The star is gone, long live the brand. This was being questioned in Milan when Alessandra Facchinetti, Tom Ford's former number two at Gucci, the brand he redefined, took her first independent steps down the women's wear runway.

Hopes for the kind of company-and-designer-making breakthrough collection that first set Gucci on the road to being a mega-brand went unfulfilled, as familiar stretch satin skirts, marked by anatomical chiffon inserts, skinny cigarette pants, and body-conscious crocodile jackets appeared.