Sparkling, Colorful Eveningwear Shines in Milan

In a Milan fashion season where power tailoring mingled with hyper-feminine sensual dressing, some designers offered dazzling sequins, feathers, loud prints and rich-looking fabrics for a more joyous return to dressing up.

As pandemic restrictions are eased if not entirely lifted, in most international countries, fashion creatives are betting customers are ready for the after-hours parties and cocktails of yore.

Over the past two years, Genny’s creative director Sara Cavazza Facchini tried to come up with more quotidian options, even decamping into activewear territory, but that was just not her style — she loves to add some sparkle here and sequin textures there.

For her fall collection, she felt confident enough that her front-rowers — local celebrities and international influencers — would be tapping into her loud fashion that she embraced it with gusto. Down the catwalk she paraded a few show-stopping looks — high slits, geometric bodices revealing the shoulders, allover colorful sequins, crystal mesh slipdresses. Also daywear options, think tailored suits, would easily transition to nighttime when paired with crystal mesh cropped tops.

“I’m expressing my femininity via a maximalist take on the ‘90s, even if daywear is there, I must admit I stepped on the gas with eveningwear options,” the designer said backstage.

Taking cue from a different era, Gianluca Capannolo’s fall collection had whiffs of old school elegance. He tempered his vintage-looking caftans à la Marta Marzotto and other style icons of the late ‘60s when A-listers would flock to the Piper club in Rome, via stunning geometric patterns, themselves developed by the designer who’s also a painter.

They were accessorized with recycled Marabou feather-trimmed scarves and were flanked by flapper jumpsuits sprouting fringes that came across as fun and youthful party attire.

Two years of pandemic hasn’t undermined Valentina Nervi’s wish to party, either. The founder of the Nervi brand presented another mood-boosting collection mixing sequins, feathers and bold colors.

In essential silhouettes, she focused on chromatic contrasts, as seen in a one-shoulder minidress in mauve trimmed with light blue feathers or a longer option juxtaposing fuchsia with red. In more intricate gowns — sexier in their cutouts or revealing draping — she spiced things up with Lurex fabrics or micro sequins.

Nervi also expanded her white offering, winking to brides-to-be. “We’re already doing well in that business with bachelorettes and wedding guests, so we thought it might be worth it to explore the bridal theme even more,” the designer said.

Be it a wedding or a simple soiree, her collection was an invitation to have fun. To be sure, all clothes came with a QR on the label redirecting to playlists curated by Nervi for different moments, including those dubbed “Party” and “After,” among others.

Music also marked the inaugural collection of Aniye Records, which creative director Alessandra Marchi unveiled with a runway show.

As Marchi’s goal is to enable women to dress as rock stars in their daily life, she designed a bold lineup encompassing gold tuxedos in oversize proportions, leather mini resses with a punkish attitude and gothic rock pieces mixing leather bodices with tulle ruffles for a dramatic effect. Highlights included long gowns and mini frocks covered in sequins, that either created a checkered motif or came in combinations of gold, silver and black.

Des Phemmes’ designer Salvo Rizza channeled a pop-tinged and girly aesthetic for his fall collection, highly decorative and filled with minidresses covered in floral-shaped embroideries and appliqués, tie-dye frocks cut on the bias trimmed and dotted in crystals and rhinestone-covered halter neck numbers.

Statement pieces were also included in Ramzen’s fall collection, which was inspired by earthy elements. The brand’s founder and creative director Abdul Al-Romaizan worked with textures — juxtaposing leather, tulle and chiffon — and played with geometries in evening gowns rendered both in energizing tangerine hues as well as black-and-white combinations.

For a modern take on occasion wear, Al-Romaizan also included a youthful look that paired a crop blouse embellished with a sequined geometrical pattern with a long, billowing skirt with high slits on the front.