Milan Loses Fashion Apitite

Source from: Associated press dtd 02/26

MILAN – Things are quite quiet in this once bustling fashion city. Just a year ago hotels were bursting at the seams during fashion week, and a trendy meal meant reserving weeks ahead of time.
"Since last July we are serving 1,000 customers less every month," said Giusi Rosellini, one of the owners of `da Ilia' a favorite fashion hang out, famous for its meat-based risotto, and branzino fish wrapped in salt.
The fashionistas' lack of appetite however is most evident at the shows.
Every season the show calendar gets thinner — down to six days from last year's 10 for this round of womenswear preview showings for the fall winter 2009-2010, and attendance diminishes.
According to the Italian fashion chamber, accredited press attendance for the current fashion week is down by more than 30 percent from over 2,000 last year to 1,100, while big stores have cut down on the number of buyers they send to the shows. More than one designer, including flamboyant Roberto Cavalli for his second line Just Cavalli, bowed out of the official show calendar.
"It's a bad moment for all," said Giulia Pirovano, of the fashion chamber's press office.
To combat the bleak recession days ahead, designers are opting for what Giorgio Armani calls "modest extravagance" with safe rather than sexy styles, and a color palette based on black and its dark spin-offs, mixed with erratic moments of bright color and sparkling glitter.
Armani opened the list of big names on this week's winter fashion calendar Thursday with a young and energetic second line Emporio collection, with short hemlines, knee socks, and high heels. Ruffles and frills on jackets and coats add a touch of the demure as do the sequins on the silk evening socks. Extravagance comes in the jewelry which is stitched directly on to the outfit.
The little black dress, usually in velvet, reigns supreme.
Angela Missoni, of the famous knitwear family, also presented a collection where the accessory became the outfit. Knitted scarves of every size and shape — from long and tasseled to cowl necked or hooded, and sometimes more than one for the same outfit — were draped over silk lame dresses skirts and tights, often hiding the garment underneath.
Sometimes the knitwear was interspersed with tufts of fur as in the cozy headbands and sporty handbags.
In these tough times, the knitting needle Missonis know not to drop a stitch. A warm wooly scarf is both a comforting and affordable fashion item.