The Top Looks from Spring 2021 Milan Fashion Week

As the third stop on the Fashion Week calendar, Milan had a lot to live up to. New York and London both brought interesting and refreshing takes to the Spring/Summer 2021 season, both design-wise and technologically. But not to worry - Milan definitely did not disappoint.

The week kicked off with presentations by Missoni, Fendi, Alberta Ferretti, and Dolce & Gabbana. Due to relaxed COVID restrictions in Milan, many designers were able to host in-person, socially distanced presentations alongside their digital events. However, most editors and fashion lovers were unable not travel internationally this year, which catalyzed some major technological advances. For example, Fendi created a “digital front row” that allowed its VIP guests to zoom in, screenshot, and rotate the camera as they pleased. For Salvatore Ferragamo’s collection presentation, select editors and influencers were sent virtual reality glasses with a set of special instructions so they could view the show as if they were really there. Though many events went without a live audience (Moschino even utilized puppets instead of models), Versace filled the front row with their most important guests: their team.

Solidarity and community were major themes throughout the shows. Dolce & Gabbana's patchwork pieces were inspired by different people, cultures, and communities coming together as one. In Marnifesto, Franceso Risso of Marni's take on fostering community, he dressed 48 international artists of all mediums in his newest collection. Marnifesto swept viewers across the world, from Shanghai to New York in a single outfit. Opting to stay closer to home (definitely a theme of this year as a whole), Etro's collection was inspired by the simple beauty of the Italian summer, which reflects the new simplistic outlook of the world during and post-COVID.

All in all, Milan Fashion Week was a dazzling, beautiful display of resilience, joy, and the power of the human spirit. Below are our editors' favorite looks.