Among the world’s fashion capitals, Milan is the one that most openly celebrates the power of femininity, with sexy dresses, beautiful hair, vertiginous heels and bold accessories. To be considered successful, collections here have to be fresh but not too conceptual, stunning but also practical. This season, handmade embellishments, shocking colours, preppy lengths and Deco references were everywhere.

Gucci’s Frida Giannini described her collection as ‘Hard Deco’ and her evening gowns were covered in rich embellishments that helped lend a strong sense of identity. Etro played the Deco game as well, through a series of body-shaping, stunning prints on fine silk dresses. At Marni, as at many other shows, skirts were all below the knee and the garments were decorated with a variety of exclusive materials, from transparent crystals to elaborate lace. Colours, a key seasonal trend for many Milanese designers, were unmissable at Emilio Pucci, which featured extremely sexy, often transparent dresses.

It is widely acknowledged that the Italians are the top players in the international footwear market; some of the world’s best shoes are made here. Sergio Rossi and the Bally brand from Switzerland are two of the most popular shoe trend-setters in the Italian fashion capital. This season, the former abolished platforms and offered a huge, stunning collection of colourful high heels inspired by the bondage art of the Japanese photographer Araki. The latter focused on lightness and designed a series of almost transparent sandals ideal for both day and evening.

Back on the catwalks, Prada presented another iconic collection, which, for the first time in years, appeared commercial and easy to wear. Jil Sander’s Raf Simons, who is tipped to be taking over Stefano Pilati’s role at Yves Saint Laurent, promoted his own vision of elegance – probably too conceptual for the Milanese public.

The fashion feast doesn’t end with the clothes: this has been a week packed with events, exhibitions and boutique relaunches. The long evenings started with cocktail parties held by Gucci, Vuitton and Ferragamo, all celebrating new stores. They continued with Versace’s fine watch presentation and Trussardi’s centenary celebrations, marked by a party at the Castello Sforzesco. The spring shows season closed with Moncler’s screening of the new video made for the house by Bruce Weber. Milan, arrivederci until March!