MILAN (AP) — Designers are touting the "wear-ability" of their collections previewed for next winter during Milan Fashion Week.

While such admissions could invite critical comments about the state of the fashion industry, it signals more than anything a return to basics — looks that satisfy the wearer, first, and then the beholder.

Some highlights from Saturday's shows on the fourth day of Milan womenswear previews for next fall and winter:

LACE MOSAIC

This is how Ermanno Scervino freshens up lace: He invents a painstaking new technique and then wraps one of the fashion scene's hot young models in one of his creations. And he lets her keep the pink hair when she walks the runway.

"I wanted something more modern" the designer said backstage. "Because when you do a lot of lace, you worry a bit about excess."

Pyper America strode the runway in an ephemeral long-sleeved white lace gown with feathery wisps along the neckline and a gathered waistline that cascaded into rows of transparent lace.

Scervino applied a macrame technique to create his new lace in the image of a mosaic. Silhouettes of his lacey creations varied from a sophisticated copper-colored dress that hugged the bodice before flowing out into a full skirt, a swingy yellow afternoon dress with a thick belt and a Victorian-inspired cut with a high neck and defined shoulders.

"It was complicated to wrap a woman in a mosaic," he said. "(But) I love the silhouette."

The designer said his goal was to create a collection that is easy to wear from day to evening. For day, he created skirts suits out of masculine tweed suits and coats embroidered with jewels, a man's jacket tailored into a dress and form-hugging monochromatic bodysuits with tied with a bow around the neck.

Overcoats included military looks with slightly oversized buttons and epaulets made out of fur, while leopard coats were actually made out of jacquard. To unleash one's inner czarina, there were detachable fox hoods in red and white.

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WEARABLE ELEGANCE

Tomas Maier's collection for Bottega Veneta turned on subtlety, with a restricted set of accessories providing key accents to the long, elegant silhouette.

Skinny belts crisscrossed at the buckle to accentuate the leanness of the looks, while shiny metallic shoes popped out of the dragging hemlines of wide-legged pants.

Monochrome black or white cashmere suits were accented with long, slim scarves, a leopard print trench coat or a sturdy lavender or turquoise tie string bag in Napa leather.

Knitwear tops and dresses presented a sportier facade, while Maier created knit bras out of matching fabric worn overtop for a neat camouflage. Dresses tended to be sleeveless wool shifts, while tiny sequins gave sparkle to plaid overcoats that fastened with a diagonal strap across the lapels.

"It's all wearable. That's why we make clothes," Maier said in his notes. "It's not for show, it's for people."

For evening, Maier overlaid simple floral dresses with transparent black lace, ribbon or pleats. Jewelry with green jade, malachite and fluorite stones finished the looks.

He also offered a Bottega Veneta style tip: Knot a long, skinny scarf at the neck and tuck into a thin belt for a sophisticated look.

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JAPANESE DEBUT

Japanese designer Mitsuru Nishizaki made his Milan runway debut for his Ujoh label, joining the ranks of young designers being promoted by the Italian Fashion Chamber.

Giorgio Armani lent his theater for the premier.

Ujoh made its runway debut in Japan three years ago, and its 37-year-old creator received an invitation to show in Milan after participating in the Fashion Market Hub last September. Nishizaki previously worked with Yohji Yamamoto.

The collection Saturday had an urban feel, with a voluminous, layered silhouette and somber color palate offset by light blue, lavender and white.

The designer said the collection departs from men's tailoring, and there were oversized men's shirts laced up the sides and tucked into a billowing skirt. A quilted jacket gathered at the hips could double as a dress.

Dresses tended to be jumpers with layers of pleats and lace, worn with chunky sweaters sporting fringe on the sleeves.