MILAN, Italy — Evolution is the essence of fashion. Despite not being a trained designer, Marcelo Burlon knows it well. In a world of self-aggrandising, self-schooled creative directors who stick to a formula until they suck it dry, repeating it ad nauseam, one must acknowledge Burlon's knack for changing the game​ —​ or bette​​r​,​ tweaking it​ —​ at the peak of success.

Today's show was a departure for County of Milan. Burlon, in fact, looked tense and emotional backstage. Gone are the dark religious symbols, the tribal spirit, and even the overtly sexualised casting. ​Now it is time for a posse of freaks and losers of all ages and shapes, dressed in fluorescent colours, industrial graphics and straightforward shapes. Working on a "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" sci-fi theme​ —​ the collaboration with the movie was a formal one, with dedicated ​merchandise and prints — Burlon​​ took a leap forward​ indeed​. It was not something groundbreakingly new​; Undercover's Jun Takahashi has been in ​this ​territory many times​. But it was a refreshing evolution for County of Milan.