The word ‘subtle’ does not exist in the vocabulary of Milanese fashion. The heart of its style lies in the touches of gold seen in the garments and its use of loud prints and daring silhouettes. Never one to apologise for extravagance bordering on gaudiness, the city’s top designers has always pushed the envelope when it came to fashion and its rules. This year’s  fashion week was no exception, with many designers making headlines in Milan and all over the world.

If you’re an active member of Twitter, it is highly unlikely that you missed the site’s reaction to Gucci’s 2018 A/W show in Milan. The opening look was a fairly typical Gucci outfit, with the exception of one small detail: the model was carrying in her arm a replica of her own head. The show was set in a operating room, offering viewers a clinical experience made eerie by abnormal details: the aforementioned heads, models carrying baby dragons, third eyes that looked so realistic that they were unnerving. The simplicity of the set’s design was offset by these oddities as well as by the details in the prints and tailoring of the garments. The accessories that accompanied them are not to be snubbed either: harnesses and headdresses that looked as if they were dripping diamantes, and sunglasses and balaclavas that are quite unlike any that we typically see. The story told through the show was designed to unsettle, and yet, at the same time, it was one that audiences were drawn to and intrigued by.

The Gucci show featured several London-inspired checked suits. This was a trend that was carried over to the Versace show, which was inspired by British history, as explained by designer Donatella Versace. Iconic, ‘sensible’ British pieces such as the camel trench coat and the black leather jacket were given the Milanese treatment by adding gold details to the pieces themselves or pairing them with loud prints and colours. Even the tartan suit was given a makeover by showcasing it in psychedelic combinations of bright yellow, purple, blue, and red. Although an ode to the legacy of Britain, it was satisfying to see that the brand did not lose sight of itself during the show and maintained the Versace aesthetic that it is known for.

If we were to make a list of brands that know themselves fully, Versace would be closely followed by Dolce & Gabbana, whose inspiration for this week’s collection was taken from religion. Opening with a nun-like outfit that carried the words ‘Fashion Sinner’, Dolce & Gabbana tapped into the opulence of the Catholic Church and made it their own. With garments in fancy brocade prints, deep purples and golds, and accessorised by gold crowns and bags that remind the audience of a priest’s chain censer, the collection would not look out of a place in a decorated church in the Vatican. The clothes are best described as unapologetic, both in their flashiness and their take on religious fashion, which some could find offensive or disrespectful towards the church. In this show, Milan has once again demonstrated that for its designers, no subject is taboo or sensitive, all in the name of fashion.

Meanwhile, Moschino staged a collection that was inspired by the deaths of both John and Jackie Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe, and the conspiracy theories that surround their lives. The brand’s designer, Jeremy Scott, explained in an interview that “there’s a conspiracy theory that exists beyond invention: JFK told Marilyn Monroe about the fact that there are aliens. She was gonna come public with this information, so they had her assassinated. And then he had to be assassinated for leaking the information.” According to this theory, there’s a possibility that Jackie Kennedy herself was an alien, and was behind the deaths of Kennedy and Monroe. Although this theory is questionable at best, it did make for an incredible show, which started with relatively demure looks featuring pill box hats and miniskirts, and ended with blue and green-skinned models wearing 60s first lady attires: a Jackie Kennedy conspiracy theory dream come true. Since taking over in 2013, Scott has fully embraced the brand’s larger-than-life aesthetic, making him the perfect designer to fill the shoes of Franco Moschino himself.

For as long as anyone can remember, Milan, once referred to by Leonardo da Vinci as “The Capital of Fashion Capitals,” has always been a city of glamour and extravagance. Being the hometown of some of the world’s most luxurious brands such as Dolce & Gabbana, Prada and Versace has given the city a high-fashion image, one wrapped in gold and adorned with baroque-inspired details. The city is not afraid to make bold fashion choices, to stand out from the crowd, to provoke and expose. This year’s Milan Fashion Week has shown that the city hasn’t lost its touch, and that its designers are as, if not more, inspiring than ever.