At Fashion Week, Milanese elegance revisited by Jil Sander, N°21 and Etro

Autumn arrived suddenly in Milan, with rain and low temperatures, right in the middle of Women’s Fashion Week dedicated to Spring/Summer 2025! But with their sober, rigorous chic, the summer collections presented on Wednesday by the fashion designers fit perfectly into this austere setting, as they succeeded in capturing the caustic spirit of the Milanese woman, who is both discreet and sophisticated, always with a touch of glamour. This is particularly true of Jil Sander, N°21 and Etro, which take Milanese elegance to new horizons. 

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At Jil Sander, the wardrobe is made up of charcoal coats that look like big men’s jackets, and severe grey or wine-coloured suits, in the same tone-on-tone shades as the shirt and tie. The only murky element was the long fringes hanging from the cuffs. These same fine fringes also fell from spherical earrings, adding an oriental touch to the ensemble.

A nod to the Chinese market. In particular, through flowing tunics in silk printed in shades of sunset, retro dresses with short sleeves and black braids, reminiscent of the qipao dress, ensembles made up of short trousers and blouses with a row of tight buttons running the length of them. Designers Lucie and Luke Meier drew their inspiration from shots taken by Canadian photographer Greg Girard, who travelled the major Asian metropolises in the 1970s, from Hong Kong to Bangkok and Tokyo.

The rigorous, masculine first part of the collection, punctuated not only by suits, but also by loafers, leather pieces and casa shirts with colourful bibs, gave way to a more delicate, poetic wardrobe, with slightly undulating collars and hems. The palette was pastel, notably in cosy knitwear ensembles, while flowers made their way into the garments, either in directly applied fabric, or as 3D embroidery in knitwear, or printed in yokes. 

Guest stars include artist Marina Abramovic.

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Also inspired by a photographer – the Swiss Karlheinz Weinberger – Alessandro Dell’Acqua revisits the young bourgeoise of the 1960s. He imagined her slumming it at rock concerts, playing the rebel.

Wearing a little dress or a retro suit and a sauerkraut hairdo with long pearl necklaces, she was shown wearing a long, hand-knitted scarf around her neck, just like her little chunky jumpers with excessively long sleeves. The proportions were shrinking, as in these gold lurex suits, mini-skirts and ballgowns. The look was more dishevelled, with striped shorts protruding from the skirt. 

A sporty, urban edge crept into the pretty lady’s wardrobe with polo shirts and pinstripe sailors, khaki anoraks and nylon jackets, combined with glamorous pieces such as eveningwear entirely embroidered with stones, or skirts and dresses with sparkling stripes.

Sometimes the two worlds intermingle, as in this parka adorned with diamond buttons, transformed almost into a dress, or in a bright yellow. Or, conversely, as illustrated by this sporty quilted jacket cut from a soft pink gingham fabric.

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At Etro, the Milanese fashion house is getting a facelift, leaving hushed salons and taking off for the tropics. Exotic foliage, flowers and scrolls run through the entire collection, composed of maxi skirts and flowing dresses that open at the back. They flare out into a corolla and always seem to be in motion thanks to a clever play of ruffles. 

“I’ve always seen Etro as a slightly bourgeois world. But in fact, I don’t know the Milanese bourgeois. So I preferred to move the brand towards a younger, warmer, sunnier style,” says Creative Director Marco De Vincenzo. The Sicilian-born designer has given Etro a dose of baroque Mediterranean optimism. Printed Jerseys, brocade fabrics, lace, devoured velvet, jacquard knits, sequins… “It’s maximalist,” he admits.

The collection is both rich, like an invitation to celebrate, “but also very simple, with unstructured pieces that are easy to wear and bring joy,” he points out. A large square, reminiscent of a beach towel in shimmering colours, is simply tied at the waist as a sarong, paired with a cropped top, a minimalist knit or a loose cardigan.

A long electric blue jacquard coat with white flowers can be slipped over a matching swimming costume like a bathrobe, while a silk brocade jacket can be worn over denim Bermuda shorts. Short sequin-embroidered cotton wrap skirts are generously slit above the thigh. They can also be teamed with a jacket in the same tones and materials.