From Kim Kardashian to twins on the runway, everything you missed at Milan Fashion Week

Prudence Wade takes a look at what went down in Italy for the spring/summer 2023 collections.

Kim Kardashian and Dolce and Gabbana (Alamy/PA)

Milan Fashion Week has drawn to a close, proving to be one of the most fun seasons we’ve seen in a long time.

Front rows and runways were star-studded, clothes were colourful and OTT, and brands were all about making dramatic statements.

Here’s everything you missed from a memorable MFW…

Kim Kardashian takes D&G

After Dolce & Gabbana hosted Kourtney Kardashian’s wedding to Travis Barker earlier this year, the Italian fashion house has collaborated with another family member: Kim Kardashian.

Kardashian helped design the SS23 collection, aptly named ‘Ciao Kim’. The star dived into her extensive archives for inspiration, drawing upon D&G designs from 1987 to 2007 and bringing them up to date. Everything was full Italian glam: corsets, black lace, leopard print and sparkly chokers. While Kardashian didn’t walk the show herself, she did take a bow at the end with Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce.

Seeing double at Gucci

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No, your eyes aren’t deceiving you – that is a set of identical twins on the runway, and they weren’t alone at Gucci. Creative director Alessandro Michele invited showgoers into ‘Gucci Twinsburg’, sending 68 pairs of twins or doppelgängers down the runway, dressed alike and holding hands.

“It means we are all the same and we are different,” Michele said in the show notes, stating it was a tribute to his mother and her twin sister.

Horror movie make-up at Prada

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Prada brought a hint of the unreal to its beauty looks for SS23, with models sporting extra long false lashes – made to look like trails of dark hair dangling down their faces.

Make-up artist Pat McGrath described the look as “sublime skin meets subversive lashes”, and horror fans couldn’t help but compare it to scenes from some of their favourite movies – including Japanese film Exte and A Clockwork Orange.

Star power at Versace

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Kim Kardashian wasn’t the only reality star to take Milan this season – her old friend Paris Hilton surprised everyone by closing the Versace show.

The look was pure Hilton: a pink sparkly minidress with hot pink accessories, including a veil – a nod to the new bride’s wedding at the end of 2021.

Drama in front of the Duomo

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Moncler had one of the most arresting shows of the season, taking over the iconic Piazza del Duomo with 1,952 dancers all dressed in white puffer coats.

The massive event was to celebrate the brand’s 70th birthday, and Vogue estimated that 18,000 members of the public (along with celebrity guests like Pharrell Williams and Colin Kaepernick) watched the dancers pull off a perfectly synchronised routine in the falling rain.

Soft glam at Armani

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Instead of going for a dramatic show with stunts on the runway, Giorgio Armani’s show was all about comforting, soft glamour. Think flowing garments of silk and tulle in earthy and pastel colours, with the odd hint of sparkle.

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And on the front row, Anne Hathaway was very much on message – with a voluminous beehive nodding to Italian screen sirens.

Inflatables at Moschino

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You can always rely on Moschino for a healthy dose of silliness on the runway, and creative director Jeremy Scott certainly delivered. With the news cycle full of conversations about inflation, Scott used that as inspiration for his looks – and every outfit had some kind of inflatable element.

The palette was candy-coloured, and models had pool party accessories – think inflatable dolphins as sleeves, beach balls as bags, and one look was even a blown-up swan – perhaps an ode to Bjork’s iconic red carpet look?

New blood at Ferragamo

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Ferragamo was one of the most hotly anticipated shows of the season, with British designer Maximilian Davis stepping up to the plate as the brand’s new creative director.

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His debut was a huge success, with Davis showing a relaxed and modern way to do suiting.