Gigi Hadid draws crowds to Tommy Hilfiger space in Milan

Gigi Hadid drew a crowd to Milan’s Rinascente Department store where she was showing off Tommy Hilfiger’s latest fall-winter collection. (Photo: Tommy Hilfiger/Facebook)

MILAN—Gigi Hadid drew a crowd to Milan’s Rinascente Department store where she was showing off Tommy Hilfiger’s latest fall-winter collection.

Hundreds of fans showed up, and she obliged a few with the chance at a selfie. Hadid leads the pack of “It” models headlining Milan Fashion Week, which was in its third day on Friday.

So far this week, Hadid has walked the runways for Max Mara and Moschino, where she was joined by her sister Bella and Kendall Jenner. Hadid had a little stumble on the Moschino runway when her shoe caught the hemline of a dress fashioned to look like it was recycled from a Persian carpet. With a few high steps, she recovered with aplomb.

Here are some highlights from Friday’s shows, including Emporio Armani, Etro and Versace.

COLORBURSTS AT EMPORIO ARMANI

The Emporio Armani show opened and closed on black and white, but the real statement of the season for designer Giorgio Armani’s youthful line was colour, including an unexpected appearance of wintertime pink.

There were bright pink crepe dresses with black blazers, pink tunics over slim pants, a furry pink vest over a matching wrap tunic and trouser and a pink evening dress with beaded fringe.

There were other bursts of colour too. Some were seemingly spontaneous, like confetti at Carnival on navy blue prints, while others were more studious, architectural red accents on an otherwise simple black cocktail dress.

Armani has taken his cue from the models, who show up to work in leggings, and incorporated the streetwear mainstay into his collection alongside his more typical slim trouser and cropped pleated pant. This is, after all, the line for young dresses. And for them, Armani played with transparent PVC tuxedo jackets or skirts over elegant trousers or tights.

While some designers are combining their womenswear and menswear lines, Armani deployed a few men to underline the continuity between the collections, including geometric print button-down shirts, pleated trousers and blazers that work for any gender.

Footwear was mostly flat, while cross-body bags incorporated a new O clasp, putting the accent on Emporio’s final syllable.

ARMANI RESIZING TWO LINES

Giorgio Armani has announced the end of two of his lines: the more casual Armani Jeans and Collezioni Armani, concentrating those concepts into his Emporio Armani line.

The 82-year-old designer expressed some regrets for the move but said it was a sign of the changing times. “This is not something done with a light heart after 35 years,” Emporio told reporters backstage after the show.

The shift also includes a rethinking of his retail stores, the designer was quoted by the Italian news agency ANSA as saying.

“People want to enter a story and be entertained by what they see. They want a mix of things, to understand how much they can pursue leisure, also (be) reassured by an important name,” ANSA quoted him as saying.