Fendi kicks off hybrid Milan Fashion Week with optimism

MILAN (AP) — The Italian fashion industry is trying to inject optimism into the most dismal year on record for the luxury sector, staging 23 live runway shows and 37 presentations during a hybrid live-digital Milan Fashion Week that aims to excite consumers and connect with buyers. Fendi, Dolce&Gabbana and Blumarine open the first day of mostly womenswear previews for the next spring and summer on Wednesday, joined later in the week by Max Mara, Salvatore Ferragamo and Valentino, which decamped from Paris where it normally shows due to travel concerns related to the virus. Milan stalwarts including Giorgio Armani, Versace and Prada — which is debuting its first collaboration between Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons — opted for virtual shows.