{"id":4220,"date":"2025-09-27T10:08:59","date_gmt":"2025-09-27T10:08:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thegloss.online\/?p=4220"},"modified":"2025-09-27T10:08:59","modified_gmt":"2025-09-27T10:08:59","slug":"in-milan-carrie-bradshaws-shadow-self","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thegloss.online\/?p=4220","title":{"rendered":"In Milan, Carrie Bradshaw’s Shadow Self"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Ciao from Milano, where the pasta is perfetto, <\/em>the industry outlook is optimistic, and public transit system moves at the speed of Rihanna’s next album. (Alas, we’ll never know what we missed at that Moschino preview. Probably a smiley face on… something.)<\/p>\n

Here’s what’s been happening since Milan Fashion Week formally kicked off on Sept. 23, including a major designer debut, a ’90s American Girl doll reference, the sequel to Pucci Girl Summer, and an excuse to buy those beat-up Gucci slippers on RealReal.<\/p>\n

Jil Sander Is Doing Revenge Dressing<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In the job market, on dating apps, and in marketing campaigns, Gen X women are constantly undermined \u2014 despite influencing 70% of all consumer spending and dropping an average of $80k a year on lifestyle items like clothes and makeup, according to the market research firm Circana. Jil Sander reminded the world that the generation known for Gwyneth, Lauryn, and Winona began setting trends 30 years ago, and continues to determine how they spread today. On a runway jammed with get-it-done clothes<\/u>, new designer Simone Bilotti established that highly pigmented, form-and-function obsessed separates are a fashion legacy that\u2019s easy to wear and near-impossible to top. And as Gen X supermodel Guinevere Van Seenus opened the show after starring in Jil Sander\u2019s ad campaigns 30 years ago, Gen X fashion legends like stylist Katie Grand and Roopal Patel, the SVP and fashion director of Saks and Neiman Marcus, looked on and nodded. \u201cYou see? We were right all along.\u201d <\/p>\n

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Launchmetrics.com\/spotlight \/\/ Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

Brunello Cuccinelli, Fashion Rainmaker<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Cashmere emperor Brunello Cuccinelli is as warm and relaxed as his sumptuous, slouchy knits, which explains why every season in Milan, editors cram into his showroom at 4 pm on the dot to explore his label\u2019s new line of coveted cashmere overcoats while munching the brand\u2019s \u201csecret recipe\u201d sandwiches. (That\u2019s homemade crostini bread with lemon-spritzed olive oil, arugula, mozzarella, and parma ham sliced thinner than the tissue paper at the Bergdorf\u2019s counter.) <\/p>\n

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But this season, Cuccinelli\u2019s beloved \u201cgo with the flow\u201d attitude collided with an actual <\/em>flow of rain and hail \u2014 apparently, one of the worst thunderstorms Milan has seen in years. As the label\u2019s exquisite covered courtyard started leaking, Cuccinelli\u2019s corporate HQ became a makeshift ark for models, retailers, editors, and the occasional movie star, all sipping espresso and sampling grilled eggplant toast while seeing how cozy a Cuccinelli sweater could feel in a squall.<\/p>\n

When the clouds parted a little, Cuccinelli sheepishly grinned and gestured to his models. The theme of the collection, he explained, was \u201cthe elements.\u201d Sometimes, you just manifest a little too hard. <\/p>\n

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Faran Krentcil<\/span><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

Are Bag Straps the New Bag Charms?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In the beginning \u2014 like, way before Labubu \u2014 there was Karlito. The zany fur bag charm was a cartoon replica of legendary designer Karl Lagerfeld, who debuted his fuzzy alter-ego in 2014. It\u2019s 21 years later, and Fendi still holds firmly to their charm-ing legacy, with puffy blossoms, candy-colored furballs, and even a soft doll wearing a tiny replica runway look that jangled from a purse on the Spring 2026 runway. But the focus is also shifting slightly from charms to straps. At Etro, vibrant crochet and ribbon accents wound around the hobo bags like giant friendship bracelets; at Diesel, the best-selling Bag-D-S-Borsa now has removable designer hair claws on the handles. Even Jil Sander\u2019s brilliantly stark accessories had a strap situation: They came in a contrasting color from the actual purses, adding a tiny thrill of \u201cwait, what?<\/em>\u201d when the models strolled by. Perhaps like in baseball, the key to an It Bag circa 2026 will be all in the wrist. <\/p>\n

