Top 9 Spring 2012 Collections: Milan

Today's Top 9 Spring 2012 Collections: Milan

Written By Rebecca Voigt

1. Gucci

Jazz Age Art Deco beading and dropped waist flapper dressed ruled the runway at Gucci - appropriate, seeing as the Italian house was founded in 1921. But this was no mere vintage reference. Frida Giannini created a collation that nods to the past but is firmly rooted in the modern era, with a hint of futurism thrown in for good measure. www.gucci.com

2. Prada

Two great Italian love affairs - fast cars and beautiful women - inspired Miuccia Prada's brilliant spring collection. Sweetly seductive femininity reminiscent of the 1950s means there's something for everyone in this collection, from the innocent to pin-up glamour girl. www.prada.com

3. Roberto Cavalli

There is only one word to describe the Roberto Cavalli spring collection: Wow. Everything, from the opening gold sequin encrusted tuxedo jacket and skirt to the final sex goddess evening gown was exquisite. With couture-like details and the coolest take on the tuxedo jacket in recent memory, this collection is a certified hit. www.robertocavalli.com

4. Jil Sander

The purity, cleanness of line, and simplicity at Jil Sander this season were as eye-catching as any of the glitz and glam found on the Italian runways. The artistry in Raf Simons' white poplin shirt dresses, plunge-neck suits and abstract intarsia knits reinforced the designers brilliance - and gave women a lot of truly fantastic wardrobe options for spring. www.jilsander.com

5. Versace

Versace is having a major moment. With the brand's collaboration with fast-fashion giant H&M about to hit stores (inducing guaranteed madness), Donatella Versace sent out a fantastic collection for spring that she called "the meeting of old and new Versace." Goddess gowns anchored by jeweled starfish, plisse pastels, neoprene, lucite platforms and more gold studs than there are stars in the sky - it was all quintessential Versace, in the best way possible. www.versace.com

6. Emilio Pucci

When Gwyneth Paltrow gave everyone a preview of Pucci's spring collection at the Emmys, it was clear Peter Dundas had dreamed up something fabulous for spring. His bohemian-sexpot theme was given couture-grade workmanship, so even mid-riff baring peasant tops had an air of the exquisite. You can bet your Birkin Paltrow won't be the only celeb rocking this collection on the red carpet. www.emiliopucci.com

7. Marni

Brainy fashionistas love Marni, and this spring there are plenty of reasons why they will continue to do so. Consuelo Castiglioni has given them a collection of lovely dresses and separates in some of the season's most beautiful colors and cleverest prints, all floating atop a layer of exposed chiffon underpinnings. It's clean, ladylike, a little quirky, and 100 percent Marni. www.marni.com

8. Emporio Armani

Gatsby and Daisy vacation on the Moon - that was the vibe on the runway at Giorgio Armani's Emporio show. The '20s silhouette, one of the season's biggest and best trends, was given a sci-fi twist with future friendly hoop-skirt cocktail dresses and a lunar palette of white, black and icy pastels. www.emporioarmani.com

9. Dolce & Gabbana

Dolce & Gabbana - is there a brand more essentially Italian than this? Absolutely not, a fact only reinforced by the duo's spring collection. Plucked straight from the garden, the veggie prints on fit-and-flare dresses and crochet tablecloth sheaths paraded down the runway to Sophia Loren singing "Mambo Italiano" before the designers left the kitchen behind to close the show with diva worthy lace cocktail dresses and crystal-encrusted corsets. Bellissima! www.dolcegabbana.com

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10.11.11 | 04:21pm

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10.12.11 | 02:07pm

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