Giannini, whose womenswear show for winter 2008-09 put military overtones on a bohemian, hippy look, said she was inspired by the style of east European émigrés to Paris and Vienna in the 1920s. "They mixed, and they created something very new, something very theatrical," she told Reuters after the show.

Models at the show wore tight black trousers tucked into high leather boots that covered the knee with hipster belts in brass chainlink or studded leather. A rich, velvet patchwork of burgundy, black and jade was fine pleated into a short skirt that swung very much to a Russian tune.

Evening wear was long and liquid in patterned silk with belts whose tasseled ends were weighted with jewel-encrusted spheres. Flowing necklines were anchored in gold mayoral vees.

"I don’t want to be boring with myself and I don’t want to be boring with the collection either," said Giannini, who has changed to wavy, palomino hair from a previous straight chestnut look.

Roberto Cavalli, whose unwavering trademark look is a cigar, suntan and dark glasses, said he felt his fashion designs were paintings. "Today, I presented 40 outfits which are like 40 paintings for me," he added.

But he took inspiration from the late film actress Natalie Wood for the embroidered loose cotton and chiffon shifts in his womenswear collection."It’s inspired by Natalie Wood, romanticism, the 1950s ... it is created for a sensual woman," Cavalli said.

The designer used a full skirt with a hip-length, loose bodice for pale cotton dresses embroidered with pastel country flowers in his homage to the star of the 1961 drama "Splendor in the Grass."

He used broderie anglaise for a white full-skirted dress that brought a touch of childhood innocence to the collection, while the same fabric’s appearance in a black dress with trailing hems carried a more somber, mourning mood.

A stunning black satin dress, again with a low waist and wide skirt, was dramatized further by a towering straw trilby hat with wide black band.

The designer kept heels high and could not resist putting some of his signature leopard print on some ankle boots, while others echoed the floral theme of dresses with tiny jewel colored buds at the heel.

Color in the clothes came in bands of heavy ethnic embroidery on the hems of jackets and lapels, or in bright satin applique flowers on black evening dresses.

And emerald, azure and pink swirled together in a silk evening dress whose folds clung to the body.

Milan’s womenswear winter 2008-09 shows run until February 23 with Dolce & Gabbana and Versace on Thursday. – Reuters