An Old Penny Turns Up

We're sorry to report that there has been a dearth of celebrities on and around the runways here. Perhaps they were all in London for the Bafta awards.

We also have to report that the Italian fashion designers have not allowed the Olympics to influence their aesthetic, at least not in an obvious way. We've yet to see any homages to snowboarding or any jumpsuits designed to make consumers look like giant swans.

Montcler

We stopped in at a presentation by the Italian skiwear firm Moncler. The company is trying to broaden its reach and jazz up its image and so two years ago it invited the Japanese designer Junya Watanabe to create a special collection of menswear. The latest designer signed to a three-year contract is Alessandra Facchinetti, who recently parted ways with Gucci. We'd like to describe her design sensibility, but we can't since the only collections she oversaw for Gucci essentially involved regurgitating the aesthetic of Tom Ford, which helps to explain why she's no longer at Gucci. We thought some of her pieces for Moncler were gorgeous, including a fur-trimmed down coat with fabric petals all over it. So if anyone is in the market for a $3,000 apres-ski parka, Moncler is your brand.

AP Photo/Alberto Pellaschiar

We had dinner in one of the usual restaurants sure to be packed with fashion folks. One of our dinner companions was a lovely American woman currently living in Geneva who was visiting Milan and taking in a few fashion shows. We were curious to know what she thought of the Giorgio Armani show, which was today. She thought it was the same-old, same-old and thought the designer looked a little tired when he took his bows. We will not discuss our opinion of the show here. (We'll be writing about that later.) But we would like to let folks know that if they happen to be sipping a pina colada right now, they should save the little paper umbrella decorating it because it would make a fine replica of the hats that the Armani models were wearing.

We stopped in the lovely boutique called 10 Corso Como to see a collection of vintage handbags. We had to leave rather abruptly, however, because we were getting dangerously close to spending the mortgage money on a Prada skirt. (Not several Prada skirts, mind you. ONE Prada skirt.) We were getting a little light-headed, actually. So we cursed Miuccia's name and fled the store.

By Robin Givhan |  February 20, 2006; 6:03 PM ET Milan
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