Fantasy and furs draw Milan fashion week to positive end

By Isla Binnie MILAN (Reuters) – Hooded models walked in an enchanted forest and fox-fur mixed with lambskin on Milan’s catwalks on Sunday as the city’s women’s fashion week drew to an end in a positive mood. A frosty oak tree rose from beneath the stage in a flurry of snow at Dolce and Gabbana before models glided out in clothes stitched with squirrels, foxes and childlike flowers. Salvatore Ferragamo showed a textured collection of furry coats, metallic dresses and leopard-print skirt suits for autumn and winter, in a startlingly bright white room. As Italy installs a new government and struggles to emerge from recession, the national chamber of fashion (CNMI) is strongly promoting a sector it forecasts will earn 62.5 billion euros ($85.63 million) in revenue in 2014.