Best:
-Sacai: not as flawless as last season but Chitose knows her stuff and still keeps it fresh
-Saint Laurent: it gave the strongest "vibes" with its cinematic realness, but the clothes were not my favorite
-Chloe: I loved the soundtrack, at first glance it seemed not as tight and sharp as a collection but reseeing the campaign-esque photos of the runway looks on IG made me see it more positively
-Courreges: Strong, consistent, and has an identifiable POV
-Missoni: Biggest surprise in Milan. It was warm, and luxurious with some looks that almost reminded me of the best of Karl at Fendi (some wonky pieces here and there) but overall nice and desirable
Good
-Max Mara: Good stylish staples, the set was a bit too cold for the collection
-Alaia: Strong shapes, but somehow drowned the body in fabrics (still best collection from Peter)
-Marc Jacobs: Nostalgic and charming just like the best late 2000s and early 2010s shows of his
-Altuzarra: Something was alluring about the simplicity and unforced styling this season (well except for the hats)
-Moschino: Clever ideas, and strong for a debut (with few months to prepare). Looking forward to what he does next.
-Undercover: Never been a fan of this brand but I appreciate the thought-provoking aspect of this collection
Special Mention
-Saint Laurent Men's Timing was a bit off (almost an afterthought) but I appreciate the fact that they still showed. This must have been the strongest and most convincing men's collection for Vacarello. Strong casting and nice music as usual. I didn't appreciate the rehashing of the venue but still, the clothes saved the show (opposite of his women's showing).
-Dunhill London: Classic menswear done properly.
Disappointing
-Bottega Veneta: I was hoping that they'd save Milan but Matthew played it too safe this time. It was lukewarm.
-Louis Vuitton: I thought Nicolas got his mojo back based on what he presented last season (a clean and tight collection) but it was drizzled by once again ugliness and heaviness. Though some looks were homage to his best hits, he could have left them out of the show.
-Dior: I'd rather have a proper (slightly boring) collection than a collection filled with cheap graffiti
-Dries Van Noten: There were nice pieces but I wish he could do more unrestrained and decadent collections again
Worst
-McQueen: All over the place and so lost in POV and even technique
-Gucci: It just confirmed the limitedness of Sabato as a Creative Director (hope lowered for the next seasons). Even the accessories and bags looked like unironic bootleg versions.
-Balenciaga: Relevance: 0%
Bad as usual: Prada, Chanel, Versace, Fendi, Balmain, Loewe, JW Anderson
Overall: I was surprised how weak Milan was this season, it's usually the week I look forward to (even more than Paris). Again, just as I said on the Best Menswear Shows (F/W 2024), it would be good for houses (esp. big ones) to divorce their women's and men's shows. Having separate shows will further highlight a designer's style and POV as well as narrow the focus of each collection (brands who need to divorce their co-ed shows: Versace, Bottega Veneta, Burberry).
