Benetton stars at Milan fashion week

(ANSA) - Milan, February 20 - Milan fashion week has opened its doors after runway shows in New York and London.
    Over 170 collections for fall-winter 2019-2020 will be debuted until February 25 during fashion shows, presentations and special events by key houses for an increasingly international and restructured fashion extravaganza.
    Milan fashion week opened Tuesday with the runway debut of the United Colors of Benetton collection designed by Jean-Charles de Castelbajac.
    The designer took his first bow on the catwalk as creative director of the knitwear company with a tribute to Karl Lagerfeld, who died on Tuesday.
    Castelbajac said he hoped to emulate at Benetton what Lagerfeld did for Fendi and Chanel by breathing new life into the DNA of the fashion houses, debuting a collection that paid homage to the brand's colorful heritage.
    A 'rainbow machine' was the inspiration of Benetton's co-ed presentation with the label's logo and trademark octopus symbol giving a fresh branding message to paired-down looks as well as more dressed-up pieces.
    In another debut, Sweden's Gunn Johansson presented his first collection for Milan Schon, which is owned by the Itochu group.
    The designer, who previously worked at Agnona, debuted a clean aesthetic with coats playing the lead role.
    In particular, a typical "city coat" with gold buttons and a kimono model embodied the designer's "clean, essential" vision "in the respect of the brand's DNA, which I find in the work done by Milan Schon in the 1960s and 1970s", said Johansson.
    The fusion of men's wear and women's wear, of oversized and slim silhouettes dominated at Aspesi with typical masculine fabrics like Glen plaid and herringbone, softened by a feminine palette and floral motifs.
    The house's icons, from trench coats to blazers and silk shirts stole the limelight while a women's wear staple - the skirt - was long and pleated.
    Brunello Cucinelli's collection was called 'Minimal allure'.
    Craftsmanship and neutral colors highlighted the impact of sophisticated details of pieces including a tuxedo and a cashmere bomber jacket that required 20 hours of handmade work.
    A 1970s vibe gave pizzazz to knits while 1990s minimalism echoed in the black-and-white pieces and the generous use of nappa leather, including in an ankle-grazing statement skirt.