What is the purpose of luxury fashion in 2024? Designers at Milan Fashion Week seemed acutely aware of this question looming over their heads this season, playing it safe amid a backdrop of war and economic uncertainty. Far from endorsing excess and leaning into the semi-annual celebrity spectacle, the fall/winter 2024 collections were largely reductionist in scale, with luxury houses like Gucci and Max Mara leaning towards minimalism while Tod’s and Ferragamo focused on the finer details of their collections to draw larger conclusions about the state of the world.
Many creative directors showed restraint this time around, instead turning the spotlight onto technical execution and their brands’ legacies. If anything, with the ongoing pressure on these designers to drive sales in an unstable economy, many of them also seemed to be staging a creative protest against the unending demands which capitalism puts on all of us. It’s a nice little reminder that fashion, at its best, shouldn’t distract from the chaos happening all around us. Rather, as this season goes to show, it reflects that chaos back on us, forcing us to confront ourselves in a way which we rarely get to do outside the realm of style and self-expression.
FENDI
Sexy sweaters and seductive prints dominate at Fendi.
Bundle up this winter because Kim Jones is making sweaters sexy again. Fendi may have toned it down on the colours front, but made up for that in ample measure with its collection of silk prints, sheer underwear-like outerwear, and sweaters styled in just about every way imaginable for its fall/winter 2024 show.
What we love about Fendi under Jones so far is that it defies trends by leaning on tradition, season after season. There’s a running undercurrent which offers modern Fendi a vintage quality, giving the Italian luxury house’s collections an inimitable sense of continuity. Take the presence of balaclava-like hoods throughout this collection for example, which hearkens back to the grunge, rebellious punk rock of the ’80s. Or the statuesque prints shown across silk dresses, tops and sweaters, which pay homage to Fendi’s Roman roots. It’s also a nod to pop culture’s Renaissance references over the decades. These are garments which make the trendy look timeless.
There’s also the unquestionable influence of Japanese designers like Yohji Yamamoto and Issey Miyake, who forever changed the fashion landscape by introducing Oriental aesthetics to luxury markets. Much like these designers, one thing Fendi has always done well is make the austere look sensual, and that is unmistakably evident with the collection’s opening look. It isn’t Fendi if it isn’t well-cut, and the circular bodice is, well, divinely so. Is she a coat or is she a dress? We really can’t say. The beauty of it is it could somewhat go either way. There are other exquisitely-tailored kimono-like coats in the collection, too, which show that robes can actually be flattering and elongating for the feminine silhouette.
Lastly, two of the biggest, somewhat contradictory fashion trends as of late get the Fendi treatment for fall/winter 2024: quiet luxury and sheer (some would say naked) dressing. There’s a plethora of sexy sweaters to choose from, but instead of the preppy cardigan tied loosely around the shoulders from last season, you get cropped sweaters, off-the-shoulder sweaters, even sweaters with a missing sleeve, exuding the same level of irreverence which best exemplifies the quiet luxury trend. Except here, they are worn over silky sheer skirts and trousers, which are in turn styled over tights. All of which posits Kim Jones’s overall message with this collection quite nicely: it can be sexy not to show skin. A little mystery goes a long way.
MAX MARA
Max Mara reimagines the modern working woman’s wardrobe with power moves in mind.
Max Mara was a feminist brand long before feminism became cool. That legacy can be felt this season more than ever, as Creative Director Ian Griffiths returns with a collection which does what Max Mara does best: impeccable suiting, sleek, sensual elegance, and, of course, beautiful coats—and lots of them.
On a fashion week calendar often filled with larger-than-life designer personalities and over-the-top shows, Max Mara’s key strength has always lied in letting the clothes speak for themselves; keeping things simple yet sharp in their tailoring. Look no further than Griffiths’ wide-lapeled jackets designed to expose the collarbone, or blazers and coats cinched so neatly at the waist that the pleats of the fabric fold near-perfectly across the bodice.
