Wearing pieces from a brand to its runway show has long been a custom of fashion week. But in Milan, perhaps more than in any other city, this trend is more noticeable — and when you go inside shows, you can better observe the trickle-down (and trickle-up) relationship between clothes worn on the street and what’s presented on a runway.
At Max Mara, all the elegant overcoats and tonal separates in the crowd suggested a seemingly endless appetite for refined basics, two words that characterize both the brand and its latest collection. Shiny suits on some guests at Gucci reflected the whimsy that Alessandro Michele, its former creative director, had brought to the label. (Mr. Michele didn’t design the latest Gucci collection, but his influence could still be detected in certain pieces, like a shimmering silver coat.)
The most exciting show to compare looks from the crowds to those on the runway, though, might have been Diesel, which has found new relevance under the designer Glenn Martens and, as a result, has attracted a whole new generation of fans.
