Fendi's Lagerfeld shows off web-savvy palette in Milan

MILAN, Italy - Fendi's Karl Lagerfeld offered a palette of shades from pastel to fluorescent on Thursday in his latest collection at Milan Fashion Week, with designs inspired by computer chip geometry.

The keyword for the spring/summer 2014 show was layering of fabric, each layer with subtly different shades, making the dresses look something like the strips of colour handed out at a paint shop.

Skirts and a cocktail dress of mirrored glass sparkled in the spotlight like disco balls, the hard edges softened by the use of velvet for blouses.

Lagerfeld said in a note that he had been inspired by the "visual web communication world" and the angular patterns used bore a resemblance to an integrated electronic circuit.

"The collection is a kind of easy 'Dreamwear'", he said, its other-worldly nature enhanced at the catwalk show by the models wearing identical black wigs and walking almost robotically as if on a factory production belt.