Milan Fashion Week got off to an impressive start on Wednesday

London, UK -- (SBWire) -- 02/25/2013 --As designers showcase daring, bold collections which, it is hoped, will convince Italian shoppers to hit the shops once more, following the recent economic crisis. UK Models male fashion fans watched as Prada, Giorgio Armani and Gucci revealed their autumn winter womenswear collections.

The fashion show provided attendees with some respite from the distinctly morose atmosphere in Italy as of late; the country was dangerously close to experiencing a major debt crisis fourteen months ago, before Mario Monti stepped in and took the place of Silvio Berlusconi. Whilst the catwalks shows entertained and amused audience members, designers voiced their concerns about the economy and current political issues as their models made their way down the runways.

Maurizio Modica, who serves as a designer for Frankie Morellow, the Italian clothing brand, said that the government needs to provide less well known fashion labels and other small businesses with more incentives. UK Models London fashion devotees were shocked to learn that sales of luxury Italian clothing are expected to drop by at least 3.5 percent in 2013, following a drop of 5.4 percent last year. This data was published by Sistema Moda Italia (SMI), a fashion and textile organisation.

Gucci was the first designer to hit the catwalk; showcasing a sensual collection of dresses, skirts and jackets in leather, snakeskin and rubber. Black lace and colourful feathers were sewn onto dramatic evening gowns, whilst outwear was tailored, chic and neutral toned. Frankie Morello offered up a more youth-orientated collection, although like Gucci, most of their garments were black, grey and white. However, UK Models iPhone app users were pleased to see that the label incorporated some interesting geometric patterns and reflective materials into their designs.

Despite the pessimistic figures provided by SMI, the Italian Fashion national chamber chairman, Mario Boselli, stated that he was confident that Milan Fashion Week would serve as a turning point for the economy, encouraging Italians to indulge in some long awaited retail therapy after a somewhat dismal year. He predicted that both domestic and international sales of the autumn winter collections will rise, and there will be no fiscal-related surprises in 2013, as the recession begins to recede in the coming months. Discussions of the collections on the UK Models forum support this idea, with many praising the latest offers from Gucci as ‘innovative and daring’.

Company: UK modelsport
Website: http://www.ukmodels.org.uk
Location: London
Contact: Paul Jerome / pauljerome6@gmail.com