Milan Fashion Week kicks off with elegance

Milan Fashion Week kicked off here on Wednesday as catwalks rolled out in the downtown area and mostly fanfared the 2011spring/summer wear for women in love with elegance and home.

More than 169 collections of 71 international brands presented at the six-day event are celebrating a sort of return to motherly but sophisticated womanhood, said Lina Sotis, journalist from local newspaper Corriere della Sera.

"Men have had enough of steel-nerved zippy women," she told Xinhua, adding that 2011 spring/summer collections showcase the image of an elegant, home loving woman.

"The daywear style is chaste but sensuous and free. Long skirts are accompanied by wide bags that contain all a real woman needs for her busy day, from personal items to office papers," Sotis said.

Gucci staged its pageant on Wednesday. Fendi and Prada will display their collections on Thursday, and then Moschino and Versace on Friday, Emporio Armani on Saturday. Salvatore Ferragamo will come on Sunday, followed by Roberto Cavalli on Monday.

Organizers have come under fire for excluding collections for larger sizes. Notably, fashion designer Elena Miro, whose real name is Elena Miroglio, has not been invited as the fashion week's opener, but she presented a show on Wednesday outside of the official calendar.