The 1970s are in the air at Gucci and Alberta Ferretti

Spring-summer 2015 women's collections showcased in Milan

(ANSA) - Milan, September 18 - Gucci's Frida Giannini tapped into the 1970s to showcase what she described as a "very contemporary and cosmopolitan woman" on the first day of the spring-summer 2015 women's wear shows in Milan. The era showcased Wednesday was a Gucci heyday and, after last season's swing through the 1960s, Giannini turned for inspiration to the glamour of two icons - Ali MacGraw and Jimi Hendrix, who were at the center of the 'mood board' shaping the collection. This time, however, she gave her vintage inspiration a contemporary spin by emphasizing the quality of handiwork and the edge of clean lines and patterns that have made the brand's take on everyday luxury desirable for decades.

Patchwork patterns were a trademark of Gucci's prints, which the designer used for crepe de chine dresses. The vintage feel of boho print dresses was highlighted by gilets in deluxe patchworks crafted from a mixture of furs including fox, goat and Mongolian lamb. Oriental-style dresses with precious embroideries and Mandarin collars oozed understated elegance. Dazzling gold marine buttons made a statement on slim-fitting, button-through A-line dresses and skirt suits.

The quality of the glove-leather and suede or the broderie anglaise inserts used for the collection's dresses brought sass to the 1970s silhouettes. Giannini's beloved blue denim shaped cropped culottes - a must over the next couple of seasons - and dresses with statement shoelaces plunging down a neckline. Laces also crisscrossed up the sleeve and over the shoulder on white and bottle-green dresses. Marching band jackets in blue and green with gold braid trims worn over a shirt and jeans successfully reworked the uniform details with boho vibes. Hemlines were short, taking floor-skimming evening gowns off the agenda for now.

Accessories, notably stacked heel suede boots and leather saddle bags in antique tan, gave the couture workmanship of the collection a relaxed quality. And the spirit of the 1970s was also in the air at Alberta Ferretti, whose spring-summer collection was rich in craftsmanship yet sublimely ethereal. Nymphs in sheer blush colored gowns with petal appliqué had a bohemian feel as did suede fringed gilets and shifts. Accessories included hippy sandals and crocheted moccasins. Ferretti worked her trademark romantic take on femininity in nude-tone chiffons and mousselines shaping slip dresses, jumpsuits and floor-length gowns.

The workmanship in a number of the collection's pieces was intricate yet never weighed down the lightness of clothes, like a strapless dress with flowered vines made from paillettes. Pocahontas made an appearance on the catwalk with tan, ankle-grazing waistcoats with whip-stitching as well as in tan-colored fringed dresses with floral appliquè - showcasing that all-Italian craftsmanship that always gets a share of the limelight at Ferretti. Edgier looks included a fringed shift in lilac suede and a denim skirt and pants with laser-cut flowers. Overall, it was the bohemian side of the 1970s that oozed through part of the collection - a vintage tune for a new take on Ferretti's masterful interpretation of femininity, tailored to suit any occasion on a woman's agenda.