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Versace launches Milan Fashion Week fresh from Hollywood win

Jan 13, 2018 | 10:15 AM

MILAN — A triumphant outing at the Golden Globes primed Donatella Versace to help launch Milan Fashion Week menswear previews on Saturday.

Versace dressed three women for last Sunday’s awards show: Angelina Jolie, Saoirse Ronan, winner for best actress in a comedy, and star of the evening Oprah Winfrey, who wore a shape-hugging number to deliver her celebrated lifetime achievement award speech.

Versace has been riding a wave of appreciation since her September tribute show to her slain brother, fashion house founder Gianni Versace, reunited supermodels from the 1990s while highlighting some of the new generation’s top talent.

“It is appreciation for Gianni, but maybe also a little for me,” she said backstage before her show in Milan.

Here are some highlights from the first day of Milan Fashion Week, which also included fall-winter menswear shows by Emporio Armani, newcomer Isabel Benenato, Marni and Dolce & Gabbana:

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DOLCE & GABBANA’S KING OF ANGELS

It was a bling call at Dolce & Gabbana.

The designing duo of Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana constructed a Baroque Sicilian church façade as the background for their “King of Angels” collection. The show opened with a tableau of young stars in formalwear, including elaborately embroidered military-style jackets and floral suits, walking beneath a pair of cherubs.

The colorful knitwear looked inspired by church ceilings, and angelic visages also graced motorcycle jackets. Dolce & Gabbana, as usual, offered a range of looks, from formal suits to suits layered with furry jackets. And they employed light-heartedness and humour with heart-shaped backpacks, as well as one that looked like a golden puppet peeking over the wearer’s shoulder.

The designers also emblazoned slogans such as “Time of Change” and “Love is Love” across beanies and waistbands. Nothing on the runway made the slogans’ meanings explicit, although both could be interpreted as calls for new attitudes.

Colombian singer Maluma closed out the show in a glittering silver suit to match his stage presence.

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EMPORIO ARMANI’S

Arching zippers, tufts of fur and smooth velvet gave zest to Emporio Armani’s youthful tailoring for next winter and fall.

While silhouettes mostly were relaxed, the palette was dark, albeit geared toward the fun end of deep with black, navy and slate giving way to mauve, other blues and shades tinged with purple.

Floral patterns and hypnotic repeating graphics complemented the flowing silhouette of open jackets and easy trousers. Swirls of colour also burst forth on alpaca knitwear in soothing blues and icy greens.

Designer Giorgio Armani has forsworn using real animal fur in all his lines, winning praise from animal rights activists. The fur accents on the boots and detachable dyed collars therefore were surely faux. A series of furry black coats were rendered from curly-haired sheepskin, according to the press release, and there were only pony-effect goatskin jackets.

Zippers were deployed with frivolity across knitwear, inviting the playful to detach, or along sleeves, giving a cape-like feel when opened. Trousers were tapered, most elaborately so with a button cuff. Pants were mostly relaxed for daytime leisure and evening events, but tight for the sleek business suits worn tieless.

Velvet worked for day or evening, as casual wear in bomber jackets or elegant suits. Gloves were the accessories of the choice, but the 83-year-old Armani is not abiding the smartphone-driven trend of returning to the fingerless gloves of the 1980s. All of the designer’s gloves were perfectly winter-proof.

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NO FUR

Animal rights activists made their presence known during Milan Fashion Week, with several dozen attempting to block access to the Marni preview.

The show went on, running late as the fashion world is wont with or without protests. One fur-wearing fashionista endured a shower of verbal abuse as he ducked into the show at the last minute, but no violence was reported.

Animal rights activists have claimed victories recently, with Armani and Gucci being among the latest to commit to not using animal furs in future collections. Brands like Marni, which was born out of a family fur business, have a tougher line to tread.

Still, the runway show by Francesco Risso, in his second year, included only one obvious animal skin reference, and that was a shearling coat.

Colleen Barry, The Associated Press