Fiona Cibani launched menswear in Milan last month, and she found herself taken with the fabrics. "Cashmere, baby camel, Egyptian cotton," she rattled off backstage after her quiet uptown show (well, it was quiet until Anna Dello Russo arrived, wearing fruit). Cibani, lusting after the men's garments, gave her womenswear a stricter, more structured feel than usual and worked to lighten up the fabrics she'd fallen for. Slim pants with a flare at the ankle and tailored pencil skirts came in bouclé wool or metallic herringbone. A flat-front jumpsuit in cashmere, high to the neck, where the lapels of a traditional boys' button-down peeked out, looked enticing and fully feminine. Almost everything was belted at the waist or bodice with metal and patent belts; they pulled in the silhouette nicely, even if they did look a bit uncomfortable. With no dresses or eveningwear to speak of, a trio of pieces—a tee, skirt, and coat—hand-appliquéd with laser-cut leather stood in for the fancy stuff. The dresses and cocktail frocks weren't missed. Arianna Huffington, a few seats away from Dello Russo, should find plenty of trim suits and subtly special separates perfect for her day job.
