Eclectic fashion in Milan with Diesel, Antonio Marras and Onitsuka Tiger

Milan Fashion Week got off to a wildly energetic start on Wednesday, unveiling some sumptuous collections. It was an opportunity for the designers working in the Lombard capital to rival each other in creativity, expressing themselves in the most diverse styles and universes. For autumn-winter 2024/25, the wardrobe is hyper-textured at Diesel, baroque at Antonio Marras and classic minimalist at Onitsuka Tiger.

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Glenn Martens created a buzz at Diesel with an unprecedented ‘phygital’ show. Judging by the endless queues of fans gathered at the entrance to the show, which took place in a warehouse on the outskirts of Milan, the designer won his bet, managing to engage a large audience with the jeans brand owned by the OTB group. The creative director continued to democratise the fashion mecca by experimenting with a new format.

A few days before the event, he launched a live show with various cameras covering the entire process leading up to the catwalk show. For a total of 72 hours, Internet users were able to follow the casting process, the creation of the looks, the alterations in the workshops and the set-up of the catwalk right up to the big day, even joining the public invited to the show via giant screens.

Guests were seated in front of huge screens scattered across the vast space, where each digital spectator appeared in a mosaic of tiny windows. The mosaic was printed as a nod on a mini-skirt, a tight dress and a tank top. The physical audience looking at the virtual one, and vice versa, in a game of interchangeable roles between actors and spectators. The countdown began. 5,4,3, 2, 1, Go! The backstage atmosphere burst onto the stage in a loudly resonant voice, counting down the names of the models as they are sent down the runway, appearing in front of guests a few seconds later.

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As in previous seasons, the Belgian designer made impressive use of textures. Shirts, T-shirts, tight-fitting jersey dresses and denim trousers all appeared to be frayed at the edges or necklines. This effect sometimes revealed whole sections of skin through a layer of transparent tattooed tulle. Floral chiffon dresses and skirts appeared to be crumbling, leaving only a few shreds attached to the lining. Sometimes the torn floral print merged with a leopard pattern. This worn effect was replicated in canvas jackets and jeans. Leather ensembles were aged. Elsewhere, trousers, skirts and coats seemed to be coated creating a waxed canvas or shiny inserts.

Wool was also the subject of breathtaking experimentation, with a number of jackets, suits and coats stuffed in the manner of old goat-hair rugs. Bonnets bristling with these same raw wool fringes should be a big hit, looking like shaggy wigs. Long, soft hairs were fixed like feathers to garments, drawing lozenges and other abstract lines. In a down jacket, woollen flakes were trapped in rhombuses under transparent tulle, while long fox-effect hairs with blue highlights were used to create a large, dishevelled jacket and an undulating mid-length skirt.

The ensemble was seductive, moving away from denim and into other universes, from more sophisticated pieces with very feminine suits and dresses to more streetwise ensembles with a tribal spirit.

Antonio Marras took us back to the 14th century, to the court of Eleonora of Arborée. A symbol of freedom for the Sardinian people, she reigned over the Judicat d’Arborée, i.e. the province of Oristano, preserving her independence from the Crown of Aragon and promulgating one of the very first civil codes. It was this heroine that the Sardinian designer chose as his muse this season, mixing medieval princess outfits with a more warlike register.

The coat of arms of this kingdom, with its seven-branched tree, was featured in a range of prints and jacquards. A camouflage motif was inserted into a fleece cape or used to make military outfits. Patchwork ensembles were made up of disparate lozenges, like armour, while knitted balaclavas stretched to the shoulders like the chain-mail balaclavas worn by medieval knights. Tartan in red or black checks was all the rage, especially in kilts. Some coats and dresses were bristling with black fringes that were both glittering and menacing.

On the other side of the spectrum, Antonio Marras created long, glamorous dresses in red satin, spotted silk, impalpable chiffon or devoured velvet, worn with majestic capes. Lace was reserved for gloves, stockings and tights. There were also elegant trouser suits, including a ribbed one in gold, and embroidery to personalise the different models.

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Onitsula Tiger is celebrating its 75th birthday. With Italian stylist Andrea Pompilio at the helm since 2017, she has taken over the Rinascente windows for the occasion, all covered in the Japanese brand’s signature yellow. The same pop yellow used in the famous jumpsuit worn by Uma Thurman in Quentin Tarantino’s film Kill Bill.

In fact, it was the pom-pom girls in pleated skirts and yellow tracksuits who performed an over-the-top choreography to open the show. The same yellow whipped up in small flashes, in socks, velvet shoes and sneaker laces, making for a rather austere wardrobe.

For next winter, the label is focusing on a classic wardrobe of suits, wide-leg trousers, hourglass-shaped jackets and comfortable coats, all cut from felt or thick grey or camel wool sheets. Fine striped knitwear, cardigans and cosy jumpers complete the wardrobe. The only frivolity: dresses with gold sequins peeking out from a long jacket or coat.