MILAN (Reuters Life!) – Italian fashion designers created shimmering, fluid looks for their 2011 spring/summer collections, mixing fringes and lengths to seduce women as conscious of their bodies as of their money.

Crystal embroideries, golden belts and mirror heels shone at the Milan shows ended on Tuesday. A longer calendar and a new central location attracted more buyers than last year, confirming signs of recovery for luxury good brands.

“Buyers increased to over 15,000 this year, with more coming from Asia and the United States,” Mario Boselli, president of Italy’s National Chamber of Fashion, said on Tuesday.

“There was more vigor, also because of the improved economic situation after the crisis,” he said.

Fashion houses Cavalli and Ferragamo said sales continued to rise in the third quarter, but kept a cautious outlook for the rest of 2010, as many see 2011 as a test year for recovery.

A relaxed, sensual elegance inspired Dolce&Gabbana, whose bride-to-be models wore white clothes made from bed linens and tablecloths in a tribute to Italy’s best sartorial tradition.

Crystals were sewn on long-slung robes, like those seen at Armani, whose blue collection was inspired by desert nomads.

“I wanted very sexy clothes, but wearable,” Armani told reporters after his glittering, linear show.

His models wore iridescent fabrics, while trousers were topped by tunics, creating a layered silhouette.

“Buyers ask for things they can sell… Not all women are mannequins,” Armani said, adding demand for evening dresses was rising, as people seek special clothes for their full wardrobes.

Roberto Cavalli celebrated his 40th anniversary in the fashion world with a sexy, glitzy-rock collection, which featured free-flowing fringes on pants, necklaces and bags.

Glamour was also synonymous with celebrities.

If British model Naomi Campbell celebrated in tears at Dolce&Gabbana her 25th anniversary in the business, American actor George Clooney enjoyed with his Italian girlfriend Elisabetta Canalis his return to fashion’s red carpet at Armani.

Prada proved again that not all women are made equal with a “minimal Baroque” collection, with simple forms in vivid colors and round-shouldered striped dresses.

Versace explored a sophisticated, sexy look, with short jackets revealing a line of skin and the house’s Greek fret on clothes and bags, some of which mixed metal with crystals.

For the evening, Gucci’s designer Frida Giannini showed off tuxedo one-pieces or totem dresses with crystals or feathers.

Woven python strips and crystal-embroidered gowns took center stage at Gianfranco Ferre’s show.

Milan hands the baton to Paris for the last fashion week of the year.

(Editing by Steve Addison)

No plans for the coming summer? , Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti Milano, has a lot of ideas for you!

Spend your summer in the inspiring Milano, the cutting edge of creativity.

with its vibrant urban atmosphere and unmistakable creativity make it your next destination if you are looking forward to getting a close look at the world of creativity in Milan, .

Be part of a team made of young International designers, start creating and developing a project and meet new friends coming from over 40 countries around the world.

What are you waiting for?

NABA joins together students and professionals and integrates the more traditional disciplines with the new technologies and the project-oriented culture of Italian Fashion and Design. This approach derives from continuous experimentation and research of new trends and every summer attracts students and professionals from all over the world.

This summer do not miss the chance to take part in the at NABA . This course is oriented towards curious newcomers to the field of communication who wish to explore the links between urban communication and graphic design through a mixture of theory and practice to inspire a “totally refreshing view of Milan”.

The final output of this course will be a printed magazine conveying Milan’s character. After completing this course you could join NABA course and learn how to make a short animation movie through the stop-motion technique. You will be offered the opportunity to express your creativity using flashlights and colour filters and to develop your knowledge of digital photography.

Would you like to have a closer approach to the world of editorial and fashion photography? The course, , might represent an interesting option for you.

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This course will enable you to achieve a good confidence with light, with a digital camera and teach you how to work on different sets, be it a studio set with artificial light or an outdoor location. In addition to this, you will learn how fashion designers, photographers and editors interact with each other.

If you are more interested in discovering the macro-economic scenery of the fashion business in Italy and internationally in order to learn how to anticipate and analyze its changes; to develop, manage and implement an effective company marketing strategy and marketing plan, then the course taking place on NABA campus f, is what you are looking for.

This course can be completed by the course – from July 14th to July 24th – in which you will explore the dynamic context and the challenges the fashion industry is facing in the currently increasing global competitive scenery, with a focus on the fashion buying cycle, retail brand marketing in the fashion industry, net fashion, the internationalization of flagship luxury stores and many more interesting topics.

Are you thinking about studying Fashion Design but you don’t know whether this is the right choice? Why don’t you enrol in NABA course (from June 29th to July 10th)?

Using global influences and trends as a starting point, this course introduces fashion to beginners by showing them how to use a theme to produce and present work that will prepare them for further studies in the fashion field. Art, crafts, culture and lifestyles from different ethnicities worldwide (Africa! India!) will be the ingredients  to put together and shake up to create a small collection of coordinated clothes.

Talks will be given during the course on Italy’s fashion system and on art related to the project. Students will also be sent to the best fashion zones in Milan and given lists of places to go and see out of lesson times.

After completing this course you can decide to continue with an exploration of the fundamentals of Luxury Accessory Brand collections in the course from July 14th to July 24th.

The first part of the course is devoted to explore and identify the main European Luxury Accessory Brands: their strategies on the luxury market; the product development in terms of image; the communication strategy; the Italian-specific making methods.

Students will acquire the main basics skills to coordinate and develop a new luxury accessory brand.

During the course students will be introduced to the Italian Luxury Accessory Districts: they will visit handcraft shoe ateliers and the luxury shoe museum in Vigevano, manufacturing companies producing high luxury shoes in Riviera del Brenta, a leather library that is unique in Milan, as well as multi-brand show-rooms in Milan.

The second part of the course is focused on developing a project to . From image design to the final presentation on the market.

Introduction level courses are aimed at whoever wants to start exploring the world of Fashion, Graphics and Design, whereas Studio level and Advanced level courses are meant for 1st, 2nd and 3rd  year university students and for professionals who would like to have a refreshing experience in a young international environment. Do not forget that you can attend Introduction + Intermediate level courses and take the 4-week Combined Session!

If you want to take part in our summer courses, don’t loose time and get in touch with us.

For any further information please have a look at our Summer Programs website:

Any questions? Write to