Griffiths, who keeps a personal profile as low-key as his designs, has always drawn on female historical figures for inspiration for his collections, particularly those who exude the confidence and quiet rebellious streak which defines the Max Mara woman. For fall/winter 2024, he looked to the work of French author Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, who became one of the most celebrated writers of her generation. It is her style, though, so deftly captured in the 2018 biopic about her life starring Keira Knightley, which warrants discussion this season, as today’s fashionistas embrace similarly-exaggerated padded-shoulder power suits, big fur coats and the mob wife aesthetic—befitting of the Max Mara legacy.
While Colette’s heyday may have fallen decades before mob wife fashion peaked in the ’90s, what really ties the two together here is that this collection is about powerful women. Across a limited colour palette of black, beige and dark blue, Griffiths unlocks a whole spectrum of power, from the larger silhouettes—think larger-than-life coats which fall to the floor like gowns—down to the finest details (accessories like big sunglasses, briefcase-like bags, high-heeled booties and even opera gloves).
In true feminist fashion, it’s a promising proposition which Max Mara puts forth here this season, that power dressing comes from leaning into our inner power rather than searching elsewhere for it. As women, we are so often made to think that we have to shape-shift into something different to stay beautiful, trendy, popular, young, and so forth. But the key strength of Max Mara’s brand identity goes to show that when you know what you do best, you don’t need to go and reinvent yourself every season to stay relevant. In fact, when the clothes are this well-tailored, you won’t even think twice.
EMPORIO ARMANI
Emporio Armani transports us to winter wonderland.
With over 80 looks to pick and choose from, it’d be hard not to have a favourite from Emporio Armani’s fall/winter 2024 collection. From the padded shoulders and boxy silhouettes of the ’80s to the bedazzled glam of the noughties, the range spans the many decades Giorgio Armani himself has been in business, ruminating at the top of his game—and all the trends which captured what the youths were wearing in those years gone by.
Indeed, the magic of youth is what captivated us at Armani’s show on Thursday afternoon, which first took us through a constellation of bright colours, shiny fabrics and sharp suits before ending the night in a flurry of artificial snow—nothing screams youth more than frolicking (and freezing) in the cold wearing little more than a sheer top and trousers. You could almost certainly tell Armani looked to the stars for inspiration—there was no need for stargazing in the night sky (or the front row, for that matter) with all the twinkly stars being used on the runway.
The Armani brand has always excelled at creating clothes which celebrate classic Italian fashion on all sides of the spectrum, from minimalist suiting to maximalist gowns (Armani is, after all, credited with revolutionising the red carpet fashion-celebrity phenomenon as we know it today). There were colourful fur coats and jumpers worn over velvet trousers, casual suits which looked oh so fun, poofy organza shirts, crystal embellishments and not a small number of whimsical dresses.
But underneath the big silhouettes and layers of textures, the best part about Armani is that the brand still remains beautifully down to earth. The suits and trousers were well-tailored but looser and more relaxed, made for comfort and wearability. The dresses were attention-grabbing, for sure, but not attention-seeking. And even the final run of looks, shown with all that manufactured snow flying around, didn’t feel like a gimmick at all, as it so easily could’ve. Talk about being fully absorbed by that Armani magic. With the diversity of looks on display this season, it’s safe to say there’s something for everyone in the Armani galaxy.
MOSCHINO
Moschino finds hope in uncertainty.
Fashion insiders know they can always count on Moschino for a good time—loud, unapologetic, carefree fun. It’s tragic then, that the past few months for the house have been anything but; Davide Renne, who was named creative director last year after the departure of longtime showrunner Jeremy Scott, unexpectedly passed away just nine days into the job.
Quite a heavy start for Renne’s successor. But Adrian Appiolaza, as few seasoned designers can do, transformed that tragedy into something fresh and forward-looking, presenting a collection that was more than just upbeat or light-hearted. If fashion is a form of social commentary responding to the times we live in, then you could say Appiolaza’s message came through loud and clear. There was a sweater-dress which read ‘Peace’ and a shirt-dress with a giant question mark. But there was also the classic smiley face, a Moschino motif pulled straight from the archives, smiling wide as can be in spite of it all. A potent sign to grin and bear it, perhaps?
Indeed, if Appiolaza himself had any doubts about whether or not he could deliver under pressure, you wouldn’t be able to tell from the parade of quirky, quintessentially Moschino pieces on display here. Beyond racing against time to create this collection,, these creations were bold and confident in their undone quality, as if to say there is something quite extraordinary about the human condition—our capacity for immense creativity, and joy, in even the most trying of times.