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launchmetrics.com\/spotlight<\/span><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

Diesel Makes Fashion Easter Eggs <\/h2>\n

Pokemon Go but make it fashion? Diesel\u2019s like, \u201cYeah, let\u2019s go.\u201d Designer Glenn Martens dropped 35 giant plastic easter eggs all over Milan, and each one contained a live model wearing a Spring 2026 outfit. Walk by Piazza Beccaria en route to the metro and you might crash up against Look 5, a lustrous maroon tulip skirt with an angled green vest shooting across the hips like leaves containing a flower bud. Run for your tram near the Duomo and wait, is that a giant plastic egg with a girl in a strapless dress made from a cool denim-satin weave? (It was.) Martens was overheard joking that some fashion folk were worried they didn\u2019t \u201chave a seat\u201d at the Diesel show this season. But there were<\/em> no seats. Instead, Martens wanted us to discover the clothes on our own \u2014 and alongside college kids who couldn\u2019t believe they\u2019d stumbled upon a designer show en route <\/em>to their afternoon class. Surely, that\u2019s the point of fashion\u2019s magic, especially at a brand like Diesel, which has a renewed place of pride in the save-up-and-buy-something-special pantheon of Gen Z shopping goals.
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WWD<\/span>\/\/<\/span>Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

Speaking of Diesel, Maybe They Can Be Friends with KNWLS?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

It was pouring outside but promising inside for the British fashion collective KNWLS. (Sounds like \u201cKnowles,\u201d as in founder Charlotte Knowles\u2026 or as in Tina \/ Beyonce \/ Solange. Your call.) The label made its Milan catwalk debut with a series of grime-tinted denim and leather corsets, cropped trenches with parachute-cord collars, and some tattered flutter-tops made with micro-plaid prints borrowed from the grunge era. There were echoes of OG Anna Sui in here, and of course clothing convos with current girlhood warrior Collina Strada. The pink pointe sneakers made in collaboration with Nike were a nod to ballet-core. But by sculpting all this denim \u2014 and smacking it down in Milan \u2014 KNWLS is shouting pretty loudly at Diesel and its creative director Glenn Martens. And you know, that <\/em>could be a collab worth exploring. <\/p>\n

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Justin Shin<\/span>\/\/<\/span>Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

Luisa Beccaria Could Be LoveShackFancy\u2019s Italian Heiress<\/strong><\/h2>\n

It\u2019s fitting that giggly-but-elegant Olivia Palermo was in the front row of Luisa Beccaria\u2019s palazzo-staged fashion parade, and that socialite whisperer Savannah Engel paired with cool-but-luxe brand guide Nate Hinton to handle the show\u2019s international guests. That\u2019s because amid the glitter heels and musty mint tea dresses that Luisa Beccaria just can\u2019t quit, a series of more relaxed \u2014 and dare we say it, rad <\/em>\u2014 looks floated down the runway. The pink floral prints recalled Felicity Merriman\u2019s American Girl <\/em>rose pinafore and Laura Ashley\u2019s 1980s bedspreads; they came in floppy bucket hats and tiered, strappy party dresses. There was one slightly sheer oversized sailor collar situation with a giant, fluttery bow. Get a more street-forward stylist in here, do a Golden Goose collab on some floral-print sneakers, add an oversized cardigan or (gasp) hoodie or two, gift a signature print baseball cap to a couple chatty influencers, and designer Luisa Beccaria Bonaccorsi could turn her family\u2019s label into a legitimate contemporary expression of coveted Italian girlhood. Pensaci. <\/em>(That\u2019s \u201cthink about it\u201d in Italian.) <\/p>\n

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Daniele Venturelli<\/span>\/\/<\/span>Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

