MILAN, Italy — The tone was immediately set for an emotional Milan Fashion Week when Jil Sander announced that this would be Raf Simons’ last season as its creative director. Mr Simons made way for the return of Jil Sander herself to the label she has left twice before. Thus, Mr Simons’ swan song was all the more poignant, a tour-de-force collection tinged with emotion, that made this the singular defining moment of the Milan collections.

Designers like Donatella Versace and Peter Dundas at Pucci showed a darker, more serious take on things. And others made a step change in their overall direction, like at Marni and Missoni. These are particularly notable developments in Milan, the fashion capital known for its devotion to the formula of flash and glamour.

Along with our roving behind-the-scenes photographer Morgan O’Donovan, we’ve selected ten fashion moments from the Milan collections for Autumn/Winter 2012.

Morgan O’Donovan‘s photo diary is courtesy of Dazed Digital

Jil Sander and Raf Simons | Source: InStyle and Grazia Daily

MILAN, Italy — The ongoing musical chairs amongst creative directors at major European fashion houses took an interesting, unexpected turn on Thursday, as Jil Sander announced that Raf Simons’ would leave Jil Sander, while rumours swirled that Jil Sander herself, the founder of the brand, was set to return after having fallen out with previous management twice in the past.

Mr. Simons, the rumour mill said, was set to replace John Galliano at Dior — which has not had a creative director since Mr. Galliano was summarily dismissed by the French couture house one year ago — or was headed to Yves Saint Laurent, where it is said that creative director Stefano Pilati is not particularly favoured by management.

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Louis Vuitton Incheon Airport, Seoul | Source: Inluxe

S.Koreans go mass-market, online for luxury goods (Reuters)
“Sixty years ago, war-torn South Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world. Now it is the world’s 13th largest economy and a magnet for luxury goods, prying open the wallets of its wealthy people as well as tourists. Indeed, the country’s appetite for high-end labels has led to the christening of a Louis Vuitton handbag as the ‘three-second bag’ for its ubiquity, with one spotted every few seconds on the streets of the capital Seoul.”

Simons For Dior? (Vogue)
“Dior is said to be finalising its contract with Raf Simons, as reports escalate that he has been hired as the label’s new creative director replacing of John Galliano… If reports by WWD are true, the move may mark a change in Dior’s design aesthetic - Simons being known for his minimal, futuristic, modern looks.”

Fendi CEO to become head of Bulgari (Reuters)
“ LVMH said on Monday that Michael Burke, head of Italian fashion brand Fendi, would become chief executive of jeweller Bulgari in February as part of a management reshuffle following its acquisition. As part of the deal completed over the summer, Bulgari Chief Executive Francesco Trapani took over the chairmanship of LVMH’s watch and jewellery division and a replacement for him at the helm of the Italian jeweller was expected to be found.”

Exotic India Wrapped in Chanel (IHT)
” The collection the designer showed last week was an ode to India — but emotionally it was pinned to Paris…Compared to Mr. Lagerfeld’s previous interpretations of Coco in Moscow or last year’s Paris/Byzantium show, the mood was restrained. That, no doubt, fits more accurately the current financial mood and the spirit of potential customers.”

Refinery29: Boutique Fashion and Design for All (International Business Times)
“Now, through Refinery29, their rapidly growing fashion and design startup, they’re exposing this fashion-forward independents to an insatiable audience of readers and consumers seeking to define their style. ‘Make it your own. That’s the most important thing,’ says von Borries, describing the ethos of Refinery29 and the changing role of fashion industry brands. ‘[Our company] is all about empowering personal style.’”

Raf Simons photographed by Willy Vanderperre | Source: Fantastic Man

“What I’ve learned about working with a big company like Jil Sander is how important the structure is. You can have ideas and you can have money, but if the structure isn’t right, if everybody at design and management and marketing and sales isn’t in the same key, it’s not going to work.”

Raf Simons speaking to Gert Jonkers, editor of Fantastic Man, for Issue No. 14, Autumn and Winter 2011

Raf Simons | Source: Hypebeast

PARIS, France — We usually leave ‘breaking news’ stories to the wire services and Twitter, and don’t like to propagate unsubstantiated rumours, but sometimes the news is so big, and the source of the rumour is so credible, that it warrants immediate comment and analysis from BoF.

In her rapturous review of Raf Simons’ Spring/Summer 2012 collection for Jil Sander, the highly-respected fashion editor of the International Herald Tribune, Suzy Menkes, dropped the bombshell news that unnamed sources in Paris say that Raf Simons will replace Stefano Pilati as Creative Director of storied couture house, Yves Saint Laurent. When Menkes’ IHT colleague Jessica Michault announced the news on Twitter, the fashion Twittersphere was sent into overdrive.

Menkes seems supportive of the supposed move, saying that “if Raf Simons ultimately takes over the helm at Yves Saint Laurent — as those familiar with the situation in Paris suggest — the designer will have found a sweet spot for his meticulous modernism.”

But there was no mention of the timing of the supposed transition, and while Ms. Menkes’ sources are amongst the best in the industry and her reporting is of the highest integrity, the news is yet to be officially confirmed by any of the parties concerned, so this news must still be treated as conjecture.

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