Milan Fashion Week autumn No sooner does Adele reveal that she prefers dressing primly to putting it all out there, then Milan steps into line. Alberta Ferretti explored a buttoned-up kind of allure in her show, with high necklines, below-the-knee hems and a self-assured, hard-boiled swagger that brought to mind Joan Crawford and Bette Davis. This is a departure from her normal draping and whispy chiffon - and a welcome one. Who doesn't love film noir, particularly when it yields glossy black leather dresses, supple as a criminal's conscience; and pinstripe suits, sharp as a stiletto. The tailoring was strong enough to seduce a Chandler: Raymond, not the the sappy one from Friends. Lisa Armstrong Massimiliano Giornetti, in situ since 2010, is modernising this venerable Italian brand with brio. That means jettisoning gimmicks and concentrating on semi-strict, rather than slouchy, tailoring - this time in velvet and leather - and juxtaposing it with gold-stamped chiffon and drop-shouldered dresses in garnet or black. If the drop-waists on thick lace dresses were a mis-step, and some styling a bit overwrought, those gleaming knee-high boots more than compensated. Let's not forget that Salvatore Ferragamo started out in the Forties as a cobbler. Karl Lagerfeld's collection for Fendi included some excellent examples of shape-manipulation sleight-of-hand. Wide, rigid, stomach-embracing lines contrasted with a fuller shape at the shoulder - which also obscured the upper arm but left the forearm displayed. Even at night, the cosy embrace of sheepskin coat has replaced the feathery bolero as a companion to satin evening dresses and bell-bottoms. Their shoes made sense: how else do you lift a khaki or camel if not with silver Mary Janes?The white tights with which Marni accessorised every look will be a minority pursuit, but they were a foil for the cropped-at-the-shin black trousers that came out with almost everything else. The trousers were part of what Consuelo Castiglioni described as "my ongoing love affair with all things masculine. But I wanted to counteract the boyishness with curved, slender shapes." And that's what she did. Short-sleeved tops and belted jackets had an almost hour-glass outline, but there were plenty of loose, drop-belted coats and dresses for those who avoid obvious come-hither dressing. Stand by for Marni's forthcoming appearance at H Are you ready for the scrum?The models' dip-dyed hair and eye make-up were characteristically quirky, so were the rubber-coated platform Mary Jane shoes. "Practical for winter," said Miuccia Prada backstage, although she almost slipped up when she took her bow in them. All the trouser suits and high-waisted jackets and coats will walk right out of the store, even if they end up being bought in black, rather than the clashing grid patterns, one being a vintage Prada print. "Black is easy but boring," said Prada. She must have had a tedious day: she was head to toe in it..