They say that wine gets better with age and it seems Giorgio Armani is following that rule, but in this case the flavor is getting lighter and younger. This collection was a small departure in that it introduced more color and a flirtier take on the Emporio Armani gal throughout.  But this new direction was particularly clear with his fur applications… tutti colori fox chubby jackets brought the house down, as did his monochrome passementerie jackets in raspberry and gun metal grey.

Mila Schön presented sleek, luxe sportswear this season with a crisp finish. She favored streamlined daywear,  delivering great pieces that were refreshing in their coloring and tactile qualities. The  fur details came in her outerwear, beautifully applied as trims for coats. Espeically notable was her chevron silver fox sleeveless coat. The crisp colors, kept to a minimum, gave the collection a coolness that was both chic and comfortable.

Whereas some labels are striving to look younger with each successive collection, Sportmax is getting tougher and looking more grown-up with each season. Sportmax is, first and foremost, good sportswear.  They are a “go to” label for great, fun coats or jackets. Their line-up of separates is a treasure trove. As much as we’d like to embrace the simplicity of their inspiration – martial arts uniforms - we can’t stop loving the toughness of the cuts and material choices, especially the way they mix them up.

Massimo Rebecchi presented a wide range of looks in a collection that was as varied as it was bourgeois. The pieces worked well as full looks or individually, which in turn expands on the collection’s marketability. The line-up embraced pale grey, praline/caramel and Bordeaux as a base with touches of rust, Prussian blue, rose and black. The fur touches were mainly geared to outerwear with a fair share of fur accessories.

Antonio Marras often gets a bad rap for pushing the envelope with his collections into a realm that many consider to be Costume. It is true that he takes his theme and runs with it. But in his defense, where were the detractors when John Galliano showed similarly fanciful creations? (As much as we loved his work, the looks were often more suitable for the Scalla in Milan than a Paris runway.) His fall 2012 collection is an exercise in reinterpreting the Kimono as he intelligently translated Japanese idiosyncrasies such as pattern mixing and patchwork. 

The latest Ter et Bantine collection surprised us in its sparseness and rawness. The collection referenced Anarchy, but to us it felt more en par with Dr. Gustav Jaeger’s philosophy, or a Steam Punk look void of Edwardian elements. Regardless, there was something really interesting about this collection and the approach it took with cuts and material choices. The collection felt a little more Dutch than Italian, but the apparent simplicity is actually misleading….the collection is much more complex than it initially appears.

Things at Emilio Pucci seems to be settling in rather well since Peter Dundas took to the helm. This fall 2012 collection was important for two key reasons – it redefined the clothing first, and didn’t rely solely on its iconic prints and colors. This line-up was much more drab if you are a color enthusiast, but exciting if you like edgy clothes. The Peek-a-Boo gowns were the perfect mix of  red carpet and Rock n’ Roll. The few color bursts were most visible in the Mongolian lamb chubby jackets.

Still more to come from Milan……