face this restart, or look for alternatives to approach a hypothetical new consumer.Italian teachings, for now, prefer to feel comfortable on their skin and continue betting on what they know how to do.As much as a new relationship with the aesthetics and use of garments, perhaps in fashion few things have changed.