MFW: Midriff Matters

The midriff was the key erogenous zone in Milan, with numerous designers sending bare waistlines down the Milan catwalks. Prada's simple ruched bandeau tops were printed with kitsch, Cadillac-inspired motifs, adding a sense of flirtatious wantonness to its retro collection. Donatella Versace also capitalised on the simple bandeau, pairing them with high-waisted pencil skirts to capture a sense of body-beautiful glamour.

In a similar manner, Dolce & Gabbana teamed cropped cotton bra tops with A-line skirts in kitsch prints for a nostalgic take on the French and Italian Riviera fashion of the 1950s, while Peter Dundas, creative director and designer at Emilio Pucci, used crop tops with long, balloon sleeves to add Romany glamour to his gypsy-inspired collection.

Improbably youthful and notoriously hard to wear, midriff-baring tops were also seen earlier in the fashion calendar in New York at Altuzarra and Donna Karan, and in London at Acne and Richard Nicoll, among several others.

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