The Versace audience were seated at a suitably distance from one another, and enthusiastically applauded the models, whose clothes were a riot of colour and pattern. But, wait a minute! Why were the people watching the show all dressed in black, as though they were staff, rather than glam guests? 

Finally it dawned on me: The Versace show – with all its bravura, its clash of colours, its upbeat combinations of silhouettes, and its high-voltage energy, as bosoms bounced and hemlines rose with the sexual temperature – was all a fake. Well, sort of. It was a smart way of presenting the Spring/Summer collection, while the regular show, attended by an actual audience of the internationally famous, was impossible. So Donatella did the next best thing. And even if the subject seemed familiar, it was colourful and uplifting.

Philosophy

At Philosphy di Lorenzo Serafini, I looked at the lush green grass and long line of empty seats. Wearing masks, the audience wandered around the outdoor space, and slowly took their places, in the usual desultory way of these gatherings, to watch a collection sent out under the open sky. 

Let’s call it “The Sweet Italian Summer”, with clothes flowered or striped, knee-length shorts approaching patterned boots, a frill here, a scoop at the bust there, and a general look of innocent sexuality.

Pucci

Youth seems to be in fashion this year in Italy. Pucci carried on with its recent concept to invite a fresh creative director to produce a collection each season. This time, Japanese designer Tomo Koizumi took the baton. He was first discovered on Instagram and invited to present his collection of blown-up puff dresses at the Marc Jacobs store in New York. 

For Pucci, Koizumi’s free-spirited, super-young models – who must have been born in the digital age – wore patterned outfits with puffy layers to cross a river whose water was more visible than the clothes. It remains a big question whether fashion houses famous for pattern in the pre-digital world can regain their early stature, when anyone and everyone can play with prints.

Marni

Making movies of collections seems to be the designers’ preferred choice for the lockdown seasons. Marni, which in earlier years was a brand addicted to nature, had none of that feeling in the intriguing collection by designer Francesco Risso. 

Each piece was one of a kind, with its own focus. The looks were photographed on women and men walking down city streets, surrounded by cars, which made the clothes seem urgent and urban. It needed a full show to grasp better the story line.

Etro

The Etro show was held outdoors, and the clothes were given a fresh, simple and effective look with references to different parts of Italy. 

After a time when most people have holidayed in their own countries, Veronica Etro offered nothing startlingly new. But her images of Italy, from patterned flags to whimsical interior scenes, were charming and might inspire a potential shopper.

Moschino

Moschino was droll, with designer Jeremy Scott – who always has a joke in his heart – deciding to use marionettes as models.

It was an interesting return to the half-century old “Théâtre de la Mode”, which was used by Dior this summer for its haute couture dolls. It was a whimsical idea, but there was not much focus on the clothes, since attention was drawn to the hilariously life-like dolls “watching” the show in the “audience”, from Anna Wintour to Edward Enninful.

Gabriele Colangelo

Poetry is seldom associated with modern fashion, yet Gabriele Colangelo succeeds each season in turning his passion for fabric into timeless allure. From subtle transparency to drapery and fabric like fishnet, the designer is essentially Italian in a particular way. 

His approach to showing online could not rise to the beauty I have found each season when studying and touching his magical material world.