MILAN FASHION WEEK SS2023
ROBERTO CAVALLI, VERSACE, MISSONI, BLUMARINE, DIESEL, DSQUARED and GCDS

by Cecile Paul · Published September 26, 2022 · Updated January 24, 2024

Feel free to share:

Heed the Call of the Hot Gothic Mermaid! In an Unashamed Celebration of Bare Skin ROBERTO CAVALLI, VERSACE, MISSONI and BLUMARINE Reveal it All in a Tribute to the Season’s Uber-Body-Con Trend. Streetwear Brands DIESEL, GSQUARED and GCDS Equally Celebrated Glowing Skin by Putting their Own Spin on the Fleshy Fad.

The ultimate gothic denim-clad mermaid – at Diesel

Image Credit Milan Fashion Week

No surprises why Milan is the Fashion capitol of the world, but for a week in September Milan truly becomes a city totally obsessed, possessed and all-consumed by things fashionable. Milan literally sleeps, eats and breathes Fashion at the end of September, the city’s streets and show venues awash with chauffeur-driven celebrities from across the world claiming their front-row seats at the shows, dressed to the hilt. The likes of Jodie Turner-Smith, Fionn O’Shea and Daisy Edgar-Jones Smith at Gucci, Hunter Schafer, Storm Reid and Lorde at Prada, Julia Fox at Diesel, Alessandria Ambrosio in Alberta Ferretti and Shay Mitchell at Fendi turn out to support their pet designers, to the delight of armies of street-style paparazzi snapping away at all the glitz and glamour on the pavements. Restaurants, clubs and bars have been heaving with the week’s uber-glam contingent in their midst. The energy is palpable, the shows instantly interpreted and enthusiastically splashed over social media – Tik-Tok and Youtube have been zinging with all the drama, theatrics, show antics and trends!

As for trends, it has been very much about gorgeous glowing skin on display – or so it felt to us! Most collections exploited the fleshy fad, with brands using every opportunity to showcase their sensual lingerie-inspired pieces. Sizzling hot and super sexy brands Roberto Cavalli, Versace and Blumarine showcased their own versions of the body-hugging, close-cut trend – sexy micro skirts, slashed fabrics, cutouts, rips, transparent pieces, fringing and revealing slits were all part of the itsy-bitsy, sensual design language. Even Missoni created a show full of super body-caressing pieces this season.

Streetwear labels Diesel, Dsquared and GCDS also embraced and paid tribute to the trend. The ‘mermaid’ theme (anything to do with the new “Little Mermaid’ film?) was prolific too. Denim was seen in many collections, most notably at Blumarine, Diesel and GCDS. The colour black was a thing too, as was royal purple, most notably in Donatella’s ‘gothic’ collection for Versace. A colour kaleidoscope of neon, bright yellow, bright red, sky blue and jewel-like pastels also shone brightly. All in all, cheery, joyous and fun, and very Spring / Summer!

A purple ‘bride’, veil & all in a corset dress – at Versace

ROBERTO CAVALLI

Fausto Puglisi’s third runway show for Roberto Cavalli was an inspired event – albeit his was a somewhat different take to that of his predecessor on the brand’s famous signature animal print theme. There were definitely plenty old-school Cavalli spots, stripes and markings this time around too, but we also spotted some very glamorous Hollywood charm in the stunning fifties silhouettes on show. There was a rather exotic pineapple (allegedly inspired by celebrity stage artist Tony Duquette) and palm-tree theme happening too! Plenty skin on show too in this theatrical collection with its strategic cut-outs, short skirts and ultra high-rise slits. Delightful!

Watch Roberto Cavalli’s SS 2023 show here:

https://milanofashionweek.cameramoda.it/it/brand/11199

Cave woman! At Roberto Cavalli

Asymmetric slashings – at Roberto Cavalli

A pleated sunshine yellow skirt looks very modern – at Roberto Cavalli

Cutouts and slits – at Roberto Cavalli

Bare skin on display in this sunshine yellow bustiere top – at Roberto Cavalli

Where python meets leopard! At Roberto Cavalli

An Ophelia-esque floaty dress – at Roberto Cavalli

A fifties-style silhouette – at Roberto Cavalli

An exotic pineapple with leopard print mules! At Roberto Cavalli

Pineapple brooches embellish this nude and black jersey dress with its strategic cutouts – at Roberto Cavalli

VERSACE

It’s hot and heady, it’s Versace Goth woman against the backdrop of Prince’s Purple Rain. And royal, gritty, sexy purple was most certainly the star of Donatella Versace’s show. And as ever, it’s as if this collection was designed with one woman in mind: the designer/owner, the inimitable driving force behind Versace, Donatella. She says, “I have always loved a rebel, a woman who is confident, smart, and a little bit of a diva.” Micro-minis, biker jackets, bustiers and low-slung denim jeans made for a collection that shouted rebel eighties sex goddess. Black was there in excess too, as was the odd pop of bright colour – acid yellow, magenta, purple, purple and more purple! There were no surprises – baby-dolls, lacy veils and miniskirts made for a collection that is unmistakably Versace, or shall we say, Donatella?

