Alessandro Michele is full of surprises. The designer has reconfigured the Gucci show calendar so it falls off the regular lineup—with the Aria collection showing last April, and the brand’s latest, Love Parade, walking last night in Los Angeles. While there are certainly logistical reasons for the changes, from an editorial perspective, it allows a label to really make a splash. And splash Gucci did. The surprise we’re referring to isn’t a simple shift in timing, it’s a peek into the creative mind of Michele and the life and times that built him. “Mum worked in the film industry as an assistant in a production company. I remember all the stories she told me, and the details and the sparkles, about that dream factory,” he explains in the show notes. “There was the alabaster paleness of Marilyn Monroe…There were the black satin gloves of Rita Hayworth and Veronica Lake’s velvet hair, as well as the bewitching allure of Rock Hudson and Kim Novak’s dizzying transformative power.” That move star mystique translated directly onto the Hollywood Walk of Fame, where models, Jared Leto, and Macaulay Culkin stomped under street lights in front of a star-stacked audience. A modern fascination with social media and paparazzi photos has brought the idea of celebrity back down to earth, but Michele is more interested in the concept of actor as deity. “Hollywood is, after all, a Greek temple populated by pagan divinities… Here actors and actresses are acknowledged as heroes of the myth: hybrid creatures with the power to hold divine transcendence and mortal existence at the same time.” A place where stars shine on red carpets and we never see them as mere mortals getting Starbucks. A place where there are no sweatpants and yoga leggings, just diaphanous gowns, pink satin tuxes, sequins that can burn your retinas, and coats as big as egos. Welcome to Hollywood by way of Gucci. –Kerry Pieri

Versace is all about new interpretations of signature codes, whether it be the new Grecian key motif, La Greca—launched last season—or the brand’s signature Medusa emblem. For spring 2022, Versace began with its foulard, a silk scarf that can be worn as a headscarf, knotted into a top, constructed into a bustier dress, or worn freely as a pajama-esque set. How, you may wonder, does a simple silk scarf lead you to Dua Lipa, Emrata, Lourdes Leon, a neon color palette, and some of the sexiest looks of the season? That would be the magic of Donatella Versace. From Dua Lipa’s opening look of a slashed, tailored suit-cum-party dress to the prints, bold fluorescent shades, and all the way to the pop star’s hot-pink, two-piece sequined set for the finale, Versace’s vision for spring 2022 was part red carpet, part Internet sensation, and a great night out in Miami and Milan—all in one. —Carrie Goldberg

Salvatore Ferragamo offered for spring 2022 what the Florentine label called an “Italianate rainbow,” which translated to soothing shades of ochre, rust, mustard, cream, and peony, rather than the traditional ROYGBIV spectrum the founder once famously put on a pair of suede platforms he designed for Judy Garland. The excitement came through unexpected details and styling, like a dramatic asymmetrical side cutout on a Grecian dress or a double-breasted blazer tucked into high waisted shorts. A repurposed 1970s Ferragamo floral foulard overprinted on a loose-yarn, tiger-striped jacquard created in collaboration with Parisian artist Julien Colombier was another key motif. —Alison S. Cohn

Quality, utilitarianism, and craftsmanship all come to mind immediately when thinking of Tod’s—so bold uses of color, platform loafers, and crop tops are a fresh take. The spring 2022 collection wasn’t short on luxe, wearable pieces, but the lightness evoked by the bright, new elements was intended to recall the world of sports and suggest an airiness intended to help us all forget the troubles of the past year and look toward a brighter future. As for the accessories, sandals and sneakers were meant for pounding the pavement, although they had a chunkier, cool-kid energy. Boots and loafers came with a heftier, higher platform and sat in contrast to daintier kitten heels and the label’s signature asset: super-luxe handbags. —Carrie Goldberg

MM6 Maison Margiela

You know that saying, “He’s playing chess, and they’re playing checkers?” The latest collection from MM6 Maison Margiela kind of did both. On the surface, a checkerboard motif took literal riffs on pizzeria tablecloths, The Queen’s Gambit, and the commedia dell’arte costumes of the Italian Renaissance. But look a few moves ahead, and the slouchy slacks, layered suiting, and high-contrast color pops weren’t just here for a good time—they will remain in your wardrobe for the long haul. As for the kooky spiderweb worn as a tank top? I mean … we’re knot mad about it. —Faran Krentcil

Missoni

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This article originally appeared on harpersbazaar.com