Milan Fashion Week AW26

N.21

by Eve Bailey

For A/W26, N°21 turned inward. Titled Natural Femininity, the collection drew on two unlikely but complementary references: Sophie Calle’s voyeuristic hotel project The Hotel and Federico Fellini’s closing parade in 8½. Intimacy through observation. Femininity revealed through fragments.

Alessandro Dell’Acqua described the starting point as “everyday femininity — minus any superstructure.” And so black became the foundation: subtraction as clarity, a neutral ground from which everything else could emerge. The show opened with a white men’s shirt layered under a black wool twin set and tailored trousers, setting the tone for a collection that explored shape and proportion.

There were echoes of 1940s silhouettes throughout: wide-sleeved sack dresses with sharp white collars, pencil skirts paired with short, low-cut jackets, mannish tailoring softened by chiffon capes. The tension sat in the contrasts. Severe lines offset by softness. Black sequins against matte wool. A bustier dress layered over a double black-on-pink brassière. Fur collars trimmed with satin. Laminated paper skirts and a gold lamé dress caught the light as the cast of models strutted the runway.  It was the idea of femininity framed not as spectacle, but as variation.

Accessories carried a quiet sheen: glittering black and silver shoes finished with satin toes, gold flower earrings, knit gloves, and the season’s Cabiria bag in a practical mid-size. Nothing screamed for attention; everything felt considered.

If previous seasons leaned into playful eclecticism, this was more disciplined. The voyeurism referenced in the press notes wasn’t about provocation, but about noticing, the poetry of clothes observed in private moments.

EMPORIO ARMANI

by Caroline Issa

Emporio Armani's FW26 was always going to carry weight — the first collection since the passing of Giorgio Armani — and creative directors Silvana Armani and Leo Dell'Orco rose to the occasion with grace and conviction. Their debut felt like both a tribute and a confident step forward, with a fresh casting approach that brought new energy to the house. Narrative threads ran through the show with genuine intention, building to a memorable finale: a white shirt celebration, looks styled in doubles yet each telling a different story through considered details that felt unmistakably modern. A powerful, promising new chapter for the house.

Diesel

by Amelia McGarvey

The driving inspiration behind the Diesel A/W26 collection was, not surprisingly, the morning after. Ridden-up t-shirts and creased denim jeans are the point: each garment is carefully contrived to give the effect of having been worn, preferably on a long night out, and woken up in, preferably beside a stranger. At least, that is Glenn Martens’ vision. 

The show opens with a series of denim-centric looks in signature shades of blue and grey – more model off duty than party girl – before evolving, several times, into a palette of saccharine fuschias, teals, and chartreuses: an unabashed nod to the acid-washed 1980s. With this, the pieces themselves become more elaborate, more stifling – what begins as a crop top and jeans is ultimately a monstrous puffer layered upon a cascade of clashing blouses and skirts. Neither look, admittedly, is the substance of a lack of inhibition. If anything, the cozy intarsia knits, sensible midi skirts, and opaque tights which permeate much of the show betray a sense of comfort and practicality – the eternal paradox of winter party dressing. 

But hyperwearability, found everywhere from the hidden hemline pockets to the aerodynamic, flat-soled ‘Pantaboots’, is the true miracle of the show, insisting that cold weather is not a hindrance to freedom. In the background, an incredible 50,000-part installation of archival Diesel pieces produces the effect of a post-party wreckage, a museum of Successful Living. Unpredictability is the point.

PRADA 

by Eve Bailey

Outfit repeating has long been treated like fashion’s cardinal sin. Prada, naturally, disagrees. For A/W26, Prada stripped the runway back to just 15 models. Each walked four times. And each time, a layer disappeared.

What began as complex, densely layered looks slowly unravelled before our eyes. Coats lifted to reveal tailoring. Dresses emerged from beneath sportswear. Embroidered satin slipped out from under stricter, more minimal shells. With every pass, the outfit transformed completely, not styled anew, but revealed. It felt less like a runway and more like a study in how women actually get dressed, shedding and adjusting throughout the day.