Watch Versace’s SS 2023 show here:

Sexy goddess in fringed purple – at Versace

Logo-ed branding and nineties ripped jeans – at Versace

Sexy rocker chick! Tiny leather skirt, bustiere and fringed leather jacket – at Versace

Lingerie-inspired neon yellow lace fit for a gothic Versace ‘bride’ – at Versace

Lashings of animal print in this purple mini dress – at Versace

A shimmery sheath dress in raspberry – at Versace

MISSONI

Newly appointed creative director Filippo Grazioli went for the full-on body-con silhouette, a sexy, close-cut and perhaps paired-down version of what we’ve become used to seeing at this legendary house. There were dresses of all lengths – from the skimpiest micro minis to maxi and floor-sweeping frocks. The patterns, too, were an alternative take on Missoni’s signature stripes and graphic patterns (for the most part Missoni’s trademark zig-zag patterns were notably absent). The colour palette varied between a very striking and graphic black-and-white to some bold colours: sunshine yellow, vivid magenta and a dreamy sea-green cyan. Bright and bold, with an overt nineties feel to it, this is a new take on ‘old’ Missoni, perhaps one where GenZees are the ones most likely to lap up all this glamorous and sexy celebrity-like fashion?

Watch Missoni’s SS 2023 show here:

https://milanofashionweek.cameramoda.it/it/brand/11212

Black and white looks striking in this graphic printed dress – at Missoni

Shocking pink sequins and a sky-high slit over a pair of stripy shorts are sizzling hot! At Missoni

A statuesque and contour-hugging column dress – at Missoni

Hot pink sequins over stripy knickers – at Missoni

A transparent sheath dress over zig sag bottoms – at Missoni

Slits and cutouts in the right places – at Missoni

BLUMARINE

Creative director Nicola Brognano blames his obsession with mermaids on The Little Mermaid from his childhood days. This season the Blumarine girls is a mermaid – glamorous, sexy … and gothic! The Blumarine silhouette is skin-hugging, tight-fitting and close-cut, with bra cups that resemble shells, ultra low-slung flaired jeans and gothic crosses as accessories. Every curve is accentuated in this sexy range, with midriff- and cleavage-revealing tops, skirts, jeans and dresses as well as copious quantities of glorious skin on display at every opportunity.

Watch Blumarine’s SS 2023 show here:

https://milanofashionweek.cameramoda.it/it/brand/11208

‘Seaweed’ embellishments in this Red Little Mermaid dress – at Blumarine

Fragile, flimsy layers of fringy fabric – at Blumarine

A cargo skirt and top get The Little Mermaid treatment – at Blumarine

A sky-blue fishtail dress – at Blumarine

Low-slung flairs and a gothic cross – at Blumarine

DIESEL

Sun-faded denim, denim jersey, knitted denim, fringed denim and old-school denim … they were all there. The ultimate denim label, Diesel, wowed with their denim offerings in every guise, showing off their expert design skills when it comes to the world’s favourite cloth. But it wasn’t all about denim, other fabrics made a cameo appearance too as seen in ensembles like corsets, flaired trousers, bikinis, spaghetti-strap dresses, boob tube tops, micro miniskirts and lace-hemmed vest-dresses in tropical shades.

Watch Diesel’s SS 2023 show here:

https://milanofashionweek.cameramoda.it/it/brand/11194

Silver tinsel cover the essentials – at Diesel

Faded denim gets the mock croc treatment – at Diesel

Tropical shades in this body-hugging vest dress – at Diesel

A silver belt-dress and bikini top – at Diesel

Mock croc in silver and sunshine yellow – at Diesel

DSQUARED

Surfer girl chic is what Dsquared’s SS 2023 collection is all about: sexy, sizzling, suntanned elegance and va-va voom glamour. The collection features plenty layering, mid-riff baring vest tops, itsy-bitsy bikinis, wrap skirts, leggings and blazers in fabrics that work their magic in showing off skin to the full. Chiffon, organza, sequins and lycra are used in an asymmetrical, one-shoulder-baring, slashed and layered fashion to create that sexy allure and unassuming, easy-going surfer-girl mood.

Watch Dsquared’s SS 2023 show here:

Layers of pastel organza in this skirt – at Dsquared

A micro bikini top over boys’ swimming trunks – at Dsquared

An asymmetrical nude sequin dress looks super sexy – at Dsquared

One-shoulder elegance in this chic metallic sequin dress – at Dsquared

Strategic frills and cutouts reveal plenty skin – at Dsquared

GCDS

In yet another celebration of glorious skin, ripped denim in the brightest of shades, neon-popping lycra, denim, sequins, rhinestones, knits and crochets were shaped into the sexiest of mermaid dresses, sweatshirts, micro bras, bikinis, shorts and jackets in a collection that shouts for joy. The season’s colour trends were uncannily reflected in the collection: sunshine yellow, shocking pink, lavender, tangerine, silver, neo yellow and pastels all vied for attention in a range that would most certainly liven up any Summer-craving, beach-loving fashionista’s wardrobe.

Watch GCDS’s SS 2023 show here: