Milan Fashion Week: Roberto Cavalli raises hemlines

Short and wrapping designs that highlighted the body’s form and movement marked out Roberto Cavalli’s dynamic spring-summer 2019 collection in a runway full of energy on Saturday at Milan Fashion week.

The show, held in a former railway depot in the northern part of Italy’s fashion capital, moved to the pounding beat of drum-based tribal music, with jungle noises in the background.

In the front row, among celebrities were newlyweds French actor Vincent Cassel and model Tina Kunakey.
“The attention is on the legs and on barycentre, the origin of the body’s strength and it is emphasised with short hems and the shape of the bust line,” read a designer note.

Designer Paul Surridge wanted to give “power to the body and strength to its movement,” it added.

Celebrity model Gigi Hadid, who has been walking all the major catwalks of the fashion extravaganza that started on Wednesday, opened the show wearing a bermuda shorts suit in taupe with a subdued animal print — a trademark of the fashion house — and black studded short boots.
She later reappeared with tight black biker shorts matched with a glitzy jacket decorated with metallic bronze coloured sequins.

Her sister Bella, also in many shows in Milan, wore wide silver shorts and a crop knitted top in grey and silver, a belt showing off her waist.
Models strutted in short trench coats, mini dresses revealing biker shorts underneath, and draped tops in various tones of brown and beige, at times interrupted by aqua blue and mustard.

Many designs were in leather and silk. Some clothes used the patchwork technique, putting together different colours of snakeskin and leathers.
Accessories included wrap-around sunglasses fastened to the head with soft fabric and big shopper leather bags carried folded in the hand.
Milan fashion week runs until Monday, with Italy’s Missoni scheduled to show its collection on Saturday evening.