Formal seduction, flirting with tradition and classic pleasures'' read the program notes. Although the show lacked the ironic, sexy tease of last season, Prada is too smart to do another era literally and the clothes were in every sense lightened up. A waistband of gros-grain ribbon, tied in a bow at the front, was the new signature for coats, while skirt hems had fringed flesh chiffon edging, like unraveling underwear. They were a smarter brand identification than the overworked designer logos. But for all its quiet charm, Prada's show left a feeling of disappointment.
Italian fashion is so dependent on a couple of designers setting the agenda.
Prada's bourgeois chic of last season defined a new fashion mood. This show looked like an elegant follow-through. Paradoxically, Missoni, a house indelibly linked to the 1970s, took a giant step out of the archives as the models in hot pants, houndstooth-check knit and dresses based on a simple satin shirt gave Angela Missoni her first winning collection since she took over. The current print revival is in Missoni's favor. The show opened with silken tea gowns and bare-arm dresses, with patches of smocking and fans of ruching as delicate embellishment that ran through the show.