There’s the frumpy, grumpy woman carrying her bag of groceries to open the show, the man walking about with his suspenders unfastened, the woman who doesn’t seem to know (or care) that we can so clearly see her underwear right through her sheer skirt. A diverse cast of very real, everyday people with everyday struggles who we can easily imagine running into out on the streets. If all any of us can do is hope for a better future, I’d reason that we should be wearing these clothes while doing it. As Appiolaza must’ve felt when making this collection, hope means braving the world under any circumstances to make the most of what time you have left.
TOD'S
Tod’s takes the 9-5 commuter as inspiration.
Despite Tod’s distinctive Italian history, it has a very American-sounding name—so American, in fact, that the name itself was actually pulled straight out of a phone book in Boston. It’s no wonder then, that the house’s reputation for high-quality leather and sleek Italian style sensibilities has become a major hit with white-collar workers on the other side of the Atlantic over the decades.
That trans-Atlantic relationship was front of mind Friday morning as newly-appointed director Matteo Tamburini transported us to Milan’s largest tram depot, surrounded by century-old streetcars, to present his fall/winter 2024 collection for the house. Yes, we were in Milan, but we also easily could’ve been stuck in traffic deep inside the NYC subway network waiting for our next (late) train; the two cities’ style codes couldn’t be more different, but the daily struggle of getting up and going to work—and trying to look good while doing it—remains all the same.
The point here being that Tod’s does manage to make going to work look good for fall/winter 2024. Our favourite looks from the collection came down to undeniably corporate items, from belts with shiny hardware to large leather totes—even leather metro card lanyards. But what captured our attention most was the distinctively Western feel, with fashion influences from the American frontier. Not the obvious signifiers, per se—there were no cowboy boots or even the suggestion of a hat in sight—but the spirit was there, in the fringe details on shoes and jackets, the double-collared shirting, and the belt details which could’ve been pulled straight from the rodeo.
Never mind then that the use of leather—and well-crafted, durable outerwear meant to stand the test of time—also has deep roots in clothes from the working-class Wild West. The collection is an excellent callback to Tod’s own working-class roots, having grown steadily from a humble family-run shoemaker into a major luxury powerhouse over the past century. Tamburini was tasked with sparking a shift in creative direction for the brand here, and he surely did so by returning back to the basics of what makes Tod’s craftsmanship so special. Maybe by wearing a pair of Tod’s impeccably well-made, well-fitted loafers, walking to work doesn’t have to feel so bad.
GUCCI
Gucci sticks to its subversive vision of simplicity.
For fall/winter 2024, de Sarno’s show notes again appear as a love letter to the art of fashion, a craft which many may participate in but few take quite as seriously as he does. There have been mixed feelings about his “less is more” approach for the brand, which stands in stark contrast to that of his more eccentric predecessor, Alessandro Michele. But the minimalist wardrobe staples of shorts suits, slip dresses and slingback platforms which make up this season’s collection revealed the irony in that criticism. In continuing to pare back on Gucci’s theatrical value, he has dialled up the classic glamour Gucci is known for. He has, like it or not, made Gucci relatable again.
This creative vision can be seen most clearly in the glistening embellishments stitched onto the bottom half of his opening coats, the intricate beadwork on the bottom half of his cardigans, or the careful construction, embroidery and layering of lace across slip dresses. There were plenty of memorable patterns, the repetition of which de Sarno referred to as “subversive acts,” from Gucci’s signature interlocking Gs to retro-inspired graphics printed and woven across his boxy overcoats. All of which can only point to a designer who obsesses over protecting his craft, who thinks big by starting small.
From gothic Gucci to hot pink Gucci (Barbiecore isn’t dead!), there were plenty of looks which showed us that Gucci can be both simple and beautiful, and that de Sarno’s straightforward, streamlined vision for the brand deserves more room to breathe. While many are still getting used to what this new Gucci looks like, it’s worth remembering that sometimes the most radical changes are minimal in their outlook, and must slowly strip back the layers of what we know to uncover something newer and greater. As the designer himself hinted at in the show notes, the only truly subversive yet radical act in this world is to continue staying true to yourself.
