MILAN (Reuters) – With a blooming rose catwalk, Italian fashion designer Anna Molinari dedicated her latest collection for label Blumarine to kindness on Friday, a virtue she said seemed “to belong to a time past”.
A model presents a creation from the Blumarine Spring/Summer 2020 collection during fashion week in Milan, Italy, September 20, 2019. REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo
Molinari, known for her feminine and romantic clothes, used plenty of pastel colors and bold pinks for the Spring/Summer 2020 womenswear line consisting of floaty dresses and floral printed or embroidered tops, skirts, shorts and trousers.
She opened the show with gold looks – a sequined top, dress and skirt – before introducing colorful crop tops and dresses in various lengths and styles, often decorated with cut-out floral patterns.
Molinari put roses, her favorite flower, on organza tops, chiffon dresses, hot pants and pencil skirts, and as shimmering sparkles on long crystal embroidered evening gowns.
A long trench coat and jeans were also embroidered with sparkles, while short satin slip dresses were trimmed with lace. Long silky gowns were draped at the front and cut out at the back. Molinari also put shimmering nets over some frocks.
“Kindness towards others without the need of raising the tone of voice; being kind at heart, gracious in manners and behavior,” Molinari said in show notes.
“This show celebrates an attitude of spontaneous, fresh sense of elegance – I have been inspired by the calm poetry of nature and by the ravishing world of flowers.”
This inspiration came namely in the colors Molinari chose – daisy yellow, jasmine white and azalea fuchsia. She also put animal prints on a top and long chiffon gown. There were also a few black outfits – a bustier top and floral printed creations.
Seeking to spread the message of kindness, Molinari presented five silk embroidered sweaters each spelling out the words “Sweetie”, “Cutie”, “Lovely”, “Smiley” and “Kind” that she said would go for sale on the brand’s site and at Blumarine’s Milan store after the show.
The designer herself wore a beige top with “Thank You” emblazoned on the front when she took the customary bow at the end of the show.
Designer David Lee presented his second runway show for Italian luxury goods maker Bottega Veneta on Friday evening, unveiling a line he said played with “proportion, soft structure cutting through tension and technique with a clean new ease”.
Lee opened the show with a simple one shouldered-black dress, before sending out models in leather designs and loose halter-neck tops printed with pineapples and monkeys.
There were shirt, ribbed and sparkly cowl neck dresses, light anoraks and belted trench coats while jackets had large pockets. Men wore oversized jackets and short suits.
The designs came in black, dark brown, orange, gold and different shades of blue.
Bottega Veneta is especially known for its woven bags, and Lee used that technique for slip-on heel shoes. Bags were large and usually slung over the shoulder though some models carried small clutches.
Milan Fashion Week is the third leg of the month-long catwalk calendar which began in New York and also includes London and Paris.
The Milan shows, where brands like Giorgio Armani, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci and Missoni are presenting their latest womenswear lines, run until Monday.
Reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; Editing by Kim Coghill