Eccentric silhouettes and bright color palettes permeate Milan Fall/Winter 2021 collections with an underlying message of hope for better times ahead.

This Fall/Winter <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/paris-haute-couture-fashion-week-2021-highlights" target="_blank">2021</a> season, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/mens-milan-fashion-week-fall-2021-fendi-prada" target="_blank">Milan</a>, the Italian capital of fashion and center of luxury fabrics and refined tailoring, was determined to overcome the pandemic with a digitally focused schedule tightly packed with veteran Milan Fashion Week brands like Moschino and Marni, alongside new talents such as former <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/gucci-new-collection-psychedelic-capsule-70s" target="_blank">Gucci</a> designer Daniel Del Core and recently appointed <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion-week/fendi-spring-summer-2021-haute-couture" target="_blank">Fendi</a> Creative Director <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion-week/fendi-fall-winter-2021-collection-kim-jones-fashion-week" target="_blank">Kim Jones</a>.

Much like its <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion-week/jason-wu-new-york-fashion-week" target="_blank">New York</a> and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion-week/london-fashion-week-highlights-fall-winter-2021" target="_blank">London</a> counterparts, MFW saw a dramatic shift in its usual structure. While only a small audience, comprised of coronavirus-tested Milanese magazine editors and buyers, could attend the shows and view the <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/why-do-the-resort-collections-matter" target="_blank">collections</a> up close in appointments, the rest of the fashion community had to make do with watching from home.

With beautifully decorated personal invites to the digital presentations—like the fluffy, opulent Prada Fall/Winter 2021 invitation box with <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/travel-living/chocolate-health-benefits" target="_blank">candy</a> treats from the historic pastry shop Marchesi—designers made sure to indulge their guests in these difficult times while still trying to get their point across with films, livestreams, look books, and more. A few major players sat this season out, with Donatella <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/gianni-versace-designer-history-medusa-bondage" target="_blank">Versace</a> doing a post-MFW launch on March 5, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/jil-sander-uniqlo-interview-plus-j-fashion" target="_blank">Jil Sander</a>’s Luke and Lucie Meier showing their collection on March 7, and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/bottega-veneta-off-social-media-instagram-luxury-fashion-strategy-tik-tok" target="_blank">Bottega Veneta</a> and Gucci with showcasing dates yet to be defined.

The first collection to get the ball rolling this MFW was Missoni, with Creative Director Angela <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/influential-fashion-families-hermes-fendi" target="_blank">Missoni</a> amplifying the brand’s new youth-inspired attitude with a collection of versatile <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/novelty-knitwear-spring-2021-harry-styles-cardigan" target="_blank">knitwear</a>, loose trouser suits, and long ribbed dresses oozing comfort and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/terry-cloth-trend-sets" target="_blank">casual</a> vibes. Since COVID-19 prevented Missoni from putting on a real fashion show, this Fall/Winter 2021 lineup was introduced in a short film, titled “Look Right Through Me,” which celebrated the return to a normal life of activities with friends without social distancing restrictions.

Escapism-Milan-Fashion-Week-Fall-Winter-2021-Missoni-1.webp

Escapism-Milan-Fashion-Week-Fall-Winter-2021-Missoni.webp

Alberta Ferretti kept everything realistic in a staged runway show video with no artsy virtual experimentations, almost suggesting a hopeful attitude towards returning to some state of normalcy. The collection also stayed faithful to that same sense of possible realness with luxurious, no-fuss daywear in dark palettes and classic <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/skinny-jeans-out-gen-z-millennials-tiktok" target="_blank">silhouettes</a>.

Alberta Ferretti Fall/Winter 2021

Highly anticipated designers Kim Jones for Fendi and Daniel Del Core for his new eponymous label debuted their first ready-to-wear collections. Jones’ live-streamed show proved the British <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/stephen-burrows-designer-color-blocking-black-fashion-history" target="_blank">designer</a> as the best fit for the fashion house with a pleasant follow-up to his debut <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion-week/fendi-spring-summer-2021-haute-couture" target="_blank">Haute Couture show </a>that paid homage to the Roman label’s noted history while also adding his signature street-smart edge to the brand's neutral tones. 

Later in the day, the young Gucci alumnus Daniel Del Core became the talk of MFW. His show was the only one physically staged during this predominantly digital Milan season. Del Core’s unprecedented show location at Cittadella degli Archivi made for the perfect contrast with the collection’s theatrical and couture-inspired creations.