FERRAGAMO
Ferragamo finds freedom in making old design codes look young again.
Ferragamo has been undergoing a renaissance of freedom as of late thanks to its buzzy creative director Maximilian Davis, who despite several seasons already at the helm, hasn’t even hit 30 yet. As it often goes for heritage brands seeking to reach a younger audience, Ferragamo entrusted Davis with both a mandate and a challenge: to define the relationship the next generation of consumers shares with luxury fashion and redefine what Ferragamo will mean for them.
It’s no small feat that one of the youngest designers overseeing a major luxury house today has found success by revisiting and revitalising old house codes, which many designers attempt out of respect and recognition but few actually accomplish as a manner of reinvention. As Davis did in previous seasons, he took the 1920s as his reference point for the fall/winter 2024 collection, presenting a few flapper girl dresses and many a drop waist dress amid a sea of military-esque olive green pieces and large quilted leather belts, reinterpreting them as bold, resolute statement pieces for another “lost generation” of sorts.
Davis’s immense reverence for Ferragamo’s past manifests in a deep appreciation for technique, using the brand’s most well-known materials—silk and leather—in the most innovative of ways. Some of his best looks make the classical look sensual, such as a purple silk-satin dress which appeared moulded onto the body or the sheer numbers in black and yellow, that took the quilted belt motif and melded it beautifully into the fabric to sit naturally amongst the dresses’s pleats and folds. Another beautiful party dress combined the best of both worlds, with the silk, sculptural layer on top contrasting with a sheer bottom layer hemmed with fringe, while two stand-out looks transformed leather into scales reminiscent of fish skin.
Thigh-high shorts and leg slits also abound across the collection, akin to the growing liberation of women’s fashion which most associate with the roaring twenties, a century-old reference at the best time. Amid growing economic and sociopolitical uncertainty in the world, which has undoubtedly put a damper on the financial outlook of luxury brands, many of us have turned to times past for both inspiration and reflection on how to best move forward in times of turmoil, be it pandemic or war. Just as the flappers of the roaring twenties resolved to dance and party like there was no tomorrow, surely freedom, as Davis posits, is letting the very best of the past guide you through whatever changes and challenges tomorrow may bring.
DOLCE&GABBANA
Many designers seeking to make their mark at fashion week will try to say too much with too little. Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, after their many decades in business, have seen too many short-lived trends and occasional controversies come and go to make that mistake—which is why for fall/winter 2024, the designer duo built their entire collection around the timeless tuxedo as a simple, singular concept.
Dolce and Gabbana are among the few designers today still working primarily for their namesake brand which they founded, nearly forty years ago, in 1985. As such, there’s not only a plethora of archival material to work with here, but the depth of personal insight required of designers who have the privilege of revisiting and renewing their very own trademarks. Try crafting 64 original variations on the same theme as opposed to 64 different looks with little tying it all together, and you’ll see the obvious challenge in what we’re talking about here.
The tuxedo, at its baseline, is deeply technical in its tailoring, and thus a fitting platform on which Dolce and Gabbana can play out their sartorial strengths, made no less impressive by their eye for extravagant details. Satin flourishes elevated lacy undergarments from lingerie staples into elegant evening wear, while the cinched-waist silhouette afforded by tuxedo jackets was created in a myriad of ways. Of course, it wouldn’t be Dolce&Gabbana without some leopard print and ruffled feathers here and there, some flair of eighties excess, but even these deviations didn’t take away from the excellent construction underneath.
Substance over style—a pleasant surprise from a brand whose image may, on occasion, get clouded by the larger celebrity clout in its orbit (who could forget the Kardashian-Barker wedding of 2022?). But need we forget that the inherent sex appeal of Dolce&Gabbana lies in their clothes rather than the celebrities who wear them. The designer duo brought us back down to earth with Saturday’s offering. Taking a traditionally masculine status symbol and then taking it apart to form a womenswear collection isn’t necessarily a radical or groundbreaking concept in fashion today, but Dolce&Gabbana doesn’t need it to be. Better to do right by the basics than to overpromise, and underdeliver.