With Milan wrapping up at this very moment, the Fashion Week sprint is getting down to the finish line. And this time around, the Italian mecca threw some intriguing curveballs into the mix, in what’s turning out to be quite an unpredictable season. Here are some of our favorite looks…

Disco Isn’t Dead
Fashion loves to fixate on a decade, and the love affair that started in the spring is still going strong. But for fall, Milan brought the funk even more. Detours ranged from Gucci’s rapturous ode to Helmut Newton—think classic Bianca Jagger and Anjelica Huston on their way to the disco in deep jewel tones—to less glitzy outings, like quirky Mary Tyler-Moore-inspired daywear at Bottega Veneta (which made us reconsider turtlenecks). Mrs. Roper made an appearance at Marni and Missoni, where it was all about polyester impressions with luxury fabrics. But our vote goes to Fendi’s reference-desk librarians straight out of Harold and Maude, all colored tights and plaid blouses. Our advice: handle with care, and avoid anything that looks like a cast-off from Grandma’s closet.

Not-So-Heavy Metal
All that glitters isn’t gold, but just as precious. In Milan, metallics were equal parts showgirl and sci-fi fantasy. Our faves? The long-sleeve, mineral-toned sheaths at Dolce & Gabbana, which were as subversively sweet as they were naughty. Also, Alberta Ferretti’s more demure iridescent velvets. But most of all, Versus by Christopher Kane, who redeemed his strange namesake collection in London with an assortment of space-age vixens in geometric metallics—picture Barbarella, but without the bouffant and ray gun.

Road Kill
Italians have never been shy about their love of leather, pelts, and exotic skins, but this time around they took it to another level, skinning everything in sight. Call it a recovering economy, or just a race to extinction. Whatever the case, it made for some remarkable accessories in a menagerie of options. These ran the gamut from snakeskin clutches and trompe l’oeil boots at Prada to killer fur accents at Versace. Less conventional furry forays ranged from Chewbacca to Muppet. Typically restrained, Bottega Veneta sent out parkas that looked pieced together from Tickle Me Elmos, while Fendi’s beastly furs adjusted to global warning by shedding their sleeves. Marni opted for more demure furs dyed earthy colors to resemble bathroom rugs. But leave it to Prada to explore the world of faux, perhaps in an appeal to PETA, with fun furs that were equal parts Sesame Street and Burning Man. It almost—almost!—made us long for another cold, hard winter.