Suzy Menkes At Milan Fashion Week:Day Five

"Latin, gorgeous, sexy - they stay true to themselves," said ageless, iconic supermodel Linda Evangelista, as the last shorts-wearing torero, with flowers in her hair and a symbolic gilded heart on her chest, marched off the runway into the arms of Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana.

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What a love fest of the Latina spirit the duo put on to close the Milan Summer 2015 season!Everything from columns of black lace to corsets to bullfighter jackets added up to a sultry Carmen look, all accompanied ­by soaring operatic music.

"Amore!""Love!" said Domenico backstage, as he fixed a barely-there skinny stretch of a black dress, and arranged another more romantic design smothered in carnations.

"Heart!" said Stefano, offering his word for a collection where sacred hearts were worn on the breast and in clusters across short dresses.Even more Spanish in spirit were ruffled polka-dot dresses with the D&G signature black brassiere on top.

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The duo knows just how to add another layer to their heritage pieces, and to update their Mediterranean spirit.This season, they channelled the Spanish influence on southern Italy and Sicily which goes back centuries.

But this show was no costume party.Even denim had a place: jeans encrusted with sparkle, but with a more sensual and modern cut than you would find on a rhinestone cowboy.

The game was one of memories of the past melding with the present: black widows with chiffon-covered hair but also with blood-red lacy, racy miniskirts.Or a noble operatic cape in scarlet brocade, like curtains at La Scala, were set against a skinny black pantsuit with a frilly white shirt.

The clothes themselves matter on the runway of course - especially to buyers - but a powerful show also has to be about atmosphere.It must be instantly identifiable as a brand offering.And who would not immediately recognise as D&G the bold patterns, the shapely bodysuits and intense decoration.

Just in case one of those black, sporty workout garments looked too plain, it was set off with a symbolic Spanish carnation in the hair and a transparent handbag in which stood a Dolce doll.

So it was "ole" to the D&G duo and "arrivederci" to Milan.

Read more:Dolce & Gabbana Spring/Summer 2015 Ready-To-Wear

The purse was an oval shape, its colour a swirling watery green.It toned with a graceful dress streaked with lagoon blue.And by the time I reached backstage at Ferragamo, I had grasped the inspiration:Venetian Murano glass.

In fact, the glass bags on the display table were not the only idea behind the collection of designer Massimiliano Giornetti.

"I was thinking of the world of Salvatore Ferragamo in the Forties, and of all the artisans of Italy working with straw and raw materials."

Giornetti was referring in particular to a historic pair of wedge sandals from the war era, which he translated into modern footwear for spring/summer 2015.

In past seasons the designer has tried themed collections.These clothes were just that - gracious and elegant garments, those out-of-fashion words that now seem relevant again.

Giornetti mostly used a silhouette that fitted the body at the waist, flaring out at the hemline.Using animal skins, as befits a leather house, there was also very fine knitting that followed the body line on a mid-calf dress.

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But the real story was in the artisan work - not just the watery Murano glass effects, but straw woven into a jacket as both a nod to Italy's exceptional handwork and to Salvatore's imagination.

Flowers spilling out of patterned bags, pots of herbs in profusion, bowls filled with grapes, layers of heather - and all this under the arches or piled behind the pillars of Milan's Rotonda della Besana.

"This is our voice, we wanted our anniversary to be something that is Marni," said designer Consuelo Castiglioni, referring to this beautiful, botanical and utterly original way of celebrating a brand.

The show, held before the Marni flower market and its lush celebration of nature opened, was cheered, and not just because it was the label's 20-year anniversary.It was a fine show where the colours alone, changing from dry earth to vivid florals, were artistic.

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Marni started life as a fur house, then developed a sweet bird-song of a voice amid the loud shout of Milanese designers.

By a miracle - and thanks to Consuelo's free spirit -Marni has retained its whimsical artiness, always with a respectful attitude to women and their bodies.

Although now part of Renzo Rosso's 'Only the Brave ' empire, the brand retains a quirky independence.

The show kept a careful balance of colour - neutral to bright - as beiges were challenged by lines of charcoal and then by geometric blocks of shrimp pink, olive green and peacock blue.

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Consuelo's love of nature came through in lacquered flower patterns or as a bed of blooms on a coat, where chiffon was embroidered like a ploughed field painted on canvas.

The designer has a deep feeling for nature, but not necessarily a romantic one.The strictly cut clothes - some, marvels of geometry set off by graphic jewellery - are never frilly or girly.

Talking to Consuelo later at the Marni flower market - where the public could spend a sunny Sunday afternoon, and where a percentage of proceeds will go to a children's charity - I thought what a fitting way this was to close the Milan season.

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Marni is a fine example of Italy's craftsmanship, sense of natural beauty and clothes with soul.

If you are quick, it is open to the public until 8pm tonight.

Read more:Marni Spring/Summer 2015 Ready-To-Wear

The idea of fashion as art, inspired by art or in collaboration with an artist is nothing new.But Arthur Arbesser's concept of pairing clothes with existing work is far more original.

Last season's show had his winter collection facing off art in the apartment of the architect Luca Cipelletti.That was followed for spring/summer 2015 by an art/fashion show in an abandoned Milan garage.

There the modernist work of Carlo Valsecchi, mostly on loan from museums and private collections, was hung as if in a gallery, with models in appropriate pieces from Arbesser's collection.

So a sporty semi-sheer dress, apparently in nylon but actually in organza, was shown alongside images with a misty lightness.

The story was played out in six rooms, each with carefully chosen artworks, so that a smart blazer was seen near what looked like an explosion of light through velvet darkness.Or a fresh green and cloudy white space was paired with red, white and blue overalls.

This artistic coupling is tough to execute because it requires designer and artist to be kindred spirits in using colour, texture - and imagination.

Valsecchi art and Arbesser's fashion, curated by Cipelletti, seemed a perfect fit.

There was yet another collaboration in the final room, with a video by artist Samantha Casolari.Meanwhile, the sporty, wearable clothes with a twist of originality were hung on racks for buyers to view.

A few new inspiring shows from a new generation - as expressed in this final presentation for spring/summer 2015- suggest that Milan fashion has designers for the future.Let's hope they can be nurtured and encouraged to grow.

Read more:Arthur Arbesser Spring/Summer 2015 Ready-To-Wear