<div><p> Shoulders set the silhouette on Milan's catwalks Monday, whether bared for Versace, writ large by Dolce & Gabbana or a fetish for Fendi.</p><p>A quintessential Donatella Versace creation sneaks a shoulder out of a flowing grey-blue gown. Elsewhere, shoulder blades are set off by delicate suspenders or a sequined bustier flatters the nape and shoulders.</p><p>Necklines plunge to the waist both front and back in Versace's exquisitely draped evening gowns, a triumph of chic eroticism.</p><p>Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana unveiled ready-to-wear creations worthy of the highest of haute couture, marrying extravagance with a bit of surrealist theatre.</p><p>It was all in the shoulders, whether puffed up in generous fur stoles, frilled out in shocking pink satin or poking up for a more restrained triangular look.</p><p> The shoes, too, took off on flights of fancy, with tiers of gold ruffles or flamboyant seashells decorating black platforms.</p><p>Tights were finished with satin ruffles up the backs, while gloves forsook hands, serving as eccentric headgear instead.</p><p>Marilyn Monroe was a special guest star, appearing on white satin frocks and a silk Mikado evening gown that was the show's finale.</p><p>Nature's goddesses -- silver fox, mink, sable -- padded serenely through the urban jungle imagined by Karl Lagerfeld for Fendi, leaving just a suggestion of their presence.</p><p>Here, too, strong shoulders determined the silhouette, while fur or feathers softened the edges, whether in the trim or in the lining of a coat, jacket or dress.</p><p>The Dsquared twins Dean and Dan Caten of Canada meanwhile combined grunge with cool and lots of airy sophistication in multi-layered outfits.</p><p>Ankles were in, poking out of baggy jeans or khakis or this season's de rigueur skintight black leathers and leggings.</p><p> Skimpy knit tube minis competed for attention with feathered skirts and trims, while a casual pea coat topped a fancy black gown.</p><p>Men's white silk boxers and an unbuttoned shirt baring the midriff, topped by a short black leather jacket, helped create a tousled just-out-of-bed aura.</p><p>Max Mara proposed classic lines with a bit of give, as with a loosely defined trench with sleeves cuffed large at the elbows.</p><p>Skirts were mainly midis in sober greys, blacks and camel, cut from luxurious fabrics with feminine features -- a satin skirt cinched with a bow summed it up.</p><p>John Richmond seduced with shimmering gold off-the-shoulder tops and long black leather fingerless gloves.</p><p>A grey Napoleon jacket over midnight blue harem pants and black ankle boots exuded confidence, as did a slate grey jacket over a bare breast and pleated trousers.</p><img src="http://admatch-syndication.mochila.com/images/ad.gif?aid=44017405&bid=informcom" /></div><div id="copyright"><div>

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