Milan Fashion Week Spring 2009
Dates: Sep 20 – 27, 2008

DALLAS, Aug 4, 2008 / FW/ — In a country where even what the Pope wears is news to the point that the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano, has to refute that “the bright red loafers that Pope Benedict XVI wears are not designed by Prada,” as has long been rumored, proves that to the Italians, fashion is a state of mind.

Pope Benedict
Pope Benedict

Last season, with rising gasoline prices worldwide, Italy chose to charm the world as its answer to the burgeoning luxury market squeeze. Now, as the Spring 2009 season nears, the worldwide credit crunch has even affected the EU consumer confidence.

Like their American, British and French counterparts, Italian designers are faced with a shift in consumer spending. Though for a long time it had been pointed out that luxury consumers are recession proof, they are not immune to the law of supply and demand.

As the New York Times had pointed out, “one of the spookiest features of the current economic crisis is the way that everything seemed to go wrong at the same time.”

Yet, looking back, at least since the beginning of the 21st century, the Milan season have always overcome the direst of circumstances and able to present an upbeat view of the future. You see, the country that can discuss the Pope’s wardrobe without batting an eyelash truly knows what fashion is.

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