Sign up today and save 1000s of items from landfill
Milan Fashion Week is known for the spectacular. Brands go above and beyond to ensure they are breaking the internet. Check out their most iconic moments.
News
4 Mins
READ TIME

Fashion Week Guide: Milan

Lewis Findley
Lewis Findley

Milan Fashion Week Guide

After London Fashion Week, attention turns to Italy.

Renowned for their food, wine, travel, cars, fashion and more, they are a hub for creativity that influences the world over.

Milan Fashion Week epitomises this. Home to fashion shows renowned for being spectacular, it's become a fantastic platform to be the talk of the fashion world.

Just ask Versace. Their homage to their founder is still talked about today! 

In this Milan Fashion Week Guide, you'll learn about the history, the glamour and the moments which left us in awe. 

The History of Milan Fashion Week

Milan Fashion Week dates back to 1958 and is now organised by the National Chamber for Italian Fashion.

They strive to promote Italian fashion by managing the shows at fashion week.

In that time, Italian Fashion has grown into an integral part of the calendar and joins LFW, NYFW and PFW as the 'Big Four'.

What to Expect at Milan Fashion Week

As you know, Milan is known for being one of the most glamorous events of the "Big Four" and a perfect opportunity to steal the headlines.

Designers have taken full advantage of this by cementing their shows in history.

Stunning locations such as the Duomo Cathedral, the courtyard of Sforza Castle and even the Milan stock exchange building have been used in the past as backdrops for fashion shows.

It's impossible to know what to expect as a designer will be planning something to give their brand that special something. However, we picked out some of the all-time favourites to give you an idea!

Iconic Moments at Milan Fashion Week

Versace, Moschino and Ralph Lauren feature in the list but how did they take over fashion week?

Versace - Freedom! 

The term supermodel goes back to the 40s with the timeless Lisa Fonssagrives. Later, Dorian Leigh and Gia Carangi attracted the term before it became inevitable with the likes of Janice Dickinson, Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss and others. 

In 1991, Gianni Versace noticed the growing power of 5 individuals. With the help of Liz Tilberis, he devised a plan to bring together Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Carla Bruni, Helena Christensen and Claudia Schiffer for his 1991 Spring/Summer fashion show. 

The models were crushing everything in their path but there was more to come. At the end of the show, they grouped together to lip synch 'Freedom' by George Michael and waltzed themselves into the history books of Fashion with delicate grace. 

Ralph Lauren's Car Garage Fashion Show

Fusing high luxury with high-performance cars sounds like a crazy idea but it actually works!

American fashion designer, Ralph Lauren has an enviable car collection which rivals that of the Prince of Monaco. 

During the fashion show, he had the holy trinity of hypercars (McLaren P1, LaFerrari and Porsche 918 Spyder) all lined up as models donned the catwalk around them. 

Before we get further into the cars, the video below will explain the reasoning behind this fusion.

Not bad, Ralph. Bravo.

Moschino's Flower Power

Moschino is famed for his spectacular shows and didn't disappoint with this one.

His fashion show featured a runway reminiscent of a rose garden and was the brainchild of the highly creative Jeremy Scott. The models were adorned with an array of blossoms. 

Highlights included Anna Cleveland who donned the catwalk in a dress-shaped flower. Other designs included sculptural orchids or a lily. Gigi Hadid gave us a finale to remember when she was dressed in a bouquet of flowers!

What was your favourite outfit? The bouquet of flowers steals it for us!

Versace - The Supermodel Reunion

The Supermodel five came back to mark the 20th anniversary of Gianni Versace's death.

Carla Bruni, in place of Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, Cindy Crawford and Helena Christensen came together to perform a stunning catwalk in celestial gowns and wowed crowds. 

They were each given an individual welcome before posing in a photo. They were joined by Donatella Versace who devised the whole plan!

As far as fashion shows go, this was one of the greatest. 

Moschino - Welcome to The Car Wash!

Moschino is back again with an audacious show for his 2016 Spring/Summer collection.

Upping the ante, he became one of the highlights of the whole week when Jeremy Scott turned the set into a carwash with barricades, traffic cones and even bubbles!

A fantastic show for the creative designer. What can we expect next time?

Final Words

Milan Fashion Week continues to amaze us with shows which cemented itself in fashion history. What was your favourite? 

Head over to the comments and let us know!

For us it was the 20th anniversary Versace show. A dearly missed designer, his influence lives on.

With the finale taking place in Paris for Paris Fashion Week, which fashion house are you looking forward to? Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent?