Milanese elegance reinterpreted at Fashion Week by Jil Sander, N°21 and Etro

Autumn has suddenly arrived in Milan, with rain and low temperatures, in the middle of the Spring/Summer 2025 Women's Fashion Week. But the summer collections presented on Wednesday by the designers fit perfectly into this austere context, with their sober and rigorous elegance, as they have managed to capture the caustic spirit of the Milanese woman, discreet and sophisticated at the same time, always with a touch of glamour. This is the case, in particular, of Jil Sander, N°21 and Etro, which take Milanese elegance to new horizons.

At Jil Sander, the wardrobe consisted of charcoal-coloured coats that looked like large men's jackets and severe grey or wine-coloured suits, in the same shades as the shirt and tie. The only murky element was the long fringes that hung 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 airy silk tunics printed in sunset tones, retro dresses with short sleeves and black braids reminiscent of the qipao dress, ensembles composed of shorts and blouses with a row of buttons fitted along the length. Designers Lucie and Luke Meier were inspired by the images of Canadian photographer Greg Girard, who travelled through the great Asian metropolises in the 1970s, from Hong Kong to Bangkok and Tokyo.

The first part of the collection, rigorous and masculine, marked not only by suits but also by loafers, leather pieces and house shirts with coloured bibs, gave way to a more delicate and poetic wardrobe, with slightly wavy collars and hems. The colour palette was pastel, especially in the cosy knitwear, while flowers made their way onto the garments, whether in directly applied fabrics, as 3D embroidery on knitwear or printed on yokes.

Guest stars include artist Marina Abramovic.

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Inspired by the Swiss photographer Karlheinz Weinberger, Alessandro Dell'Acqua revisits the young bourgeois woman of the 1960s. He imagines her attending rock concerts, acting like a rebel.

In a little dress or retro suit and a sauerkraut hairstyle with long pearl necklaces, she was shown with a long hand-knit scarf around her neck, as well as her small, thick sweaters with excessively long sleeves. The proportions were reduced, as in these gold lurex suits, miniskirts and ball gowns. The look was more disheveled, with striped shorts that stuck out from the skirt.

A sporty and urban air crept into the beautiful lady's wardrobe with polo shirts and pinstriped sailor jackets, khaki anoraks and nylon jackets, combined with glamorous pieces such as evening dresses entirely embroidered with stones or skirts and dresses with shiny stripes.

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

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At Etro, the Milanese fashion house is reviving itself, abandoning its quiet salons to take off towards the tropics. Exotic vegetation, flowers and swirls run through the entire collection, made up of long skirts and flowing dresses that open at the back and flare out into a corolla, always in motion thanks to an ingenious interplay of ruffles.

“I've always seen Etro as a slightly bourgeois world, but I don't really know the Milanese bourgeoisie, so I preferred to take the brand towards a younger, warmer and sunnier style,” explains creative director Marco De Vincenzo. The Sicilian-born designer has brought a dose of Mediterranean baroque optimism to Etro. Printed jerseys, brocade fabrics, lace, devoured velvet, jacquard knit, sequins… “It's maximalist,” he admits.

The collection is both rich, like an invitation to a party, “but also very simple, with unstructured pieces, easy to wear and bringing joy,” she notes. A large square, reminiscent of a beach towel in bright colours, is simply tied at the waist like a sarong, paired with a crop top, a minimalist jumper or a loose cardigan.

A long electric blue jacquard coat with white flowers can be worn over a matching swimsuit as if it were a bathrobe, while a silk brocade jacket can be worn over denim Bermuda shorts. Short cotton wrap skirts with sequin embroidery have a generous slit above the thigh. They can also be paired with a jacket in the same shades and materials.