Layering was the stated focus, but this wasn’t about bulk. It was about plurality. Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons explored how clothes hold histories, personal and collective, embedding archival-feeling dresses within sharper, contemporary silhouettes. Some fabrics appeared eaten away, aged or patinated, as if memory itself had worn them down. 

The decision to limit the cast sharpened the idea. With only 15 women on rotation, attention shifted from spectacle to character. You began to notice posture, attitude, the way a garment shifted once something was removed. A severe coat became sensual when stripped back to satin. A precise tailored look softened when its outer armour was gone.

The setting echoed the mood: the cavernous Deposito at Fondazione Prada populated with centuries-spanning artworks and furniture, reinforcing the sense of layers, of time, culture, reference, stacked and re-stacked.

In an industry obsessed with newness, this was a reminder that transformation doesn’t always require addition. Sometimes it’s about subtraction, and the confidence to reveal what was there all along.

INSTITUTION

by Caroline Issa

Galib Gassanoff's Institution returned for its fifth collection (but only sophmore Milan Fashion week show) with the same restless, resourceful energy that has defined the label from the start. Galib's signature upcycled shoelace constructions evolved into maxi skirts paired with a simple grey sweater, while new experiments with carpets as skirts pushed the boundaries of what fashion material can be. The tailoring, impressively, remained sharp throughout — a grounding craft beneath the otherworldly aesthetic. And otherworldly is the word: FW26 felt more Arrakis than Aldgate, potentially better suited to the dunes of a sci-fi epic than the realities of London streets with its built in hoods. But that's precisely the point — Institution continues to build its own universe, one collection at a time.

GUCCI

by Eve Bailey

All eyes were on Gucci this season. Demna’s first official runway show as Creative Director was always going to be a moment, one the industry was eager to witness firsthand. What he delivered was unmistakably Demna: confident, confrontational and entirely self-assured. 

Titled Primavera, the collection proposed a new Gucci vocabulary, one shaped not only through silhouette, but through archetype. Seamless minidresses in hosiery-like fabric opened the show with stark clarity, followed by ultra-fitted jackets, legging-trouser hybrids and trackdresses that fused sport and sensuality. Heat-sealed edges, curved hems and liquid tailoring added a sleek, almost engineered finish, while iridescent materials and a heavy use of the GG logo signalled a bold recalibration of house codes.

The casting sharpened the intent. A mix of mega models, Kate Moss among them, alongside cool new-gen names like UK rapper Fakemink gave the show an undeniable cultural currency that has flooded our feeds. It felt marketed toward a younger generation: those who consume fashion as much through social moments as through ateliers. Super-muscular male models in tightly cut T-shirts and chiseled silhouettes nodded to Renaissance ideals, while ultra-sexy, crystal-drenched dresses, including a sparkling moment on Alex Consani, delivered high-impact glamour.

Was it typical Gucci? Not exactly. The overt luxury codes felt dialled down in favour of attitude and immediacy. The shock factor, the logos, the body-consciousness, it marked a distinct shift. But Demna has never been a designer who plays it safe. His confidence in his own vision is part of the appeal, even when it challenges expectations.

Gucci has always spoken to more than one archetype. From the client investing in a full runway look to the customer reaching for a belt, a sneaker or a hat as a cultural signifier, the house operates across layers of desire. This show seemed to acknowledge that spectrum.

It may not have been the Gucci some anticipated, but it was undoubtedly a statement of intent.

MARCO RAMBALDI

by Caroline Issa

Marco Rambaldi's FW26 collection marked a noticeable step forward for the Italian designer, delivering his most polished offering to date. Sharp, considered tailoring ran through the lineup with a confidence and precision that felt refined without losing the warmth his work is known for. Silhouettes were structured yet wearable, striking a balance between craft and accessibility. But beyond the clothes themselves, what continues to set Rambaldi apart is his unwavering community spirit — that genuine sense of inclusivity and human connection that has become central to his identity as a designer. FW26 proved he can elevate his vision without ever losing his heart.