How did Italy's fashion capital rise to prominence and stand out from the big four

Among the "Big Four" fashion cities, Milan stands out because it is the only non-capital city among these four glamorous fashion centers. This strange fact has a unique origin.

From its origins as a region of independent city-states until its unification in 1891, Italian fashion remained local for centuries, with a long tradition dating back to the Middle Ages, when different cities specialized in their own crafts, fabrics and luxuries, and had vastly different dress tastes.

This system lasted until after the Second World war, when Italy first entered the global fashion market in earnest, and several cities were constantly competing, surpassing or losing out to each other as they tried to establish themselves as fashion capitals.

Among the many contenders, Florence appeared particularly strong, and the businessman Giovanni Battista Giorgini assembled a series of designers popular in Italy at the time, including Emilio Pucci and the Fontana sisters, who first held fashion shows in his own residence, Soon after, Sala Bianco in Palazzo Pitti was used as a show venue.

The show was an immediate success, with numerous reporters in attendance and buyers from major US department stores such as Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avenue rushing to place orders.

Other shows were also held in Rome and Venice, thanks to the prominence of Italian fashion in films. While living in Rome, the Fontana sisters dressed celebrity clients such as Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor, Cinecitta Studios hosted foreign and local celebrities - most notably Federico Fellini, whose 1960 film La Dolce Vita helped establish the Little black dress as well as an image of amour Italianate style.

About Milan Fashion Week?

In 1958, the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italia (Italian National Fashion Association) was founded to promote and protect design talent. In the intervening decades, more and more Italian brands stood out, focusing on designing more affordable luxury goods than their Parisian counterparts, as well as innovative textile production techniques, such as Etro and Missoni.

As different cities continue to compete for media and buyers' attention, Milan is slowly moving up the ranks. The northern industrial city has a good manufacturing network, and with the proliferation of ready-to-wear collections, it has naturally brought together many designers. Then, in the 1970s and 1980s, a group of Milanese designers, including Giorgio Armani and Gianni Versace, became hugely popular and helped cement the city's position as a capital of clothing

Charm and indignation

The late 20th century saw the rise of another set of designer stars: from Moschino's provocative slogans to Dolce & Gabbana's over-the-top nostalgia, to Miuccia Prada's minimalist collection of backpacks, followed by an ambitious move into then obscure womenswear, to revive her family's long-established business presence in Milan.

However, when we try to find the highlight moments of Milan Fashion Week, perhaps Versace's supermodel extravaganza is the most appropriate - especially his 1991 show, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista marched out and lip-synced to George Michael's "Free! 90," all appearing in the music video.

Over the past decade, this growing charm has permeated many other design houses, most notably Gucci. When American designer TomFord joined the brand in 1990 (he was promoted to creative director in 1994), the future of the brand, which began selling leather goods in the early 20th century, was uncertain.

Ford's Autumn/Winter '95 collection put those concerns to rest. The show featured a sumptuous, sexy collection featuring slim-fitting velvet suits, half-open jeweled blouses and gradient orange coats that helped boost Gucci's sales by 90 percent between 1995 and 1996.

1997 was a dark year for Italian fashion when Gianni Versace was murdered in Miami. His sister Donatella took up the baton, and just three months later she was presenting herself to a somber audience that included Galeries Lagerfeld and GiorgioArmani. The complex features of the clothes are both a tribute to her brother and a presentation of her own creative emotions.

Many of the same names still dominate today, as well as the Milan Fashion Week calendar. At Gucci, AlessandroMichele's eclectic, often baroque aesthetic set off a new tone: part chic granny in the most expensive curtains, part glamorous alien descending to Earth in a metallic sheen.

True to its cynical nature, Jeremy Cott's Moschino has now added elements of hypercapitalist pop culture (in recent years, Scott has found inspiration in everything from Barbie dolls to McDonald's).

MiucciaPrada continues to infuse her collections with a thoughtful sense of good/bad taste, history and cultural vibes: Her Fall/Winter 2019 womenwear show drew on MaryShelley's Frankenstein, projecting the contemporary world into the context of the 19th century novel's political uncertainty.

Elsewhere, change was clearly inevitable: Fendi's autumn/Winter 2019 show paid tribute to the late Karl Lagerfeld, who had been the house's chief designer since 1965.

During this time, he has witnessed Milan's place in the transformation of Italian fashion (though it's worth noting that other cities are still thriving: Florence hosts Pitti Uomo, the Florentine menswear show). From the traditional established to the ambitious upstart, Milan's numerous brands are helping to maintain the appeal of the all-important label "Made in Italy."