LBD Boutiq, little black dress & more

Gucci's Frida Giannini has brought it back with a contemporary edge for next summer, replacing pearls and pumps with metallic beading and ankle-buckled platforms. This and more at the ongoing Milan Fashion Week.

Giannini describes her latest collection as "resolutely sexy," and she clearly means it.

A tight body-conscious silhouette, combined with bold cutouts, bondage-like strapping, big buckles, and heavy metal sequins combine to create an aggressive look that is never vulgar.

Aside from the many black dresses, Gucci's creative director puts the same contemporary edge on ultra slim trousers, zippered pencil skirts, sporty shorts, and fitted bare-back jackets.

Gleaning from the equine tradition of the Gucci label, Giannini comes up with harness vests and horse-bit embroidery, which further accentuate the caged-in effect of the outfits. When the styles are not black, they are candid white, but either way the "catch me if you can" message is clear.

When times get tough, designers know better than to dictate. This is why the spring and summer of 2010 will be a season of options.

Although the overall look is shorter than in recent seasons, there is still a lot of room for choice. Trousers can be tight or loose, skirts can be skinny or bubbled, colors can be bland or bright, and styles can be sweet, sporty, or sexy.

On Saturday, Roberto Cavalli epitomized these options by wrapping his signature sexy style in demurely printed aprons, which covered all his "sins," from super-tight trousers to plunging necklines.

The result was a newfound romanticism underlined by the models sporting demure single-braided hairstyles and by the oriental tea house set up on the runway.