The super niche trend takeaways from Milan Fashion Week

Soldier slay

Although Gucci has welcomed its new creative director Sabato de Sarno, following Alessandro Michele’s departure in November, the design team fronted this FW23 collection in Milank. Gucci looked to the future while retaining the best elements of their past designs, resulting in a series of dystopian-style soldiers that took to the runway. Bedazzled bralettes, maxi skirts, leather gloves, casual trenches, and oversized jeans were scattered across the collection, but the home run for Gucci was their interpretation of a Guardsman hat. The tall faux fur hat was paired with a sheer blue long-sleeve, lavender tights, and a gold embellished midi skirt – a modern and feminine take on the ceremonial uniform bearskin. A later interpretation saw the same style of hat, this time in an elegant nude hue with its ends dipped in black. Their saving grace had to be the super exaggerated shoulder fittings and fuzzy headwear that have done nothing but inspire the inner soldier in us all. Whilst many feel Gucci may be waging a war against fashion with this hit-and-miss collection (with comments on their Insta including “RIP Gucci. Snooze fest”), we remain satisfied with their little unintentional nods to British culture with raindrop motifs and super chic feathery headgear.

Get the look: It may be an offence to steal a fur hat from a British Guardsman in London (you must have seen on TikTok just what they do to the people who stand in their way), but you can still get the Gucci look at home with your own hat and an old faux fur coat. Get the scissors out, pile the faux fur on top of your hat with your favourite trusty superglue brand, and wait to dry. Simple. Pair with the nearest sheer nude sequin dress or mesh top and some pastel tights. Alternatively, a fur hat leftover from this winter with a glittery bra could make for the perfect ode to Gucci.

No-heel heels

GCDS took to Milan Fashion Week with the creative director Guiliano Calza setting a huge animatronic version of Luna P from Sailor Moon at the beginning of the catwalk. The character watched over the runway as pink tweed coats, canary yellow bow dresses, super high-waisted trousers, zoot suits with chunky ties, and a common theme of offbeat proportions took to the runway. But our attention was drawn to the brand’s shoes, which almost felt a little like something Gaga would have worn in 2010… in a good way. With a series of unconventional designs, including knee-high metallic boots, studded loafers, and sharp stilettos, their no-heel heels design was the star of the show for the Italian label. Whilst many claim heels are back, Calza is setting the standard for the new heel-less design to be outlandishly tall in their platforms, super sharp-toed, and knee-high. 

Get the look: Though we may be fiending for a pair of GCDS originals, the easiest way to get the ingenious Claza look is to simply remove the heel of your platform boots. Pair with a suave overcoat, a layered tweed ensemble, and an impeccable sense of balance for the night ahead. 

A day to knight look

Though we may be showing on the runways of Italy, Blumarine proved that some of our heads are still in France as they pulled inspiration from patron saint Joan of Arc for their Milan FW23 presentation. Peasant girl turned military leader, the medieval icon switched Blumarine from their usually flirty approach to design into an intense and slightly erotic affair. Metallic fabrics and tight mini dresses with draping frills took hold of the models, as floor-length shearling coats and heavy buckles separated some of the more feminine eveningwear looks with fiercer-edged accessories. With a modern take on medieval armour, their standout took the form of a metallic gown in a heavy sheer knit over a delicate black two-piece. A chance encounter between the creative director Nicola Brognano and Milla Jovovich framed the inspiration. The chain mail-draped model donned a Jovovich-style cropped hairdo as the actress had in the 1999 movie Messenger: The Story of Joan Arc. With an injection of a leopard print jersey dress and flowing asymmetrical gowns, Joan just time-travelled to ‘23 in major style and has inspired us to start dressing like a medieval baddie too.

Get the look: Fair enough, not a lot of us have chain mail dresses lying around, but if you do, then just know a bowl cut and an aviator jacket will finish your Joan of Arc look off perfectly. Physical look aside, Blumarine has proved that the Joan of Arc fashion is more of an attitude than anything, and the need for an intense stare whilst walking through some rings of fire is the only necessity this season. Having said that, a bit of a shearling and chain mail combo never hurt anyone.

The neck corsage

As HUNGER predicted, the neck corsage is back. And who better to hit the Milan runway with the trend than Giorgio Armani with an exploration of irony and stage clothing for FW23? Drawing inspiration from old Elizabethan theatre, the collection displayed small hats and asymmetrical jackets with wide-legged trousers and cinched waistlines. The best part had to be the grinning models (a nice touch for some, but an eerie experience for anyone who has watched Smile), who sauntered out with satin shirts and pyjama-style pants whilst still applying their makeup as though entertaining a sea of guests at a suave home gathering. As the final look stepped out in a bowler hat and black dress combo, on the neck sat a crisp white bow tie with a black flower in the centre: a neck corsage at its finest. Seen before at Loewe and David Koma at LFW, this neck corsage interpretation in the ‘Maquillage’ collection renders Armani at its finest by keeping it simple and rebelling against the exaggerated trends of the industry as seen across the other runways.

Get the look: For a touch of Armani, one must familiarise themselves with the concept of balancing stereotypically feminine and masculine traits of fashion. For the final look, this is demonstrated with the bowler and the neck corsage, but as you find your nearest choker to pin a flower on, why not try it with a classic suit and loafers? Or perhaps a beret and floor-length gown? Whichever way you choose to don your new favourite neck corsage accessory, Armani has proved it’s sure to slap a grin on your face no matter what.