A model presents a creation by German designer Tomas Maier for Bottega Veneta
© AFP Francois Guillot

MILAN (AFP) - Echos of 1940s glamour were merged with Prada's modern precision cuts to herald structured clothes with a voluminous effect on top, while hem lines were often kept at micro-mini.

Bright satiny caps worn by the models had an aura of women's wartime headscarves but the large backpacks they carried were thoroughly up-to-the-minute, especially when matching the outfit.

And the designer, presenting her women's spring-summer 2007 wardrobe on the fourth day of Milan fashion week, crafted layers of thick leathery fringing, for example on to a tunic worn with flat sandals.

Or metallic discs that looked like bottle tops or buttons covering a skirt jangled charmingly as the model paraded by. Sleek maxi dresses offered a demure alternative.

Frocks meanwhile were the focal point of Bottega Veneta's clear image of what the style-conscious girl-about-town can call upon to remain cool, comfy and classically elegant.

But she should be willing to show off a bit of skin.

The luxury leather goods house, in its show style notes said it had explored the physicality of clothing for its latest collection, of loose outlines, at times even roomy, in a subdued palette.

A model presents a creation by Italian designer Veronica Etro
© AFP Francois Guillot

"This season we started thinking about 'feel' in the most literal sense, about surface and texture," Bottega Veneta's creative director Tomas Maier said in a written statement.

"The touch of fabric on your skin, the way a dress keeps you warm or cool, the ability of a sleeve to let your arm move freely."

Cotton dominated, while techniques such as smocking, ruching and pleating added dimension to the surface and sweet details included teardrop cut-outs and visible hooks.

At Marni, Consuelo Castiglioni's unique take on feminine luxury translated into a comfy but supremely chic array of jackets, dresses, tops, coats and tunics that were young but never immature.

Pure and circular cuts defined this wardrobe of unflappable and sporty style, whose focus seemed set on freeing the female form from any kind of restriction -- from buttons, to the back half of belts.

A model presents a creation by Italian designer Miuccia Prada
© AFP Francois Guillot

Castiglioni brought slight volume to light-weight jackets so they billowed like sails in the wind or left the back of a dress free and full to almost resemble a cape.

A dressy grey coat, tied under the chest, which effortlessly fell into soft folds summed up her uncluttered style quest that also drew on timeless beige, ecru and ink, with coral accents.

Etro's 'cosmic nomads' zapped from the past to the future with an eclectic mix that ranged from 1970s-inspired patchwork patterns, to a vivid motif like a space-age logo on the chest of a white shift dress.

Frida Giannini for Gucci is on Wednesday's line-up here, along with Alberta Ferretti, Antonio Marras and Just Cavalli.

©AFP