Escapism-Milan-Fashion-Week-Fall-Winter-2021-Fendi-1.webp

Escapism-Milan-Fashion-Week-Fall-Winter-2021-Fendi.webp

Escapism-Milan-Fashion-Week-Fall-Winter-2021-Daniel-Del-Core-1.jpg

Escapism-Milan-Fashion-Week-Fall-Winter-2021-Daniel-Del-Core.jpg

Themes of escapism and optimism for a brighter future permeated the remaining days of the shows with digital installments by <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/prada-fall-winter-2021-miuccia-prada-raf-simons" target="_blank">Prada</a> and Moschino that induced thoughts of a better world. Following the brand's Fall/Winter 2021 Men’s show last month, Miuccia Prada and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion-week/raf-simons-prada-menswear-debut" target="_blank">Raf Simons</a> teamed up again for Prada's womenswear collection to recreate a sensorial experience set within plush, fur-covered rooms designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas. More extravagant and cheerful than the Spring/Summer 2021, the collection begs to be touched thanks to its play on various textures like faux furs and sparkling sequins.

Prada Fall/Winter 2021

<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/music/kpop-rap-CL-style-fashion" target="_blank">Moschino</a> revived spirits with a lineup inspired by Old Hollywood glam in the short film “Jungle Red,” which pays tribute to George Cukor's 1939 film The Women starring Joan Crawford and Norma Shearer as romantic rivals. <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/gabriela-hearst-creative-director-chloe-fashion-designer" target="_blank">Creative Director</a> Jeremy Scott delivered a colorful feast for the eyes in true Moschino fashion with the help of big-name models like <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/hailey-bieber-birthday-street-style" target="_blank">Hailey Bieber</a>, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/black-models-fashion-history" target="_blank">Winnie Harlow</a>, and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/jean-paul-gaultier-final-couture-show-dita-von-teese" target="_blank">Dita Von Teese</a> adorned in tailored pinstripes and sophisticated gowns with satin, long-length opera gloves.

Escapism-Milan-Fashion-Week-Fall-Winter-2021-Moschino-1.webp

Escapism-Milan-Fashion-Week-Fall-Winter-2021-Moschino-2.webp

Escapism-Milan-Fashion-Week-Fall-Winter-2021-Moschino-3.webp

Creative Director Francesco Risso’s latest collection for <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion-week/marni-fall-winter-2021-collection-mfw" target="_blank">Marni</a> offered a series of videos where he tries to recreate intimacy in what is a romantic portrait of our pre-<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/travel-living/move-pandemic-roadway-interview" target="_blank">pandemic</a> life, merging the fantastical with the everyday through clothes, from colorful crochet knit sets and puffer coat material capes to lace-up sneakers with pointed toes.

Marni Fall/Winter 2021

Looking to the future, Paul Andrew from <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion-week/salvatore-ferragamo-future-positive-fall-winter-2021" target="_blank">Salvatore Ferragamo</a> did some cinematic research when crafting the Fall/Winter 2021 collection, referencing movies such as The Matrix and Gattaca for his sporty and bold-colored military-inspired uniforms.

To top off this Milan <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/new-york-fashion-week-fall-winter-2021-highlights" target="_blank">Fashion Week</a> season, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/valentino-haute-couture-spring-summer-2021-pierpaolo-piccioli-robert-del-naja" target="_blank">Valentino</a> concluded the jam-packed six days of digital shows on a more somber note, with a collection showcasing both menswear and womenswear almost exclusively in black-and-white, ranging from matching materials and silhouettes to exciting looks focused on layering and mixing. Creative Director Pierpaolo Piccioli ultimately showed the audience how to wear seemingly similar items in a totally different way, effortlessly turning a conventional and pandemic-appropriate white shirt into an elegant outfit.

Escapist Digital Fashion Continues at Milan Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2021

Recommended posts for you

Culture

Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards Are in the Mood for Love

Culture

Honest Review of GoTyme Bank

Fashion

Adidas Originals Collaborates with Sporty & Rich to Reimagine the SL72

Fashion

Versace Opens a Sleek New Boutique in Cebu

Fashion

The Best Dressed Celebrities at the 2024 British Fashion Awards

Culture

Everything to Know About A24’s Upcoming ‘Y2K’ Movie

Culture

10 TV Series and Movies to Watch in December 2024 on Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video

Beauty

TRESemmé Partners With MARK’ED Salon For a Professional Haircare Experience Beyond Compare