Top looks from Milan Fashion Week - in pictures

Coats: Coats were a must in the Arctic temperatures of New York Fashion Week, while Milan has been basking in unseasonably early spring warmth, throwing every fashion editor into a wardrobe tizzy. Such are the vagaries of the weather, but coats dominated the catwalk – from the glamorous ­Marilyn Monroe-inspired wrap coats at Max Mara to the chic herringbone tweed and ­abstract-pattern coats in neat 1960s shapes at Prada (pictured) and the embroidered floor-sweepers at Stella Jean. There was a smattering of fur, but Fendi is saving its main offering for its debut at couture week in Paris in July. EPA

Puffa jackets and quilting: It is debatable whether Fendi’s empire-waisted puffa dresses will make it to retail, or if Max Mara’s finely quilted pencil skirts can be worn by your average woman rather than a size-­zero model, but there is no denying there was a lot of quilting on the catwalks. Versace’s jazzy, key-patterned and black-belted quilt coats stood out here. Also spotted were funky, bright puffa minis and sleeping-bag-sized ­puffa coats at Moschino (pictured) for the skinny urban hipster, and quilted leather handbags at Bally. Getty Images

Trouser suits: Tapping into the early 1970s vibe already seen in London, designers embraced the trouser suit again with chic short-sleeved tweed styles worn with long gloves at Prada, or nipped jackets with voluminous cropped pants at Emporio Armani. Gucci’s new designer Alessandro Michele, who set the cat among the pigeons at his menswear debut in January by provocatively showing men in flower-print suits and pussycat-bow blouses, reprised the look for his womenswear debut (pictured). With both boys and girls parading the looks, it was difficult to tell the difference between them. Getty Images

Renaissance colours: The cash-strapped Italian government has been calling on the luxury industry to help restore its great cultural monuments, and, inspired by this philanthropy, many fashion houses looked to the grandmasters of the ­Italian Renaissance to inspire their colour ­palettes this season. Think the rich umber browns, terracotta, rust, teal and old gold of the luxurious tapestry and brocade patchwork coats at Etro, or the black, Venetian red, shiny copper and brown velvets, gilded brocades and jacquards at Alberta Ferretti (pictured). The warm colour palette was also on the mood board at Gucci and Uma Wang. AP

Fashion purists: Embellishment and lavish detail came from fashion purists such as Jil Sander (the second collection under Rodolfo Paglialunga), Karl Lagerfeld at Fendi and – surprisingly – Donatella Versace, who was showing more of those terrific cut-out dresses in bright primary colours that she presented at haute couture week. Lagerfeld, inspired by the geometric abstract artworks that lined the Fendi catwalk, showed lots of clean-cut leather skirts and coats, teamed with his high-collared white shirts, while Paglialunga cut the Jil Sander collection with precise geometric lines – long, lean and broken up with grid patterns or bright bolts of colour (pictured). Getty Images

Seventies romance: The 1970s hippie was a key message from the summer collections, and that sweet, romantic mood continued to pervade the autumn/winter runways, as evident in the long, flounced dresses with folkloric prints from Gucci, Gambia by Giambattista Valli and Just Cavalli. The look was stronger in London, on the back of a major retrospective of the 1970s designer Thea Porter; nevertheless, there were lovely ­Victorian-style floor-grazing, printed dresses with high necks that were popular during that era. Roberto Cavalli’s main collection was inspired by Mick Jagger’s 1970s glam-rock phase, with long-sleeved, flounced silk blouses in acid colours teamed with slinky hip-hugging flares (pictured). Reuters

Androgyny moves on: Androgyny is not the force that it was, but a woman still needs clean-cut silhouettes for business. Armani remains the go-to designer for great tailoring that’s becoming softer. Emporio had voluminous trousers and ruffles on dresses and bags. Jil Sander’s rigorous silhouette took no prisoners with its elegant drop-waist coats and gentle wide-legged trousers (similarly Tomas Maier’s geometric coat and pant sets at Bottega Veneta). Tod’s has some great tailoring designed by Alessandra Facchinetti, with leather whipstitch detailing. Stella Jean’s ethnic prints were tempered by masculine coats and jackets (pictured). EPA

Italy, given its economic woes, has been in need of a little morale booster, and Milan Fashion Week duly delivered great shows and terrific trends for autumn/winter 2015. Here are the hottest picks from Milan Fashion Week.