Bally and The Attico display ambivalent personalities at Milan Fashion Week

Fashion is one of our main means of expression. However, managing to translate the different facets of a personality into a garment or a look is not easy. On Saturday, Bally and The Attico managed to do it brilliantly. On the fifth day of the Milan women's ready-to-wear shows, these two brands were able to convey ambivalence in all its splendour with their Spring/Summer 2025 collections. Bally with a punk chic style. And The Attico with a combination of power and fragility.

At Bally, Simone Bellotti is continuing his path, even though the label has changed ownership, having been acquired in August by the American private equity firm Regent. The Italian designer, who is already on his third collection for Bally, continually reinterprets the codes of the historic Swiss shoe brand, injecting them with a discreet dose of subversion.

The first impression one gets is that Bellotti's wardrobe is characterised by a typically Swiss rigour, with its friendly trouser suits, fitted jackets, formal and elegant cocktail dresses, sensible white or light blue shirts and sober lace-up shoes. But there is something strange at play. If we look more closely at the silhouettes, we see that they are sprinkled with unusual details that upset the established order.

An openwork mesh vest and a zipped leather vest were worn discreetly under a navy business suit. Extremely classic shoe styles were studded with spikes and handbags were packed with metal studs. A straight-cut taffeta skirt looked unstitched, with a strip of fabric trailing behind it, as if it had slipped down the legs. The collars of coats and jackets were visibly turned up, and the styles seemed to be embedded in the garments.

Bright flashes of red, green and royal blue burst onto a few garments (a raincoat, a blouse, a bra and some bags), adding a vibrant note to the collection’s generally austere palette. Bellotti also did some bold work with volumes. Some of the suit jackets featured flared hems, paired with balloon skirts. Wraparound, hourglass-shaped coats billowed at the sides. Some of the skirts rose almost to a horizontal plane, as if ruffled by the wind, and round hoops were placed over straight-line skirts.

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Glamour and sequins characterise The Attico’s collection, which is also imbued with a sporty and urban touch. After their dazzling debut on the Milanese catwalks last season, Gilda Ambrosio and Giorgia Tordini are back at Milan Fashion Week with their label, synonymous with a certain kind of relaxed and cool luxury. This time, they introduce an element of fragility into their work, imagining a love break-up symbolised by the sound of breaking glass, as well as a story of resilience, in which women “are stronger than all this and walk on the broken glass appreciating its sound, feeling powerful and very much themselves”, as they explain in their presentation note.

The show was held in a hangar decorated with vintage crystal chandeliers, under which the models paraded majestically, some sporting large ostrich feathers as headdresses. In the party spirit, the women of The Attico were ready for action, more seductive than ever. For them, the party is never far away. They come out in tasseled dresses or makeshift ensembles, with silver lace that looks like rags or simply by tying a nylon petticoat to a pair of culottes or a sheer camisole. In some cases, the bra acts as a top. When all else fails, a pair of oversized leather pants is the perfect option.

Otherwise, they would wear an oversized anorak or an oversized, faded hoodie over a sexy, form-fitting dress or a more airy one, decorated with feathers. A flesh-colored petticoat dress would be worn over a pair of black leather pants. Some of the minidresses were a whirlwind of movement, with their silver straps, thin bands of magnetic tape, or frayed fabric in cascades of threads and ribbons. Others consisted of rows of crystals and rhinestones, which wove a tinkling web over the body.

The collection also had a masculine feel, with statement pieces such as oversized leather jackets, long dresses and coats, and a studded belt holding up a pair of leather trousers made from a patchwork of soft furs. A sporty element was also present, via a collaboration with Nike that resulted in ultra-tight swimsuits, sports bras, leggings and trainers.