Background: Milan Fashion Week, which kicked off on Wednesday as the third stop of the traditional "big four" fashion weeks, is apt to be a tame affair this year, as the Italian clothing industry grapples with the impact of the global financial crisis. This year there will be fewer fashion shows, with many firms opting for modest exhibitions, according to the Italian Chamber of Fashion. At the men's show in January, there had been a fifth fewer shows than the year before.
Models display creations as part of Gianfranco Ferre's Spring/Summer 2010 men's collection during Milan Fashion Week June 21, 2009.
British designer Christopher Bailey acknowledges the applause at the end of Burberry Prorsum Spring/Summer 2010 men's collection during Milan Fashion Week June 20, 2009.
