Bags and shoes set the pace for Milan’s winter runway in these money-tight times

Accessories call the shots on Milan runway

MILAN — These parsimonious days fashion trends often start with the accessories, usually the least expensive and therefore most sellable items in a collection.

For this round of preview showings for the fall-winter 2010-2011, accessories are all about handle bags and booties, which appear in almost every show and underline the retro feel of the season.

On Saturday, midway through the quickie four-day Milan fashion week Bottega Veneta’s creative director Tomas Maier marched his darkly clad models down the runway wearing pert black suede ankle boots with a high but sensible heel and carrying a large woven leather bag firmly by the handle. Most of the bags also came with a postman strap for practicality, while evening was dedicated to the 1950’s small clutch purse.

Maier also offered very contemporary high-heeled footwear in outrageous neon colors.

Earlier in the week Prada, which like Bottega Veneta started as a leather company and then moved into clothing, featured a shiny leather handle bag with a front flap clasp all the rage in the 1960’s.

Designer Miuccia Prada. who by her own admission is “crazy about shoes,” showed a variety of retro styles from sling-back to high-heeled sandal but favored the laced-up ankle boot. All of her footwear was worn with wooly knee socks.

Saturday afternoon, Giorgio Armani presented a perfectly put together collection, reminiscent of the designer’s 1980’s chic, with short feminine skirts and jackets with a hint of shoulder padding. The glaring difference between then and now, besides the bright flashes of red and orange were the stiletto heels, once an absolute no-no for Mr. Flat Shoe.

The favorite bag at Armani was either a small handled purse or large clutch bag, which often matched the color of the outfit.

Winding up Saturday’s schedule, which is still reeling from the Wintour effect — squeezing a week of shows into four days — was Gucci, another staid leather company turned fashion icon in the 1990’s when designer Tom Ford made it one of the hottest labels on the planet.

Present creative director Frida Giannini has kept Gucci’s sexy torch burning but has also made accessories one of the strong suits of her collections.

This round her footwear strays from the pack — boots are thigh-high rather than cropped at the ankle, but like most of her fellow designers she favors large handle bags and small nighttime clutch purses.

For next fall, Giannini also reinvents the company’s famed saddle shaped shoulder bag, once an absolute must for the well-heeled fashionista.

Sunday is the last top-billed day in the brief fashion week with Marni, Dolce&Gabbana, Roberto Cavalli and Missoni offering their wears for next winter.