Heavy Metal

By Kate Betts/Milan Saturday, Sept. 30, 2006

• Wrapping Up Milan
Two trends were apparent at the end of the spring fashion week: the dress is in, and tailoring is out

• Heavy Metal
An arresting juxtaposition of high tech fabrics and old world craftmanship is on display in Milan

• The Hottest Trends
Miuccia Prada's wrapped rugged belt is copied almost immediately, while the star of the spring season just might be fabric

• Kate Betts on the Best from the Milan shows
Giorgio Armani goes back to his basic navy blue, while a young fashion talent reinterprets Burberry

• The Three D's of Fashion
• The Master of Mood
• Dressing like a Goddess
• Where Some Designers Get Their Ideas
• Signature Looks
• Creating the Mirage

There's a silver streak running through Milan and it has a decidedly Back To The Future edge. At Gucci, designer Frida Giannini splashed metallic patent leather onto sixties-style block heeled mary janes and big signature hobo bags. At Jil Sander the shimmer appeared on a sequinned sac dress that punched up an otherwise very crisp and minimalist collection. At Fendi the flash and dash came right out in the first passage on a metallic trapeze dress. On Thursday morning, Carla and Sylvia Fendi explained the complicated craftsmanship that allowed a punched leather trapeze dress to look like lightweight mesh. But their favorite dress—the one they said epitomized the amazing craftsmanship that is the house's signature—was a shiny black evening column that had been made out of carefully stitched together strips of silicone. "We like to do things the hard way at Fendi," Carla said, referring to the crazy juxtoposition of hi-tech fabrics and old world craft that is, of course, the essence of the Roman brand's DNA (the buzzword in fashion these days). It's a combo that has been adopted by Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana who used their serious tailoring skills to carve corsets out of see-through plastic for their very aggressive, super sexy show on Thursday