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.

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.

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.