Milan: Missoni offers a study of lightness

MILAN (AP) — Angela Missoni's collection, previewed Friday, the third day of Milan Fashion Week, was a study in lightness and air.

Models billowed by in diaphanous, maxi-dresses to a haunting Chinese-language version of the Sinead O'Conner classic, "Nothing Compares 2U."

The knitwear was as light as air and as delicate as lace, taking shape with each step before falling lightly to reveal the form below — an alluring mix of modesty and revelation.

The collection was refreshingly on season. While fashion houses are generally practicing a form of runway climate flattening, blurring the lines between seasons to satisfy the global luxury market, there was no question it was summer at Missoni.

The color palate ranged from sunset pastels to watery aquamarine to shimmery silver and fiery pink and orange.

The emphasis was on comfort and relaxation. Missoni alternated light knitwear with printed silk, creating long body-hugging T-shirt dresses dressed up with silk jackets and oversized men's shirts and palazzo pants for an unfussy look.

Trench coats were nearly transparent, incapable of bulk. Given the delicacy of the materials, it's not unthinkable that an entire weekend's worth of clothes could fit into a purse.

Hair was tied up in silken scarves for a turban effect. Mesh flat sandals zipped on snuggly for summer strolls.

As always at Missoni, it was a family affair. Family matriarch Rosita sat along the main runway to catch her daughter Angela's latest creations, flanked by the third Missoni generation, and a bulldog.