That\u2019s That Pucci Espresso<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Pucci Girl Summer trend was a lot like a Dua Lipa song at a pool party: Sparkling and addictive, if a little relentless. For Spring 2026, designer Camille Miceli revived a black, brown, and white print that borrows its color scheme from an espresso martini and looks \u2014 in the best way \u2014 like acid trip leopard print when translated into Pucci\u2019s signature leggings and swirly scarves. The brand also showed a gold-plated, swirl-embossed lighter on a necklace chain that wouldn\u2019t look out of place on an after-hours pop star like Ms. Lipa herself. The whole thing was pretty great, though full disclosure: Pucci PR did bribe me with an espresso affogato (vanilla ice cream and caffeine, basically) after viewing the clothes. It came, of course, in a tiny Pucci-print cup. <\/p>\n

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Faran Krentcil<\/span><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

The Demna Effect: Your Gucci Loafers Have Crashed Out<\/strong><\/h2>\n

If you were lucky enough to peep Demna\u2019s first Gucci collection in person, you might have spotted a twist on Ye Olde Gucci Loafers: They now come pre-folded at the bag and already worn at the toes and sides, as if you were running as fast as you could to buy a slim but mighty collection of punchy, delectable Gucci staples redone in acid-candy colors and sleek-but-undone shapes. (Or running as fast as you could do a consignment store, because: these pre-scuffed shoes are already kicking around,<\/a> pun not intended.) <\/p>\n

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Faran Krentcil<\/span><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

Apocalypse, Ciao<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Despite the furious internet chatter, nobody got raptured on September 23. (Except \u2014 spoiler alert \u2014 maybe Edward Norton at the end of the Gucci movie<\/u>? Spike Jonze, please advise.) The Sardinian artist and designer Antonio Marras decided to stage his own apocalypse anyway in the form of a fashion show. The End began when showgoers were asked to cross a pile of black volcanic ash at the show\u2019s entrance. Giant piles of salt blocked the catwalk, strewn with weathered books and half-finished paintings. The clothes themselves were pure Marras \u2014 highly constructed corsets in clash-and-laugh pattern mash-ups (muted florals with magic marker stripes; refined antique jacquard bodices cinching My Little Pony <\/em>pink-and-purple skirts). But the styling was as if a colony of artists decided to give the middle finger to decay and haul themselves to a party instead. Some models had bedazzled eyebrows; others hauled violins or a handheld keyboard along with their designer handbags. At the end, Marras took his bow with the independent shepherd Giuseppe Ignazio Loi, who became a symbol of eco-resistance after refusing to cede his farmland to a huge real estate company. \u201cThat was a lot<\/em>,\u201d sighed an editor as we trudged back across the black gravel after the show, which was held in an abandoned warehouse covered in graffiti. It was, but it was also pretty earned. Anyway, the blossom-shouldered blazers were clutch.<\/p>\n

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Ferda Demir<\/span>\/\/<\/span>Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

And Just Like That, Carrie Bradshaw Haunts Milan<\/strong><\/h2>\n

This morning at MaxMara, Brooke<\/u> spotted a good giggle: models wearing pouf buns with headbands and belts wrapped directly across their stomachs. One look in particular was a shadow-self of Carrie Bradshaw’s infamous Michael Kors Celine skirt and vintage gingham belt, but in all black instead of Palm Beach pink-and-green. Sex and the City <\/em>costume designer Patricia Field did it circa 2001 with Miranda Kerr echoing the look in Calvin Klein (2014), then Brandon Maxwell and model Caroline Trentini playing with the effect in 2023. Ah, the fashion circle of life.
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Screenshot via HBO \/\/ Getty Images (2) \/\/ Faran Krentcil<\/span><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

Someone Buy Me This Pink Dress from No. 21.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Even better, buy it for yourself. It’s great. You’ll wear it for years.<\/p>\n

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Pietro D’Aprano<\/span>\/\/<\/span>Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ciao from Milano, where the pasta is perfetto, the industry outlook is optimistic, and public transit system moves at the speed of Rihanna’s next album. (Alas, we’ll never know what we missed at that Moschino preview. Probably a smiley face on… something.) Here’s what’s been happening since Milan Fashion Week formally kicked off on Sept.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4221,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[240,239,238,241],"class_list":{"0":"post-4220","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fashion","8":"tag-bradshaws","9":"tag-carrie","10":"tag-milan","11":"tag-shadow"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thegloss.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4220","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thegloss.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thegloss.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thegloss.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thegloss.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4220"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thegloss.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4220\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thegloss.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4221"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thegloss.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4220"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thegloss.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4220"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thegloss.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4220"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}