MILAN (AP) 鈥� The fashion palate cleanser of the season: white. Milan fashion houses, more often than not this season, are opening their runway preview shows for next spring and summer with all-white looks.
Tod鈥檚 put the emphasis on white with tables of artisans constructing white driving shoes inside the showroom, and followed by opening the show with a crisp white look, as did a host of other fashion houses this week, including Moschino, Alberta Ferretti, Del Core and Cavalli.
The fashion crowd arriving at the highly anticipated Gucci show passed through a white tunnel that burst into the colors of a sunset.
Highlights from mostly womenswear previews for next spring and summer on the fourth day of Milan Fashion Week on Friday:
Gucci offers 鈥楥asual Grandeur鈥�
Sabato De Sarno starts a new fashion cycle a year after debuting his first Gucci collection, focusing on some of his self-described obsessions: tailoring, lingerie, leather and a 1960s silhouette.
In its simplest form, a white tank with Gucci-stripe piping was paired with dark trousers with a hemline slit over sneakers, referencing menswear. In its most elaborate, Gucci-monogram overcoats dragged imperially on the runway, and lingerie peeked out of glossy, textured leather.
A blouse slinked insouciantly off the shoulder. Sequined dresses rustled. Crepe dresses were anchored with bamboo-shaped hardware. Mini-skirts bubbled slightly. Floral headscarves or big sunhats finished the looks.
De Sarno dubbed the collection 鈥渃asual grandeur.鈥�
鈥淢oment after moment, I have built my ideas for Gucci,'' he said in notes. 鈥滱 casual grandeur that takes shape through my obsessions ... and always with an irreverent attitude."
Gucci's front-row glistened with Jessica Chastain, Kirsten Dunst, Nicola Coughlan 鈥� who stopped to take a selfie with fans 鈥� and Italy's own tennis hero, Jannick Sinner, a Gucci ambassador. A crowd of K-pop fans chanted in anticipation of the arrival of Jin from BTS, another brand ambassador.
Tod鈥檚 celebrates Artisanal Intelligence
In a world abuzz over artificial intelligence, Tod鈥檚 highlighted artisanal intelligence.
Dozens of craftspeople flanked the showroom, hand-stitching the brand鈥檚 trademark Gommino driving shoe. Models emerged from beneath a pair of sculptor Lorenzo Quinn鈥檚 oversized white hands, grasping a spiral of leather.
鈥淎rtisanal intelligence goes against what everyone is talking about,鈥欌�� creative director Matteo Tamburini said before the show. 鈥淭he focus is on a very elevated product, which is the cornerstone of Made in Italy.鈥�
The Spring-Summer 2025 collection started with crisp cotton pairings: trousers or skirts with oversized shirts. The looks were reproduced in a soft leather, intentionally fluid for the warmer months, while a leather overcoat was more sturdily vintage. Asymmetrical cuts and wraps gave the collection a touch of casual elegance. Looks were finished with barely there criss-cross sandals, the new Gommino in glove leather or a clog version.
Tamburini said the only thing he uses AI for is to craft talking points for journalists. 鈥淚 am not a writer,鈥欌�� he said, laughing.
Colleen Barry, The Associated Press
