Philipp Plein RTW Fall 2023 Milan

Plein rode the cowboy theme all the way home, working denim patchwork into jackets, minis and long skirts.

Philipp Plein made his big Milan comeback, showing once again in a cavernous venue at the former Fiera di Milano in front of thousands of guests. He staged his last Milan runway extravaganza here in February 2020, a few days before the city went into lockdown.

Backstage, Plein was surrounded by friends and family, including his parents and girlfriend, who was wearing crystal-encrusted cowboy boots bright as two comets streaking across a night sky. Those boots left no question as to the theme of Plein’s fall collection. 

“Chrome Cowboy is the name of the show. It’s not my first, or even my second, cowboy collection, but it’s a theme I like to interpret in new ways,” said Plein. “This time we’re doing futuristic cowboys who don’t ride horses, they ride bikes.”

And so the show began with a roar of motorcycles glowing with blue lights and zooming down the catwalk, leaving a fog of exhaust in their wake. It was coed and the ladies were up first, walking what seemed like miles through a long series of arches lit with white lights, mimicking a long tunnel. 

His glamorous gals wore a rainbow of bright shades: cowboy boots iced in orange crystals, matching fur chubbies, bright purple puffers and a pink topcoat with a Day of the Dead-style skull picked out in sparkles on the back.

Tiny minidresses and skinny, slit-front gowns were adorned with crystal constellations and worn with cowboy hats that had crystal-fringed veils. 

Plein rode the cowboy theme all the way home, working denim patchwork into jackets, minis and long skirts, which he teamed with silver boots. Yee haw.

There was lots of denim for men, too, in addition to blanket capes, plaid coats and a tractor-load of crystals and studs for trousers, suits and the lapels of a black jacket.

At the end, Plein joined the fray, zooming down the catwalk on his motorcycle, making way for the final act, a life performance by hip-hop up-and-comer Bia. She strode down the runway singing “Whole Lotta Money,” followed by Plein’s cowboy crowd in their rich attire.

PHILIPP PLEIN – CHROME COWBOY – WINTER ‘23