It’s safe to say the Italians have a firm grasp on the notion of romance. They’re also pretty well-known for being sexy, seductive and so on. Naturally, designs that hail from Italy tend to have an overt dose of unapologetic sex appeal, with low-cut necklines and flirty hemlines.
This season, however, the clothes were stronger than they were sexy. There was no need to show a lot of leg or expose an inch of cleavage in order to portray this message; a chiseled blazer in honey yellow from Jil Sander spoke volumes, while a seafoam green turtleneck dress with a suede overlay from Salvatore Ferragamo was covertly passionate. Modern romance isn’t about va-va-voom, according to these Italian designers. Instead, it’s about wearing an outfit that makes a bold statement à la patchwork Etro jackets, beaded mohair Prada sweaters and a jacquard skirt, with a matching bra, at Marni.
Click through to see the best examples of modern romance from the Fall/Winter 2017 collections, spotted at Milan Fashion Week.