'These clothes are creative tools for telling the story of a new woman whose personality strongly conveys unambiguous and conscious femininity,' Alberta Ferretti's press notes explained before the show.
There's that phrase again: 'unambiguous femininity.' It's a phenomenon we called in our September issue and has been a major theme this month, playing out in New York, London and now Milan.
What this means for your wardrobe is an onslaught of frills in every shape and form: from big, romantic latin-inspired flamenco skirts to folksy, artisanal dresses to ethereal, princess-y fare. No matter what the mood, there's a flourish and a flounce for you. And Milan is broadening the options even more.
Hyper-femininity has always been Alberta Ferretti's bread and butter. But she shook things up by working in rustic, Western elements like chunky cowboy belts, leather bandeaus and masculine tailoring that actually added a slight degree of toughness to her sweet skirts and dresses.
The multi-tiered maxi skirt, long a summertime staple, also had a big moment here. Incredibly easy to wear and infinitely copyable, expect to see versions of these all over the high street.
At Roberto Cavalli, meanwhile, a different side of the Wild West was on the brain with Peter Dundas giving the brand's trademark bohemian fare a Native American twist. That meant patchwork flared denim, long Seventies-inspired fringing, and wildly flowing dresses in a collage of graphic silks and yes, dramatic cascading ruffles.
