Italian design houses, Versace, Moschino, Trussardi present 2012 looks in Milan

The top Italian design houses give their vision for 2012, which drips of an adventurous, bright, glamorous view of even the everyday dona

The third day of Milan Fashion Week saw media, buyers and fashion fans rushing to see 2012 spring/summer collections for Versace, Moschino, Antonio Marras and Trussardi among others in the runway show line up.
VERSACE: Glamorous siren in neoprene, leather and jersey
Donatella Versace is strumming the fashion house's signature theme of the strong, glamorous siren, sending neoprene, leather and jersey - for the "hot city evening" - strutting down the catwalk.
Sea-inspired patterns in hazy pastel shades are punctuated with gold and silver studs. Seahorses, shells and starfish appear in watery blue, citrine yellow, lilac and white.
Big, round shoulders sculpt and give athletic edge to jackets, which are paired with micro-shorts and high, plexi wedge heels. Panels of pleated jersey are held in place with gold studs over neoprene mini-dresses. Pencil skirts reaching over the knee are paired with a bra or a studded leather T-shirt.
Trussardi celebrates 100 years: Designer Umit Benan womenswear debut
Trussardi is celebrating its 100th anniversary at Milan's historic Castello Sforzesco Friday night, throwing a party for 1,000 guests and featuring a debut womenswear collection by the cosmopolitan Turkish designer Umit Benan. The luxury leather goods and fashion house has built the spring summer collection around a sophisticated, globe-trotting woman. And at the end of the runway show, the models took a seat in a staged airplane ready for take-off.
Guests will be served travel baskets inspired by meals served on airplanes. Food was prepared by chef Andrea Berton of the Trussardi restaurant and the "basket" designed by Michael Young, a renowned, hip furniture and product designer from the UK. British artist Martin Creed and his band will give a live, 30-minute experimental music concert.
Dante Trussardi began the company in 1911 as a quality leather glove maker. Nicola Trussardi, who passed away in a tragic car accident in 1999, took the house to international prominence from the 1970's to the 1990's, branching into women's and menswear, accessories and other luxury goods. His daughter Beatrice Trussardi has guided the company since 2003. Umit Benan mainly grew up in Istanbul, where his family ran a textile business, but has been educated in Switzerland, Boston, Milan, London and New York.
Formerly Rifat Ozbek's assistant at Pollini Womenswear, he won the 2009 "Who's On Next" award sponsored by Pitti Immagine and L'Uomo Vogue for his second menswear collection.
Moschino: inspired by Spanish bullfighters and Western cowboys
Moschino's spring/summer 2012 collection was inspired by sunny, exotic places - Spain and the American Southwest. The bullfighter figured large with tight black leggings, toreador jacket and hat - elegantly reinterpreted in deep black, gold, and rich golden yellow - through shorts, capes, biker jacket and short skirts. Gold embroidery embellished deep black. The Spanish señora appeared, too, in lace, gold, and long ruffled dresses.
The collection then soared off to New Mexico and southern Arizona. Cowboy and gold rush themes emerged with cowboy hats, beige and brown suede leather jackets and fringed dresses. A revisionist Najavo poncho with beaded fringe covered a micro-mini skirt. A Mariachi jacket matched with a lace skirt and finished with bells. A tight-fitting evening dress sparkled, completely covered in burnt gold sequins.
"Gold…radiates flashes of warmth, not just a feeling but the reflection of a sun culture," explained Rosella Jardini, creative director for Moschino.
Earrings were large, gold and gypsy style. Shoes were high, gold, sandal wedges with straps wrapping several times around the ankle.
Antonio Marras: Maid becomes madame in floral prints
The concept behind Antonio Marras's collection is complex, theatrical and psychological, taking inspiration from Jean Genet's drama "The Maids" in which two maids, sisters Claire and Solange - who love and hate their employer - take turns dressing up as "Madame," pretending to be a part of her glamorous "vie en rose," then attempting - and fail to kill her.
The figure of the 1930's femme fatale "Madame" came through in luxuriously light fabrics, often with brilliant floral patterns and colours ranging from emerald green to magenta, white, ecru and black. Fine accordion pleats hung straight or draped like a fan. Curvy, structured collars were embroidered and beaded with sparkling ornamentation.
Just as the lights lowered and spectators expected the final parade of the collection, Marras raised a series of curtains to reveal his models posed in a layered domestic scene, on sofas and in chairs.
A parade of models in brightly-coloured, fine floral prints hit the runway to roaring applause. Blue, purple, mustard and red appeared, transforming folkloric looks into contemporary appeal. Shoes were brightly coloured leather stiletto heels, often with feather accents on the front.