Seductive party animals set the tone

Faux-savage women prowled down the catwalks on Thursday, enveloped in luxurious chinchilla and mink stoles, British-inspired woollen wrap dresses and futuristic flying caps.

MaxMara designer Laura Lusuardi’s drew on the classic British country look for her show, reinterpreting kilts and urbanising Irish knitwear with long-haired alpaca and camel tartan bustiers and skirts.

The collection was aimed at the active, younger and more animated woman… always elegant and ageless in her way.

But while she described the collection’s tones – light greys, browns, 1960s’ yellows, antique silvers and golds – as “colours of the city”, Ms Lusuardi’s models had an almost wild, earthy vibe about them.

Figure-hugging knitted jumper-dresses were topped with oversized fur neckwarmers, and leather skirts were paired with fur bodices or a long, dark brown, oversized coat that masked the face, enveloping its wearer up to the eyes.

Ditching the daring woman for the urban ballerina, the D&G show was an explosion of fluorescent oranges, pinks and greens with models sporting cotton and silk T-shirts over tutu-style brightly-coloured feather skirts.

Huge multi-coloured letters featured on most of the outfits, from silk and chiffon one-pieces to woollen tube dresses worn with masculine, oversized jackets and high-heeled trainers.

At Prada, the last main show of the day, guests perched on polystyrene cubes alongside a brilliant white runway spanning two floors, in theme with Miuccia Prada’s crew of futuristic airwomen and sea-creature creations.

Pillar-box red, black and cream coats with large silver buttons were topped off with black, silver or turquoise flying helmet-style caps in fur, velvet and snakeskin.

Dresses were medium-long, hemmed just above the knee, with wide and soft chequered patterns on the front in dark green, black, white and burgundy, with a block of strong contrasting colour on the reverse.

Karl Lagerfield and Silvia Venturini Fendi wowed the audience with a collection inspired by the “perverse teacher” with models wearing high-heeled brogues, swinging mustard, blue and red boxed bags, their hair in chignons.

High necklines with sober skirts to the knee were broken up by dashes of pink, orange, green and azure, in block colours or peaking through pleats, for “a woman who has an idea of colour that’s all her own”.

The designers added a faux-savage tinge to the collection with asymmetrical jackets in netting and shetland, and cloaks and luxurious stoles in collages of sable, fox, chinchilla and mink.

In an attempt to “move away from the concept of the ‘it’ bag” Fendi and Lagerfield presented a wider collection for the autumn-winter show, featuring highly structured bags in leather, or in varnished blues and oranges.

Wide coats in sober blues and greys tailored in at the thigh were set off by coloured tights and brogues feminised with a delicate lace-like design etched out by laser.

The Gucci, Alberta Ferretti and John Richmond shows on the opening day had also drawn on strong women with a rebellious side in collections featuring fur stoles, satin bow-tie blouses and wide-legged trousers.

Gucci’s Frida Giannini charmed with silk culottes and magnificent stoles of fox, mink and goat hair, topped with violet hats adorned with emerald green and teal feathers and worn rakishly with full-sleeved dresses and pant-skirts.

The look, Ms Giannini said, captured “a contemporary female dandy who fuses glamour and seduction... a polished woman with a decisive personality, who is attentive to detail and willing to dare”.

John Richmond’s muse was the younger woman who loves to party. The British designer stuck to his classic rock style with models who strolled the mirrored runway in leather, denim and back-combed hair.

“I had fun with this collection, it’s really vamp. I wanted it to be all about women who enjoy partying,” he said after the show.

“It’s about the intelligent woman who enjoys dressing up, having her make-up done and going out and having a great time,” he said with a grin, champagne in hand.

His enthusiasm was echoed in Alberta Ferretti’s collection, which she said was inspired by the “dynamic woman of the future”.

Ms Ferretti’s exquisitely tailored designs had a 1960s touch, with wide tunics in blocks of orange, emerald green, teal and fuschia lifted by glittering sequin details on the lapel or cuff.

Her eveningwear starred a sleeveless satin all-in-one with flared trousers, a full-length bronze dress with bow at the back, and coral and light blue translucent dresses that seemed to float.

“I feel a positive energy. There may be some nostalgic touches in my collection, but it’s important to be looking to the future, making something for today’s women, who live a demanding world,” she said.