Written by CNN Staff

Milan Fashion Week (MFW) came to an optimistic close Sunday, having hosted significantly more in-person runway shows than either London or New York before it.

In a city that, in February, experienced one of Europe's first coronavirus outbreaks, journalists, buyers, celebrities and fashion industry workers from around the world were permitted to sit in close proximity to one another at live events.

Max Mara, Etro, Fendi and Valentino were among more than 20 labels to stage physical shows at venues around Milan, representing over a third of the week's schedule.

The set of Prada's livestreamed show. Credit: Alberto Moncada

But while Italy is currently recording far fewer new cases of Covid-19 than the UK or US, there was still an abundance of caution -- and an element of cost-cutting, too.

More than 40 showcases were held digitally, offering smaller and less solvent brands a foothold at an event known for favoring established brands over young talent.

A-Cold-Wall Spring-Summer 2021 Credit: A-Cold-Wall / Brett Dillig-Davies

To this end, young label A-Cold-Wall* premiered its collection of men's utilitywear via a striking four-minute film, marking only the second time the industry favorite has shown in Milan (the first was at men's fashion week in January).

London Fashion Week: Designers put to the test against a struggling market and more social restrictions

Another new face was Tomo Koizumi, whose capsule collection for Pucci united the Japanese designer's penchant for frothy, vibrant dresses with the iconic Italian house's own colorful legacy.

Here are five other takeaways from the return of Milan Fashion Week:

Prada's first 

The debut collaboration between Miuccia Prada, who now heads up her family's namesake business, and Belgian designer Raf Simons, who joined the brand as co-creative director earlier this year, was one of the week's most hotly anticipated shows.

Designer Miuccia Prada and designer Raf Simons attend the Prada Resort 2019 fashion show on May 4, 2018 in New York City. Credit: Sean Zanni/Getty Images North America/Getty Images

This meeting of minds resulted in plenty of bright ideas, both on the runway and through the daffodil yellow set all around it. But more importantly, the audience-free showcase demonstrated the two designers' ability to cohesively work around a single concept -- in this instance, that of the everyday uniform, which they reimagined as simple, refined and wearable.

Charmingly, all of the models in the show were making their debuts too, having never previously walked a runway before.

A model walks in Prada's Spring-Summer 2021 digital show. Credit: Alberto Moncada

Shown via livestream on Thursday, the showcase was followed by a filmed conversation between Prada and Simons. The pair answered questions sent in by fans from around the world, whetting industry appetites for what the collaboration may offer in the years to come.

Silvia Venturini Fendi's last

Just as Prada used MFW to open up a new chapter, Fendi used it to bring one to a