Making it in Milan

Reuters

Luxe hippy: Roberto Cavalli's glorious fabrics and pattern mixes will appeal to Russian heiresses.

Relevant offers

Fashion

Stuff's daily street style photo Fashion Doctor: How to wear lace Backstage at NY Fashion Week Trendspotting: NY Fashion Week Your fashion questions answered: Part 1 Monday most wanted: February 13 I Love Ugly clothing goes online Gisele sticks up for her man Androgynous model hits runway Karen Walker eyewear hits stores

'You really can't go wrong with tight leather."

It's Milan (fashion week) and although Christopher Kane designer of the Versace line Versus is referring to (Donatella) Versace's catwalk show he might well have been summing up the whole Milan fashion experience.

From Canadian designers DSquared to Dolce & Gabbana, leather - sleek, and sexy, glittering and golden, and occasionally even aglow with lurex - formed an edgy background.

Even Prada, which seems to have a continuing fascination with 50s housewives, showed a slick of skinny, and then there were its smooth beehive hairstyles. So sleek. So geek chic.

DSquared piled drama upon drama, texture upon texture and ripped its black asunder with a hot hot hot red. Shades of Spider-woman occasionally but impressive in its slithery sexiness.

Roberto Cavalli meanwhile was having a subtle spell. There was a hippie vibe to his show but an elegant hippie rather than a rag pickin' 70s chick. His showed his usual glorious fabrics, and mad colour and pattern mixes, but he was dressing women rather than showgirls. His luxe layers will surely appeal to Russian heiresses.

Speaking of the 1970s, the prints coming from Emilio Pucci would have had plenty of the grande dames in the front row "remembering when". Maybe a touch of the same at Gucci with its lean and wearable collection: furs, even feathers, and a zillion light years from Tom Ford and his deadly edgy lines.

And Armani? When did we not know Giorgio to send out delicious pieces. High shine was a leitmotif with mirror leather coats and his signature tiny shapely skirts. Such a blaze of red too. Is Armani red the new Valentino red?

Moving right along to Paris where the opening salvo from Dries van Noten promises winter 2011 will be dark (rich khaki spliced with midnight blue), laidback and every inch a lady. Then the sharp shoulders and exquisite details of Balmain and Balenciaga and the look continued. Goodbye slashes, shirred bosoms and playgirls? Seems so.

Fairfax