Milan Fashion Week kicks off

(ANSA) - Milan, September 20 - Signs that Fashion Week has gotten off to a busy start were to be found across Milan on Wednesday, with people running around as if the world was about to end tomorrow, traffic tied up, fittings and preparations around the city, and the iconic Piazza della Scala transformed into a garden.
    Perhaps with this year's reduced schedule - six days that are basically only five, from Wednesday through the morning of Monday the 25th - everything is so compressed that many took advantage in the relative calm leading up to the event to hold some appointments in advance, but the the city was already in a state that varied between hysterical and galvanizing on Tuesday.
    On the eve of Fashion Week, the "Who's Who" (Chi è Chi) awards ceremony took place, this year dedicated to bloggers and Millennials and organised by Cristiana Schieppati, director of "Who's Who in Fashion".
    There was also the presentation of Motivi's "Smart Couture" designed by Francesco Scognamiglio, who was forced to work in two locations - Piazza Duomo and his headquarters - to put the final touches on preparations for his runway show to be held Wednesday.
    Just steps away, in front of Palazzo Marino, a lorry was unloading the last plants for the botanical arrangement that will accompany the first edition of the Green Carpet Fashion Awards, the highlight event of the week for high society and glamour, to take place on the evening of the 24th. The awards are the "Oscars" of sustainable fashion, organised by the National Chamber of Italian Fashion.
    That event, however, is in heated competition as most-sought-after invitation with the Vogue party, art-directed by Riccardo Tisci on September 22 at the ex Scalo Farini, a former railway station.
    The theme is "A New Beginning", with a "black tie and naked" dress code. Missoni will be celebrating 20 years of creative direction by Angela Missoni, with a party at the Factory Orobia 15 event space; Anteprima will celebrate the 25th anniversary of its founding by Izumi Ogino; and Alessandro Dell'Acqua will mark his 21-year anniversary.
    The Ferragamo show moves from afternoon to evening, from Palazzo Mezzanotte into Piazza Affari, for the launch of its new feminine fragrance Amo Ferragamo, with spokesmodel Suki Waterhouse.
    The event will see lighting by Ingo Maurer, an itinerary of installations created by architectural star Patricia Urquiola, and live music by Clean Bandit.
    Runway shows started Wednesday morning with Grinko, Atsushi Nakashima, Alberto Zambelli, and Cristiano Burani.
    The first "see and be seen" show, however, will be later in the afternoon at Gucci, with its man-woman show themed "Hypnotism", announced by an elaborate invitation packaged in a mint-green tin box decorated with a dragon, with black candles inside.