Milan Fashion Week started with the bright Fall-Winter 2011 collection of Gucci

Gucci designer Frida Giannini cited flame-haired songstress Florence Welch as the inspiration for her sexy fall collection, which opened fashion week in Milan on Wednesday.

The fashion show began with a bold palette of emerald green, fuchsia, purple, teal and rust, colors that only a strong, and confident woman would wear.

The look, Giannini said, captured "a contemporary female dandy who fuses glamour and seduction... a polished woman with a decisive personality, who is attentive to detail and willing to dare." The clothes were gorgeous - suede skirts that hit below the knee, and slim-fitting coats worn with vibrant fur stoles and plumed fedoras. Other accessories included colorful snakeskin shoes and bags, scarves and sunglasses.

The evening dresses at Gucci are skin-baring, with slits up to the hem on long, fluid gowns or sexily sheer looks. The fabrics are light, catching every movement of the body, showing the legs.

Milan Fashion Week will continue until 1 March with the collections of D&G, Roberto Cavalli and Versus.