As Milan Fashion Week SS26 comes to a close, we take a closer look at the runways that stayed in our minds and sparked many conversations online. From Giorgio Armani’s heartfelt tribute to Louise Trotter’s celebrated debut, here are all the highlights from this season’s Milan Fashion Week
Bottega Veneta
Louise Trotter’s debut show at Bottega Veneta was a marriage of Bottega’s heritage and Trotter’s vision. Chic, understated luxury was the star of the show as we saw expert tailoring, craftsmanship, and Bottega’s signature Intrecciato from bags to coats. Certain trends also made their way onto the runway in the form of feathers, fringe tassels, and cascading parachute dresses. We also saw sharp suiting, our favourite being a piece with oversized shoulder pads and a defined waist. The palette ranged from Bottega’s classic neutrals to bold reds, oranges, and blues that glistened with movement. Not only did Louise Trotter open a new chapter at Bottega Veneta, but she has also ushered in a new Bottega woman—one who pulses with cool confidence and isn’t afraid to be a bit wild.
Giorgio Armani
The icon who put Milan on the fashion map, Giorgio Armani’s posthumous SS26 show, was a final farewell, one last bow, to the designer. In the front row was Richard Gere, whose Armani suit in the 1980 film American Gigolo made both the actor and designer famous. The collection was classic Armani—fluid silks, suits with soft lines, and cut-outs that are sensual but not vulgar. The final look was a navy blue gown featuring embroidery of Armani’s own face, marking 50 years of Giorgio Armani, and bidding his final farewell.
Ferragamo
Taking inspiration from the roaring 20s, we saw the past reimaged with Ferragamo. Dropped waists, skinny scarves, and an abundance of prints and chartreuse, Ferragamo’s SS26 collection was both expressive yet restrained. Fluid silks and sheers were contrasted with sharp, tailored blazers. Suits were paired with fringed scarves tied at the waist, and plain dresses made way for statement chunky bangles, playing into the current trends refreshingly.
Dolce & Gabbana
As if Miranda Priestly and Nigel Kipling sitting opposite Anna Wintour wasn’t iconic enough, Dolce & Gabbana turned sleepwear into fashion on the runway a second time with their SS26 ready-to-wear show. Taking inspiration from the binary opposites of masculine and feminine, we see intricate corsetry underneath oversized pyjamas, soft, casual cotton pants paired with structured blazers, and sheer pyjamas underneath a heavy fur coat. The collection was both a statement on layering while also showcasing the brand’s aesthetic codes of playful sensuality and sophistication.
Ferrari
If there is one word to describe Ferrari’s SS26 collection, it would be grounded. Starting off clean with a minimalist palette of creams, then distressed denim, followed by leather and finishing off with the Ferrari’s signature red, each look focused on silhouette and structure over spectacle. The spotlight was all over the fabrics, silks, cashmere, denim, and leather, which were all fashioned into jackets, dresses, and trousers that draped and framed the body with a rich texture. With pieces of embellished silver finishing the show, the collection was a stripped-back design, which in turn has led to a timeless collection.
MM6 Maison Margiela
MM6 has always been a more grounded side to the avant-garde Maison Margiela. So naturally, their SS26 show was stripped of a runway, instead opting for the streets right outside their flagship store. The collection itself moved through a palette of muted orange to bright pinks to neutral staples. The pieces themselves carried the brand’s ethos of ‘heightened normality’. The shoulders had a structured stiffness to them, whereas hemlines were left raw. The collection played with proportion and trompe l’oeil, adding trickery and theatrics that matched the show notes of impromptu being the key defining aspect of life by the streets.
Prada
One of the most anticipated shows of Milan Fashion Week, Prada’s SS26 show was rooted in chaos. According to the show notes, “juxtaposition here becomes an act of creation”. And so we saw vivid hues and colour combinations, dresses and jumpsuits were paired with scrunched up gloves, skirts and dresses felt overlaid on top of one another with bubble hems, and coats gave way to bedazzled dresses layered with cardigans. Overall, the collection was a testament to curation, layers, and expressing contemporary chaos that marks the world today.
BOSS
BOSS’s SS26 collection, titled the ‘Paradox’, was all about exploring tension using contrasts and juxtapositions. With a star-studded cast—Anok Yai, Ashley Graham, and K-pop singer S.COUPS to name a few—the collection revealed draped maxi skirts, asymmetrical tops, and voluminous pants, juxtaposed with pieces that cinched at the waist and form-fitting tops. Silhouettes as well played to this contrast, open backs and loose drapery played with sharp tailoring that BOSS is known for. Although the collection was about exploring the spectrum of fashion, in doing so, BOSS never took sides but instead reflected the rising individuality that has begun to define fashion.
Moschino
Whimsy, ironic, and bold is the core of Moschino and their SS26 show had all that and more. Practising sustainability, the collection took everyday items and turned them into ready-to-wear. Potato sacks became skirts, ropes were redefined as trims, and dresses were overloaded with fabric scraps that they almost became a new silhouette. Signature motifs were also spotted on the runway, smileys, trompe-l’œil effects and newspaper prints all reimaged in a contemporary fashion on tops, dresses, and sets.
Roberto Cavalli
Embracing a gold theme, the runway was lit up in bronze as models strutted in hues of gold. The collection was rooted in feminine sensuality, where materials like jacquard, lace, and devoré draped the body in pleated maxi dresses and embellished skirts. Fringes made an appearance as well, sculpting the body in a form-fitting top, whereas denim made an appearance as a low-waisted, bell-bottomed silhouette. However, this wasn’t Cavalli’s take on current trends but rather an exploration of Cavalli’s theme on the power and seduction of gold.
