Marni, Missoni look to Asia on Milan catwalks

MILAN, Italy - Italian fashion houses Marni and Missoni on Sunday unveiled collections that looked to Japan and India for inspiration with dresses similar to kimonos and saris at Milan Fashion Week.

Marni's creations included minimalist long skirts with angular folds in black or white, as well as blouses with large flower prints and an Oriental look.

The collection "delves into romantic territory while keeping restraint and austerity as guiding principles," Marni said in a press note.

Marni explained that it was aiming for a sense of "weightlessness" and a "sculptural" quality in its designs for the spring/summer 2014 season.

Missoni, a luxury knitwear maker, said its collection shown in a former factory near Milan's Chinatown garment district was based around "the exotic magic of sari-sarongs" and included "a taste of Japanese pop prints."

Dresses with stylised seascape prints were elaborately folded over the shoulder and skirts had a split at the back that revealed hidden layers.

The brand's signature zigzag patterns were turned into wave and seagull motifs on skirts and blouses, and an archive print of the house's logo was adapted to graphic effect on several outfits.