Presented in the cobblestone courtyard of the historic Via Gesù home of the fashion house’s founder, Gianni Versace, in Milan, the Versace Spring/Summer 2023 collection was full of color and verve. Donatella Versace dug into the archives and pulled out prints her brother Gianni created for La Scala productions in the 90s, a logo from the early 2000s or the frozen-in-lava death masks of Pompeii, all of these revisited archival motifs splashed across t-shirts, silk shirts and pants, alongside stripes, diamond-shaped cut from leather made in eco-sustainable latex and powerfully colorful python prints. The latter, now replacing exotic skins, with fluorescent accents appeared on trench coats or pants. These new eco-friendly fabrics definitely marked the brand’s entry into the era of sustainability.

For Gucci's Cosmogonie Fashion Show, creative director Alessandro Michele transported the fashion set to Castel del Monte where he presented a sparkling collection of 101 looks exploring the idea of past and present. Rooted in writer Hannah Arendt’s devoted essay on her friend and philosopher Walter Benjamin, Gucci’s Cosmogonie considers the past and how it is reflected in the present. Michele’s collection enveloped both romanticised mediaeval monikers with multi-layered pearls, starched ruffs, and heavy velvets, as well as modern fashion history – demonstrated in crimped hair and oversized sunglasses of the 80s.