Fashion brands Gucci and John Richmond opened Milan's spring/summer 2012 womenswear shows with a celebration of gold and crystals in Milan.

Gucci spring/summer 2012 collection.

Italian designer Frida Giannini ventured in Art Deco looks and animalier motifs for a sophisticated woman who loves classic luxury.

Structured jackets short at the waist were worn over long pleated black trousers.

Lightweight evening dresses in silk and chiffon had fringes, while geometric cuts exposed the skin.

Gold details, from sequins to column heels, gave a precious tone to the refined collection.

Animalier themes such as zebra streaks and tiger stripes were reinvented in metallic threads.

Giannini worked a palette of gold, black and white for next summer, while accessories included rounded sandals in black and gold lame and minimalist rectangular clutches with golden chains.

British designer John Richmond created a sensual, glittering collection for next summer.

Sculptured shoulders on leather cut jackets short at the waist were a recurrent theme of the show.

The waist was the focus of the collection, underlined by belts in contrasting colours.

Tulip skirts were short and trousers tight to celebrate a woman conscious of her body.

For the evening, black dresses had metallic zips, sexy cuts to reveal the skin or precious chains.

Crystal embroidery, studs and lace gave a rock vibe to the scintillating catwalk.