Italians see another torch pass, in Milan

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the grand jewel of shopping malls, is the place to take this city’s pulse. Tourists and locals alike raid the Prada store, pause to spin on the bull mosaic for good luck and soak in the fashion shows on a huge TV screen under the glass cupola.

But this season, Milan Fashion Week has been preempted by the Olympics in Turin, and the Italian equivalent of the JumboTron is stuck on downhill skiing.

Too bad. How upset will the Milanese be when they learn that they missed the defining moment of the fall season so far? Just as buyers and retailers had begun to complain that in this post-Tom Ford era, Prada was the only reason to come here, Raf Simons’ first collection for the Jil Sander label made things interesting again.

German designer Jil Sander launched her namesake label in 1973, sold to Prada Group in 2000 and left last year amid rumors she did not get along with boss Patrizio Bertelli. Simons, 38, a star menswear designer from Belgium, was appointed in May. This collection was his first for women, and it was extraordinary, full of the kind of subtle details and sumptuous fabrics that will challenge the prevailing idea of luxury.

For several years now, luxury has been about piling it on -- crystals, prints, brocades and trim. But Simons effectively changed all that, ushering in a postmodern luxury that translates into a pared-down wardrobe of key pieces. Quietly elegant, these clothes are the equivalent of tuning out all the noise. And much of the collection was easy on many body types (at last, someone is looking out for the baby boomers).

Simons took the label back to its roots, focusing on the soft, dropped-shoulder coats that were Sander’s hallmark, working in a dark palette punctuated by chalky white and gently playing with volume. He started with a mannish uniform: lean black pants, the perfect white button-down and A-line navy peacoat, balanced on platform lace-up wedges. From here, he moved into cropped leather jackets, double-faced cashmere coats, some with a dusty gold sheen, high-waist maxi-skirts, velvet dresses and jersey evening gowns, all of which had a lightness and fluidity.

The eye almost has to be retrained to appreciate Simons’ subtle details: a black sheath dress, completely stark except for two slat pockets in front; a navy silk skirt with hidden inverse pleats that became obvious only when the model took a step; a pearly gray ribbed turtleneck sweater made interesting with the simple change in direction of the stitch on the sleeves.

Body-skimming silk goddess gowns were wrapped at the waist, and a navy silk column was beautifully sparse, save the fan of fabric at the base of the plunging back.

Coats were immaculate, as if the models had walked onto the runway through a steam room. A heather brown double-faced cashmere maxi coat hung from the shoulders like a cape. And when a chalk duster coat flapped open, the circular pockets visible on the inside became the most subtle ornamentation.

Although the subtlety of the collection may not translate on the JumboTron, its influence is sure to be felt far and wide.

The week’s other hotly anticipated debut was from Matthew Williamson, showing his first collection for Emilio Pucci. Sienna Miller took a break from filming “Factory Girl” to support the British designer, sitting in the front row sporting a short Edie Sedgwick haircut, patent leather Mary Janes and a jeweled black mini dress. One had to appreciate that Williamson tried to take the line into the future by reworking the swirling 1972 “Cupola” print, emphasizing the flower blooms or changing the size of the swirls. But the results just weren’t special enough.

Flouncy short dresses and skirts -- in purple, fuchsia, cream and black -- and simple print-lined coats were more befitting the contemporary market than the designer one. Platform Mary Janes were off-putting, the bags forgettable. And when a fur-trimmed gold brocade jacket and matching bell bottoms came out, you could almost smell the mothballs. Luxury for another day maybe, but not for today.

Marni’s Consuelo Castiglioni continued Simons’ cleaning jag. Known for her artsy-craftsy style and for her prints, Castiglioni focused on shape and limited her palette primarily to navy, black and gray. The collection relied heavily on a lantern-like silhouette, with a fluttery-sleeved peach silk tunic belted over a rounded charcoal knit skirt. Fur was used sparingly, on the cuffs of a classic trench, and coats were cut loose, the best in a navy cashmere with black crochet insets.

Jewelry was almost nonexistent. Instead, models wore headbands decorated with fabric petals and orthopedic-looking flat sandals over opaque tights, as is the fashion with editors these days. Embellishment was achieved with subtle manipulation of fabric -- puckers on either side of the waist on a stone-colored knit sheath. And the body was nearly obscured in a boxy charcoal knit gown -- a kind of fabric candy wrapper -- save a belt fed through the middle.

Where Castiglioni and Simons went spare, Giorgio Armani went over the top. Although he continually claims to love women, it’s hard to believe when you consider the ruched satin skirts that were this season’s pedestals for his jackets. The skirts, in solid fuchsia or black-and-white horizontal stripes, were so tight they cupped the bums of the thinnest of models.

But, as always, if you could get past the bottoms, there were some beautiful jackets -- a gray bolero edged in ruffles, an hourglass-shape in a menswear plaid with a bow-tied back. Flared coats were chic too, one in a hammered navy satin with a ruffled hem, another in black velvet with a shawl collar.

From the man who invented the women’s power suit, there wasn’t one pair of pants. It’s enough to make one wonder if Armani, buoyed by the success of his new Prive couture collection, has resigned himself to dressing the red carpet, unable to make a relevant statement about anything else.

There was certainly a lot here for award show season -- a pink-and-red cocktail dress with a flippy skirt, and a pearl gray frock with a trumpet skirt and fabric rosebuds at the decollete. But the crystal-encrusted ball skirts looked like they had hoops sewn into them, and what was with those spangled gowns that exposed the navels? Didn’t the midriff look go out, like, two years ago?

Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana always manage to keep up with the times. They must have had the Winter Olympics on the mind when they designed their lower-priced D&G; line, shown on a runway with fir trees and banks of fake snow. Their ski bunnies were dressed for the lodge in ivory knit worked into crystal-studded sweater coats, cowl-neck sweater dresses with swingy skirts and snowflake-print briefs worn with cable-knit legwarmers and mukluk boots or Birkenstock-like sandals and knee socks.

Things took a more delicate turn with embroidered jumpers and Sonja Henie skating skirts with ribbed knit hems. And, of course, there were plenty of fun accessories -- pompom hats, sweater knit purses, crystal-studded iPod holders and even D&G; skis. For a finale, models came out riding on a holiday-themed train, Santas distributed Christmas tree lollipops and snowflakes floated down onto the front row. A little bit of Turin in Milan.