"I wanted to see something that wasn't trying so hard to be new." That was how Marc Jacobs explained his fall 2010 collection last week in New York. And the sentiment seems to be carrying over to Milan, where so far, designers are banking on retro femininity for fall, from D&G's ski bunnies to Prada's sexy secretaries.

Using a set that brought to mind Internet Age information overload, with walls covered in pie graphs and fragments of geopolitical jargon, Miuccia Prada harkened back to the simpler "Mad Men" era of padded bums and beehive hairdos, while referencing some of her own past work.

This was the first Prada women's show to be webcast live, beaming her clothes around the world in a nanosecond. But on the runway, the collection -- including A-line leather skirts as glossy as a vinyl record; elaborately embroidered, jet-beaded skirts; and coats that must have required hours of old-fashioned handwork -- made a case for slowing down. In the background, a slow jazz soundtrack mixed with the clicking sounds of a typewriter.‬

The clothes were prim but also a tad subversive, as if to say that underneath the proper façade of the woman who wears them lurks the soul of a sex kitten. There were even a couple of fuller-figure models, suggesting that "Mad Men's" sexy secretary Joan Harris (née Holloway) may well be the fashion icon of the fall season.

The dominant look was the fit-and-flare dress in sketchy windowpane checks, with a full, swishy skirt. Some versions also had darts emphasizing the bust, or ruffles framing it.

Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi are the young guns of the Italian fashion scene, designing their own namesake collection, sold at Saks Fifth Avenue and other stores, in addition to designing Gianfranco Ferré.

Their Aquilano Rimondi collection was an Italian Baroque patchwork of painterly floral prints and gilded brocades in rich shades of pink, lapis blue and emerald green, recalling the rich fabric heritage of Italy.

Theirs is a more-is-more approach to dressing -- short bustier dresses with pouf skirts or oversized bows, elongated safari jackets with jeweled buttons, and print blouses with high, stiff collars. It was a visual feast, so much so that it was difficult to imagine these clothes actually being worn -- except perhaps to a Venetian ball.

In contrast, the designers' collection for Ferré was light as a feather but no less overwrought. The draped, bubble-skirted bustier dress was the star here too, this time in barely-there shades of layered sheer organza, silk gazar and micro-pleated metallic lamé, sculpted into cloud-like volumes. The effect was beautiful, but the models looked as fragile as dandelions.

Both collections seemed to be about woman as ornament. In the future, it would be interesting to see the designers temper their extraordinary workmanship and flair for the dramatic with a little more real-world practicality.

-- Booth Moore

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Upper photo: Aquilano e Rimondi spring-summer 2010 runway. Credit: Peter Stigter and Jonas Gustavsson / For The Times

Lower photo: Gianfranco Ferré spring-summer 2010 runway. Credit: Peter Stigter and Jonas Gustavsson / For The Times

MILAN -- Jackets with "Star Trek" shoulders, skirts with boxy hiplines, and a surfeit of '80s-era Thierry Mugler references combined to make the second Gianfranco Ferre collection designed by young talents Roberto Rimondi and Tomasso Aquilano stiff and overwrought.

With drawn-on eyebrows and molded hairstyles, the models looked mean and militaristic in their sculpted uniforms. Things did soften up a bit for evening, with crepe ruffles curving around elegant black column gowns and sculptural bows sprouting from pleated white blouses.

Still,  it's difficult to imagine women embracing such a severe look in hard times, and even more difficult to imagine them embracing yet another new incarnation of an old brand.

Indeed, Ferre's future is very much in question following the recent financial trouble of parent company IT Holdings. If there is one thing this recession might be good for, it's convincing fashion powers that be that not every house needs to live on past its founder.

--Booth Moore

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A fall runway look from Gianfranco Ferre's women's collection during Milan Fashion Week. Credit: Alberto Pellaschiar / Associated Press

It was surreal landing in Milan, Italy, for fashion week, gearing up to look at expensive clothes on the runway while we're in the midst of a global banking crisis. Who's going to buy these things? Ah well, I guess no matter what's happening in the world, we all gotta get dressed.

Still, it's not the best time for a luxury brand to be relaunching, which is exactly what's happening  with Gianfranco Ferré. The Italian designer known for his architectural approach, his passion for India and his genius white blouses, died last year. But as we all know, in fashion a label never dies. So on Sunday, a new Ferré was unveiled under the direction of the two most up-and-coming designers in Milan, Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi of 6267 fame.

It was a great start. The design duo focused on sculptural pieces with architectural details -- such as ruffles down the front of a pencil skirt, and pieced together cap sleeves on a molded jacket that brought to mind a "Star Trek" uniform -- all in subdued black, white and gray.

Skinny pants and skirts had side pockets with origami-like folds and were worn with severely tailored tunics with jeweled belts. And of course, there were white shirts, the best an oval shape with a sheer back and leg o' mutton sleeves. The shoes were geometric wonders with open oval or spindly jeweled heels.

It was a high impact show. And yet, there was something stiff and unemotional about it too, like they were trying too hard to prove they are serious designers at their young ages. No matter, that impulse should wear off.

Later that night, I sat next to Stefano Bacchini, who is in charge of sales for Ferré. He said there are plans to overhaul all the Ferré stores around the world, including the one on Rodeo Drive. "We are starting from scratch," Bacchini said. Forget the designers, he has the heavy lifting.

-- Booth Moore

Photos: Gianfranco Ferré Spring/Summer 2009 runway show in Milan, Italy. Credit: Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times