During Fashion Week, Palazzo Bovara played host to Milano Fashion Official, confirming its standing as one of Milan’s venues capable of lending character to the events it welcomes. For two days, its historic halls were given over to music, lights and clothes. The project is the work of Monica Foglia and Maurizio Raneri, who have for years curated and produced a format conceived to take the catwalk beyond its usual surroundings. Monica Foglia and Maurizio Raneri This year, the classic runway show gave way to something more ambitious. The designers built genuine signature shows, setting their collections within choreography worked out in the finest detail, where the movement of bodies and the cut of a fabric told one and the same story. Giving voice to this narrative were the live performances of the Crazy Diamonds and of Virgilio Sax, together with other artists who accompanied the models’ entrances with a rare intensity. The audience, the industry insiders and the press were able to listen to operatic singers and sections of percussionists, two sound worlds that could scarcely be further apart and that, set side by side, lent the collections an almost theatrical breadth. Watching all of this closely was the Salotto Rosso, the jury called upon to assess no fewer than thirty shows across the two days. Its members were the journalists Penny Alfieri and Giselle Fainelli, the visual artist Lia Chia, the chairman Gianni Cirillo, the couturier Cav. Massinissa Askeur and the publisher of Celebre Magazine World, Dr Massimo Basile. Differing perspectives, spanning writing, art and tailoring, that made the verdict as expert as it was perceptive. The awards rewarded those who managed to unite craft and imagination. The Tribute to Valentino, split into two prizes, went to Georgette and to Aurora Dress, who interpreted with elegance and respect the legacy of one of the most cherished names in Italian fashion. Cremis claimed the title of Best Italian Collection for the overall quality of its work and for a mastery of knitwear that did not go unnoticed. Best Foreign Collection was awarded to JK Model, who had come from London, while Lunhelios took the prize for the Best Show Choreography. A well deserved round of applause, too, for those who work away from the spotlight: the hair stylist Olena Kibak and the make-up artist Michela Varazza, poliestetica, were honoured as Backstage Beauty Specialists. Among the surprises of this edition was the catwalk debut of Elite Baby Motors, the brand devised by Ilaria Seghesio, which produces faithful, fully electric replicas of prestige cars designed for children. A lighter touch that drew smiles and curiosity. Behind the success of an event on this scale there is always a close-knit team….
