FASHION, like music, is at its most powerful when it sets a mood: it can evoke a feeling, a sense of timelessness in which you get lost in the beauty and drama of the art. The Missoni  SS19 collection at MFW was not high art but rather a quietly evocative, soulful affair.
The ultra-modern venue, MiCO, which is Milan’s main conference centre – formed a spectacular backdrop for this celebration of the brand’s 65th Anniversary. Pianist and composer Michael Nyman opened the show and accompanied the models throughout the show. Nyman’s haunting music plus the futuristic venue made for a perfect setting for a collection that felt entirely new yet comfortable familiar, with weaves and textiles that did not come from the Missoni archive but nonetheless felt like an appropriate nod to the brand’s heritage materials.
Overall, the Missoni collection was, in a word, effortless. It was full of breezy, light knits in imaginative layered combinations. Wearable separates in appealing earth tones were paired with sparkling sheer base layers to add dimension. There were loose trousers worn with draped cardis and jumpers, along with ruffled tops paired with ankle trousers and long skirts worn underneath knotted jackets. Accessories were similarly easy with bedroom-like embellished slippers and glimmery mismatched pearl and stone earrings that nicely highlighted the dewy, ethereal makeup the models wore.
This Missoni collection showed the brand at its best. It was full of beautifully constructed garments and felt forward looking, always a confident thing for a heritage brand. Gigi Hadid’s relaxed smile said it all, as she closed the show.
by Jessica Quillin