The 4 biggest moments from Milan Fashion Week

As we move into the final week of a much-anticipated SS20 Fashion Month, Milan Fashion Week provided us with some of the standout runway moments of the season so far.

Moschino takes inspiration from Picasso

Complete with painted hair and gilt framed entrances, there was no mistaking where designer Jeremy Scott had taken his inspiration from for his SS20 showing. Turning his models into literal works of art, Scott’s designs lived up to his ever-kitschy and OTT aesthetic, but this time, with a Picasso-inspired edge. From the subtle to the extremely literal (a Pierrot clown and a cubist guitar dress all made an appearance), while not the most wearable collection, Moschino’s was certainly one of the most exciting.

J.Lo in Versace

20 years after she first wore the iconic green jungle dress (and spurred the creation of Google Images in the process), Jennifer Lopez stormed the runway in the exact dress, in what will perhaps be the social media moment of the year. Closing the show, Donatella Versace’s voice came over the room, using the latest Google Assistant technology to say “OK Google, show me the real dress” before J.Lo confidently strutted past the floundering phone flashes of the front row. A masterclass in making Instagram do the work for you.

A mental health protest at Gucci

In an otherwise very chic but uneventful Gucci show, the headlines rose from model Ayesha Tan Jones’ move to stage a protest while on the runway. Gucci’s SS20 show featured models wearing white straitjackets, in what Creative Director Alessandro Michele said were “the most extreme version of a uniform dictated by society and those who control it.”

This pushed model Tan Jones, who has previously suffered from mental health issues, to show their dislike of the designs, with the words “mental health is not fashion” written on their palms. Gucci later stated that the garment was taken out of context and was part of a broader concept about breaking free, and the straitjackets would not be available for purchase.

Timeless style at Prada

Sustainable and ethical fashion were again the buzzwords of the week at Milan, with many designers following in their NY and LDN counterparts’ footsteps in making moves to a more sustainable output of fashion. Prada, one of 32 brands to sign up to the Fashion Pact last month, moved their focus to timeless, classic pieces that can be reworn again and again, rather than a trend-led runway of disposable fashion. After the show, Creative Director Miuccia Prada said of the decision “In this moment where there is excess and too much, and everybody is complaining that there’s too much fashion, too much clothes — I tried to work so that the person is more important than the clothes and the fashion.”

Featured image: Jason Lloyd Evans

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