Cigarettes and shoes. Two of my favourite things and two of the differences between Milan and London’s Fashion Weeks. Here, everybody smokes. I am quite surprised there are no Gucci-sponsored ashtrays on Pucci-polished podiums for the front-row puffers.

And the shoes. Sensational. Not in that fabulously eccentric, fashion-forward, London way – just in a classic-first, creativity-after, don’t-mess-with-my-gold-catsuit Italian way.

There’s also a whole load of suits. Suits on the front row? Yes, plenty. Something London was conspicuously missing. Are we just too cool for the suits to take a seat or is it representative of how much more seriously fashion is taken – culturally and financially – by our slick Euro-cousins?

Anyway – to the stars of the day. Vogue Italia announced the winners of their infamous ‘WHO IS ON NEXT?’ competition in July (read my article here). Today these winners – Gabriele Colangelo (pret-a-porter category) and Chrissie Morris, who won the Accessories category along with our very own favourite shoe designer Bionda Castana, displayed their designs in the Vogue Italia showroom.

Admiring the gorgeous graffiti-style, paint-sploshed Bionda Castana beauties pictured opposite, I overheard Averyl Oates - the fashion director of Harvey Nichols – saying she wanted a pair of each of the shoes on display. Told you we could spot a winner.

As could Vogue Italia’s Editor-in-Chief, Franca Sozzani, pictured below with one half of Bionda Castana, the beautiful and tipped-for-the-top talent Natalia Barbieri.

Gabriele Colangelo won the pret-a-porter category on the strength of his ethereal, delicate and feminine – ‘with contemporary accents’ collection. The rest of the finalists were also present, along with their commendable work. Silvio Betterelli, Veronica Bettini, Valentina De Laurentiis, Morfosis and Ilaria Nistri are also the ones to watch. I particularly liked Morfosis, with the embossed, accentuated shoulders bringing a dark, armoured feel to something otherwise feminine and soft.

Congratulations to all the finalists – we await next season with smoky breath and sultry soles…

Please click here to see more photos and videos from the Who’s On Next presentation and Milan Fashion Week.