Milan – Designers such as Fendi, Marni and Jil Sander reworked women’s natural curves into stiff cut-out shapes at this autumn’s Milan Fashion Week, widening waists and remaking silhouettes with a cartoonist’s flair for the expressive power of lines.

Fendi S/S2013 Fendi S/S2013
Fendi S/S2013 Fendi S/S2013
Jil Sander S/S2013 Jil Sander S/S2013
Jil Sander S/S2013 Jil Sander S/S2013
Marni S/S2013 Marni S/S2013

At the Fendi show, skirts featured geometric shapes in bold block colours, broken up into angular panels that resembled sculptural flower petals.

For Marni, designer Consuelo Castiglioni experimented with skirts that flared into stiff triangular silhouettes just above the knee, as well as ruffled accents at the waistline.

Jil Sander, returning to design womenswear under her own name, showed pieces that curved out sharply above the hips or gently along the thighs, with plenty of large polka dots in the style of artist Yayoi Kusama.

A stiffened, paper doll feeling was evident across these collections. We first identified the Cut-Out Caricature trend in our design direction review of the autumn/winter 2012 collections in Paris.

Discover More Daily Signals
South Africa's Pick n Pay banks on humour for its Christmas campaign

Daily Signals

South Africa's Pick n Pay banks on humour for its Christmas campaign

South African grocery retailer Pick n Pay has unveiled its 2025 Christmas campaign, a South African twist on the classic genie tale that taps into ...
Retail : Branding : Advertising
Why Bombardier is tapping luxury designer Elie Saab for its Global 8000 jet

Daily Signals

Why Bombardier is tapping luxury designer Elie Saab for its Global 8000 jet

As further evidence of our New Era of Gilded Luxury Travel trend, luxury brand Elie Saab has partnered with aircraft manufacturer Bombardier to des...
Luxury : Travel : Hospitality
Stat: UK school satisfaction improves yet disparities persist

Daily Signals

Stat: UK school satisfaction improves yet disparities persist

A new consolidated report from the Department for Education (DfE) reveals that British secondary school pupils are becoming more positive abou...
Youth : Education : School
Why Apple is leaning into artisanal charm for 2025 festive push

Daily Signals

Why Apple is leaning into artisanal charm for 2025 festive push

Apple’s 2025 Christmas campaign, A Critter Carol, puts human craftsmanship front and centre.
Technology : Advertising : Design
ISPO 2025: Innovation, inclusion and community drive sport’s next chapter

Daily Signals

ISPO 2025: Innovation, inclusion and community drive sport’s next chapter

At ISPO 2025 in Munich, talks, panels, activations and events spanned the full value chain of sport – from materials and manufacturing to brands an...
Global Events : Sport : Community
Stat: Young Americans drive growth across emerging social media platforms

Daily Signals

Stat: Young Americans drive growth across emerging social media platforms

A new Pew Research Center survey shows that while YouTube and Facebook continue to dominate the US social media landscape, younger u...
YouTube : Social Media : Facebook
Why smartphone-free is becoming a Christmas gift rule for kids

Daily Signals

Why smartphone-free is becoming a Christmas gift rule for kids

UK grassroots organisation Smartphone Free Childhood has launched a nationwide Christmas campaign urging parents to delay giving smartphones to the...
Advertising : Technology : Youth
Adolescence extends to early 30s, new five-stage brain map reveals

Daily Signals

Adolescence extends to early 30s, new five-stage brain map reveals

New research mapping how the brain’s wiring shifts across life suggests adolescence doesn’t end until around age 32.
Generations : Adolescence : Life Stages
Stat: Security concerns push UK shoppers to abandon digital transactions

Daily Signals

Stat: Security concerns push UK shoppers to abandon digital transactions

Security concerns are now the biggest barrier to completing online purchases, with more than 50% of UK shoppers having abandoned a transaction due ...
Retail : Technology : Security
Why Foam photography institute’s new brand identity is motion-focused

Daily Signals

Why Foam photography institute’s new brand identity is motion-focused

The 25-year-old photography institution Foam has unveiled a new visual identity by Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam, marking the first time it has used a b...
Design : Museum : Branding
You have 2 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN