Wondering What To Wear When We Return To Reality? Kim Jones’ New Fendi Collection Has The Answers

At Milan Fashion Week, Furla launched the third chapter of its digital series, #FurlaIllusions, designed to showcase the highlights of its new see-now-buy-now collection. This elegant satchel, the Portagioia, is on our spring wish list.

For AW21, Japanese fashion brand Onitsuka Tiger, under the creative directorship of Andrea Pompilio, staged a digital show for the first time as part of Milan Fashion Week. Inspired by trekking in the '70s, and the Himalayas, the collection of zippered neon fleeces and padded jackets are where fashion meets function.

Dolce & Gabbana combined tradition and technology in a collection that was both inspired by robots (and their makers) and famous fashion moments from the '90s. 'What interested us most, and still interests us today, is being able to have a direct dialogue with the new generation, being able to understand what their needs, their dreams, their inspirations are,' said Domenico Dolce.

Valentino's 'Act' collection, staged inside the Piccolo Teatro di Milano, was a study in sensuality from Pierpaolo Piccioli. The silhouettes were noticeably short - and hoisted on very high heels - except for the evening dresses, not so much dresses but flying panels held together by ribbons, while the colour palette, save for a few fluorescents and flashes of print, was also pared-back.

The Emilio Pucci spirit most definitely lives on in the brand's latest collection which, although it speaks to an autumn/winter wardrobe, is still irrepressibly sunny in outlook. The easiness of the lines and the upbeat rhythm of the prints are simply unmistakable in their optimism.

MM6 Maison Margiela's AW21 collection began with a simple question: 'How do pieces transform when their iconic parts are slightly rearranged, or totally scrambled?' The results were a typically ingenious reinvention of the wheel, where blouses were almost turned inside out with shoulder pads and exposed seams, and a double-handed clutch was held upside down.

School uniforms were the inspiration at Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini, where varsity jackets, cricket jumpers, house colours and crests on shirt pockets all had a distinctly Rushmore sensibility. 'School, a place of culture that forms generations through debate, enlightenment and social interactions, is a place that enables young people to grow and develop. I thought back to the encounters and conflicts I faced during those years and realised how fundamental they were in shaping my character and the expression of my creativity,' said Lorenzo Serafini.

In a collection that was inspired by the conceptual freedom of science fiction, Paul Andrew was fuelled by a sense of hope and optimism. Driven by 'the health of our environment', Andrew made notable moves towards a more mindful approach to making clothes; using polyester made from post-consumer recycled materials and sourcing pre-consumer offcuts to make his accessories, for example.

Sportmax's collection was an ode to womanhood, and incorporated muses from the '40s femme fatale to the '60s psychedelic spiritualist. What this translated to on the catwalk was clothes that felt celebratory, whether it was this puffball party dress worn with dramatic opera gloves or the waist-cinched leather jackets (the opposite to the cosy silhouette of loungewear that many of us have been embracing).

For AW21, Giorgio Armani had a certain 'nocturnal atmosphere'. These were clothes, whether it was the inky black velvet jacket or the a pair of trousers with fluid kind of sheen to their surface, that deserve to be worn after-hours.

Although executed in the most luxe (and desirable) way imaginable, Bally seems to think we might still be wearing loungewear come autumn. Its collection not only featured sweatpants, but also stirruped leggings. Although, worn with a cinched-waisted coat and pointed pumps, said leggings definitely still have legs in our book.

Walter Chiapponi continues to finely-tune his repertoire of classic garments for Tod's. This season, the practicality of sportswear meets the femininity of couture without sacrificing any of is function or utility. The sumptuous colours and textures of this look are mighty tempting for autumn, no?

For AW21, Veronica Etro was inspired by her father's collection of costumes belonging to the famous ballet dancer, Rudolf Nureyev, as well as the free-spirited indie style of Jimi Hendrix.

At Marni, Francesco Russo mused on what is romantic and what is romanticism nowadays. This 'quest' is expressed through colour and shape, while Russo played with the very elements of dressmaking themselves - darts, ruffles, zippers etc - to create clothes that a certain 'sturm und drang' feeling to them.

For AW21, Emporio Armani's signature approach to relaxed elegance was expressed in soft blazers and jackets with drawstrings reminiscent of sportswear, velvet dresses with patchwork prints and a popping colour palette of purples and pinks against a shimmering black base.

Never one for understatement, Jeremy Scott staged a time-travelling homage to the grandeur of old Hollywood. Inspired by George Cukor's The Women - the seminal 1939 film in which no male character is seen or heard - Moschino's AW21 collection roved from power suiting to prairie dresses printed with grassy pastures and grazing cows to ball gowns fit for a gala opening to, the most whimsical of all, a giraffe mini and matching headdress.

Inspired by the idea of change and transformation, Prada's AW21 collection explored 'the point between simplicity and complexity, elegance and practicality, limitation and release'. What this translated to on the catwalk - where both the floor and the walls were carpeted in materials that will go on to be upcycled through the circular economy project Meta - was that evening gowns became jumpsuits, tailored coats were executed in dazzling paillettes, and wraps morphed into protective outerwear.

To celebrate its 70-year anniversary, Max Mara went back to its roots as the outfitter of the woman 'who handles anything that life throws at her calmly, capably, and with insouciant glamour'. The jewel in her crown is still her coat. And whether it's in cuddlesome teddy, long-haired camel, or sleek drap, or a combination as in the opening look, it's her chic and timeless armour.

Making its debut at Milan Fashion Week, Marc Cain showed its hero looks in front of a very select (and socially-distanced) front row at Palazzo Visconti. The single-breasted cream coat worn over silky pyjama separates felt like a suitably sumptuous proposition for this year's second half.

It was one of the most highly-anticipated shows not just of Milan Fashion Week, but on the entire autumn/winter 2021 schedule, and today the wait was finally up to see Kim Jones' debut womenswear ready-to-wear collection for Fendi. Inspired by the five Fendi sisters, Jones gave his customer a 'have-it-all' wardrobe with ribbed knit separates, fluid handkerchief dresses, and sumptuous floor-trailing coats all in a luxurious (yet, crucially, wearable) palette of browns, white and black.

For AW21, Alberta Ferretti walked the line between what it described as 'reassuring gestures' and 'decisive actions', with a collection that enveloped the body in protective textures and eschewed sharp angles for figure-caressing curves. Even the bags were hugged to the body, though none of this, naturally, means that there wasn't glamour on show. Platforms, sequins and floor-sweeping gowns were all present and correct, but it was the elevated staples like the loose-leg jeans paired with jewel-toned button-downs that really wowed.

At Missoni, the collection wasn't skewed to autumn. Instead, pieces from spring, summer, autumn and winter were mixed together as part of the brand's mission statement to deliver 'clothes that are conceived to last, accompanying every woman in her life and becoming part of her memories'.