Britain Set to Storm Milan at Autumn-Winter Fashion Week

Britain Set to Storm Milan at Autumn-Winter Fashion Week
Tea and scones will be on the menu in Milan from Saturday, when British designers take the Italian fashion capital by storm to unveil their ready-to-wear collections for autumn-winter 2005-06.

British luxury brand Burberry, whose famous check patterns are once again the height of chic, paved the way for other British labels when it abandoned London a few years ago to unveil its top line, Burberry Prorsum, in Milan.

This season, classic British label Daks -- founded in 1894 -- has chosen Italy as the site for the launch of its luxury womenswear line designed by duo Tiziano Mazzilli and Louise Michielsens, formerly of the Voyage label.

"To be involved in the creation and launch of a luxury collection, with fantastic designers, mixing tradition with modernity is a great opportunity," said the new managing director of Daks, Bruno Massa.

Pringle of Scotland, which is celebrating its 190th birthday this year, will unveil its women's ready-to-wear line for the first time in Milan, where the venerable British house has shown its men's collections for years.

To reinforce the trend, a major exhibition dedicated to the past 50 years of British fashion, will run during Milan fashion week, from February 19-27, at the city's Triennale design museum.

On display will be the creations of Britain's most emblematic designers,