MFW SS22: Denim Highlights

Low rises, floral motifs, tromp l’oeil and pops of color made last week’s Milan runway everything we have come to expect from the city: full on joyful Italian excess. Whilst every city has dabbled in fashion’s newest obsession of Y2K references, the key takeaway from MFW was the loose jean silhouette. Sleek and understated at Missoni, clean and utilitarian at Sunnei and low n stacked at Blumarine, there was hardly a slim jean to be seen all week.

Keep scrolling for a deeper dive into our top 5 denim shows from the Italian capital:

Sunnai’s show was a minimalist contrast to the majority of the Milan fashion week glamour: simple utilitarian silhouettes, clean, solid denim bases with minimal or no laundries; the only decoration came in the form of beading and fringing and a beautiful abstract watercolour floral, inspired by Simone Rizzo’s obsession with rare plants. But the silhouettes stole the show: ultra wide pant shapes, boxy overalls and even a rave-inspired denim mini dress gave the show a retro-futurism attitude, somewhere between 00’s utility and 60’s simplicity.

See the full collection here.

Designer Nicola Brognano brought us right back to Y2K catwalks with looks primed for the continuation of 90’s and noughties trends that are making their way back into our closets but with an emphasis on inclusivity and body positivity. “Everyone can look good in Blumarine, you can wear it in so many ways. A woman is free to express who she is; you can be 20 years old and be a conservative bourgeoise, and be 70 and ready to show off your body and be a head-turner. The world is vast and wide and free.” says Brognano.

Trompe l’oeil everything, baggy low-rise styles paired with drapey chiffon tops and of course the butterfly were all era defining styles, living a second life through the eyes of fresh new designers and a new generation experiencing and falling ion love with these styles for the first time.

See the full collection here.

Missoni’s show continued the ‘bare it all’ and noughties references that have been all over the runways as of late, but opting for cleaner and quieter silhouettes and styling. Low-slung, floor stacking length denim paired with caped bandeaus and scarf like tie tops, bold florals and directional prints, help elevate and relax the Y2K aesthetic for a more mature customer.

See the full collection here.

With a collection entitled ‘Fairytale Grunge,’ Dsquared designers played with contesting aesthetics, balancing styles and looks between softness and strength for an over all collection that was delicate but tough. Designers Dean and Dan Caten described their most recent collection as “It’s slouchy, grungy, chilly, frivolous, free, and whatever. But it’s luxe grunge.” Bring on the layered styling, summer metallics and extreme destruction and patch and repair for SS22.

See the full collection here.