Marni Catwalk Fashion Show Milan Womenswear FW2013

It was not only the stage – a sepia-toned forest mural – that set a melancholic tone at Marni this morning. It was also the collection in sturdy black/cement-gray/greenish wools and tweeds, the roomy aviator-blousons, militairy style and the models make up that fed the mood. The designer played with ideas of un-balanced balance: volume and flatness, severity and grace, opacity and shine. Protagonists were the precision of the lines, assertiveness of the cuts, density of the surfaces. They unfolded and interact, creating an intangible narrative.

Apart from a few high heels, shoes were flat (at the end with a gilded toe) and ridingboots played a major role. Long fur stoles, wound around the neck like boas, and snug fur capes added drama to austere daywear: strapless tops ending in peplums and A-line tunics fronted with a corset traced out in felt. Skirts flared gently and fell about the knee. There were not many prints, only a few at the end of the show: wintry drawn landscapes and black-and-white scribbles adorned skirts and tops outlined with leather taping.