MILAN, Feb 26 — As Fashion Week wraps up in Milan, it's time to take stock of the runway trends spotted at the Italian event.

The Milan runways were lit up with colourful collections — although with no shortage of neutral touches (beige and camel, in particular) — and were packed with prints such as animal motifs, graphic patterns and florals. Leather was also a theme for many major fashion houses, as well as '90s designs, updated by several designers.

Luscious leather

Leather was the star of the catwalk in Milan. Whether grungey, rock 'n' roll or highly feminine, leather is heading to womenswear wardrobes for the fall/winter 2019-2020 season, evidently finished in black, but also in more colourful tones, like at Tod's.

From pants and skirts to dresses and jumpsuits, everything gets a dose of leather, creating a strong and assertive silhouette. The trend was spotted at Tod's and at Bottega Veneta, as well as at Marni, Salvatore Ferragamo and Cristiano Burani.

Back to the '90s

The 1990s were already a theme on the spring/summer 2019 runways, and the decade looks set to continue riding high into fall and winter.

The trend was reflected by a host of fashion houses in Milan, with vibrant, eye-catching colour, minimalist pieces, extreme volumes, layering, asymmetric cuts, and popular garments from the decade, such as cycling shorts (Iceberg).

Designers did, however, refresh '90s style with a more modern touch, bringing it up to date. The trend was seen at Versace, Iceberg and Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini.

Go wild for animal print

While flowers bloomed in New York and London, animal print went down a storm on the Milan runways, used on all kinds of feminine creations.

Feline motifs — panther, tiger, leopard — will be a key feature of womenswear wardrobes next season, but a handful of designers branched out with other types of animal prints, such as zebra motifs. Dolce & Gabbana, Annakiki, Blumarine, and, to a lesser extent, Bottega Veneta, all went wild for the trend. — AFP-Relaxnews