One of the glitziest events of the annual fashion calendar gets under way here this weekend, showcasing the latest designs by top Italian and international stylists.
Hundreds of designers, models, buyers, politicians and journalists will gather in the northern Italian city for a series of events dedicated to women's fashions for the Spring-Summer 2008 season.
Milan Fashion Week kicks off on Saturday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, marking the start of eight days of catwalk shows, private presentations, exhibits and meetings.
Ninety designers will officially appear in the event, with 96 catwalk shows.
There will be a similar number of private fashion viewings, while among the top exhibits are ones devoted to British punk designer Vivienne Westwood and to Italian film diva Anna Magnani.
The New York Times and International Herald Tribune dailies are throwing one of the week's lavish parties, while women's magazines Elle and Marie Claire have teamed up for another.
A classical concert and fireworks display at the Sforza Castle are among the week's other highlights.
LAST YEAR OF 'UNOFFICIAL' EVENTS.
But in addition to the variety of official Milan Fashion Week events, experts will also be keeping an eye open for shows not on the scheduled program.
"There were around 80 designers who wanted to appear on the main days in the middle of the event, so we obviously had to turn some down, which they were not happy about," explained Mario Boselli, President of the National Chamber of Italian Fashion, which organizes the event.
The names not appearing on the official program but expected to organize their own side events include the top-end glamour duo Dolce & Gabbana, German designer Jil Sander and Italian stylist Romeo Gigli.
This is not the first time that top designers have not appeared in the official Milan line-up owing to scheduling constraints, provoking criticism from excluded fashion houses and journalists alike.
But according to Boselli, there are finally plans to address the situation by changing the days of the event.
A large part of the problem stems from the fact it currently runs from Saturday to Saturday, while foreign buyers and journalists are not keen on spending two weekends in Milan. This means there is fierce competition for weekday slots among top names keen to attract international attention.
Next year, explained Boselli, "the Milanese event will start and finish on a Monday, while from 2009 it will run from Wednesday to Wednesday".
