Saturday, February 26th saw the curtain close on the first Milano fashion show of the new millennium, a show which brought a definitive end to minimalism and heralded the advent of a new sort of elegance.

This innovative touch of elegance, both nostalgic yet fresh, was clearly evident in each of the new collections presented. Obviously fashion has not forgotten the splendors of the past in the face of the new millennium, but has rather drawn upon its best. There is the return to favorites of the '70s and '80s already hinted at the last few seasons, as well as an impressive presence of the '20s and '30s crossing over into the present. Feminine elegance has returned, self-confident and not a bit bashful! The look is one of femininity and good taste, a look for the woman who wants to dress with her own personal flair, but refuses even a hint of the extravagant or vulgar. The poetic heart of fashion for Autumn/Winter 2000 can be summed up as a strong return to chic which has emerged from a manifest desire for luxury. This yearning has been somewhat restrained by the remaining vestiges of '90s Minimalism, rendering the results a bit less flamboyant than might have been the case in the past.