The natural world is an abiding inspiration for Daniel Del Core, and this season he looked at some of its tiniest inhabitants: insects.
Creepy crawlies don’t immediately scream chic, but Del Core begs to differ. He saw beauty in the life cycles and habitats of butterflies and bees, working them into a collection that was both restrained and glamorous.
Some models wore short, elegant draped dresses in forest green or steely gray, while others were swaddled in oversize cream capes or coats adorned with stick pins. Tailored suits, also in cream, were equally roomy.
Those demure silhouettes gave way to sexier styles, with Del Core unpeeling the tops of evening gowns, fuzzy coats and tailored jackets to create wing-like shapes on the bodice. Some of those wings were embellished with crystals, as in a slinky black gown.
Other strappy evening dresses had fluttery bits around the front, mimicking more delicate wings.
Del Core said he was inspired by the chrysalis, with its protective layers, and by the wings of the butterfly bursting forth from its delicate casing.
The nature references didn’t stop there. Long knit dresses had ridged or waffle textures, resembling beehives or honeycombs. Del Core topped them with giant shaggy wool collars, a nod to the “roughness of nature.”
Some pieces, such as a strange, multicolored bodysuit with 3D peaks, and the round, knitted hoods big as tree hollows, were gimmicky. But the rest was elegant, a wardrobe for social butterflies — and their more discreet sisters.
For more Milan Fashion Week reviews, click here.
