The shows in Milan

“A Strong Woman for Hard Times” by Cathy Horyn, found on the New York Times website, reviews the recent Milan fashion shows and their compliance with the recession or lack thereof. Many designers chose to dismiss the current economic crisis and instead continue to pour on the luxury. Luxury fabrics, and ostentatious details where prevalent in the shows this year. Many speculated this was due to designers fearing being called boring if they tried a more minimalistic approach. Some designers however did take the minimalistic route and were successful such as Raf Simons's collection for Jil Sander. This article points out that if the recession continues then designers may want to push luxury aside and instead go for more particle piece that would be more likely to sell in this economy. This is a trend that all those in the retail industry may need to be aware of in the coming months and possibly years.