Gucci sent a collection of furry coats, slim pencil skirts and slip dresses down the catwalk for its fall-winter show, a lineup of styles for women and men drawn up by its design studio as the Kering-owned Italian label awaits its next designer.

Italy's woes are part of a global slump in the sector, driven by weakness in the key market of China, reduced appetite for high-priced goods, and widespread economic uncertainty. Gucci – once the pride of fashion week but now the worst performer in Kering's portfolio – kicks off the week-long party this week in Milan.

In London during the fashion week prior, the likes of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Nicola Peltz, Brooklyn Beckham and Princess Diana 's nieces - aristocratic twins Lady Amelia and Lady Eliza Spencer, all put on stellar displays of glamour on the front row at shows including Burberry and Richard Quinn.