Milan Fashion Week 2023: Giorgio Armani and rising star Tomo Koizumi round out the autumn/winter shows with feminine collections that celebrate dressing up, and Francesca Liberatore played chess …

Mar 1 , 2023

Giorgio Armani appears on the catwalk at the end of his Emporio Armani autumn/winter 2023-2024 show at Milan Fashion Week. Photo: Reuters

Giorgio Armani’s take on autumn/winter’s sheer fabrics was more modest than most, with elegantly layering, velvet bows, satiny loungewear and structured jackets to celebrate ‘the dignity of women’

Meanwhile up-and-coming Japanese designer Tomo Koizumi got a little help from his friends Dolce & Gabbana to present a joyous collection inspired by one of the Italian duo’s 3D floral creations

There was plenty of flesh on the runway at Milan Fashion Week this season, one of the clear trends emerging from a week of womenswear collection previews for the coming autumn and winter.

Wherever there is a trend, there is always the counter-current, and holding out for what he described as “the dignity of women” was Giorgio Armani. Where sheer fabrics were employed in his collection, it was with modesty.

Armani’s show closed out fashion week on Sunday. Here are highlights from the last day of live runway shows:

Tomo Koizumi puts a smiley face on fashion

Models brighten everyone’s day at Tomo Koizumi’s women’s autumn/winter 2023-24 collection in Milan. Photo: AP

With swirls of coloured taffeta and satin gathered into crushed roses, Japanese designer Tomo Koizumi put a smiley face on a rainy Sunday morning.

The exuberant looks were spasms of colour fashioned into ruffles on a mini dress constructed from stripes of knitwear, elaborate skirts with deep slits and dresses with southern belle silhouettes. These are occasion pieces that would be stand-outs on any red carpet, stage or party; imagine the lucky girl wearing one to prom.

A model wears a bright and colourful creation as part of the Tomo Koizumi women’s autumn/winter 2023-24 collection. Photo: AP

The runway show was in collaboration with Dolce & Gabbana, which supplied textiles as well as handbags and shoes, Koizumi said. He turned a print from one of the Italian house’s recent collections into a series of 3D floral creations.

“I took inspiration from Dolce & Gabbana, and I also got powerful support, which allowed me to push myself even harder,’’ Koizumi said.

Designer Tomo Koizumi waves at the end of the Tomo Koizumi women’s autumn/winter 2023-24 fashion show in Milan, Italy on February 26, 2023. Photo: AP