Milan Fashion Week for fall/winter 2026 concluded on March 1 with debuts from new creative directors at houses like Gucci, Fendi and Marni. Shows highlighted practical suiting, layered looks and innovative outerwear amid celebrity appearances. Trends emphasized minimalism blended with opulence in response to global uncertainties.
Milan Fashion Week, running from February 25 to March 1, 2026, marked a season of fresh starts at major Italian houses. New creative directors unveiled visions for upcoming cold-weather collections, focusing on practical glamour and wardrobe essentials.
At Gucci, Demna shifted from quiet luxury to clingy daywear and plunging crystal-encrusted evening gowns. Fendi's Maria Grazia Chiuri, who previously worked with the Fendi sisters before stints at Valentino and Dior, embraced the brand's furrier heritage with upcycled furs over practical suiting, worn by front-row guest Uma Thurman. Chiuri's designs rebuffed anti-fur demonstrators outside the show.
Marni saw Meryll Rogge's debut, drawing from the brand's early 1990s minimalism with slim straight coats, fitted shoulders, pencil skirts and faux-leather pieces. Rogge, the first woman to lead since founder Consuelo Castiglioni, revamped iconic prints like gradient stripes, diagonal checks, polka dots and florals in pastel shades and controlled patterns.
Louise Trotter presented her second collection at Bottega Veneta, inspired by Milan's Brutalism and sensuality. Architectural overcoats in sturdy blues and grays opened the show, followed by kinetic fiberglass outerwear. Backstage, Trotter noted the balance between heavy fabrics and lightness, featuring fringes, furs, knits and an Intrecciato trench over wide trousers. The palette stuck to earthy tones, black and gray.
Prada, co-designed by Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons, featured layering with just 15 models demonstrating removable garments from trenches to cotton bloomers and embroidered slips. Prada described it as “layers of lives, of feeling” and bringing “minimalism and opulence together,” set against historical artifacts.
Other highlights included Jil Sander's sophomore outing by Simone Bellotti with off-skew lapels and volume, and Silvana Armani's soft-shouldered jackets at Giorgio Armani, post the designer's death in September 2025. She said, “Working with fluidity and simplicity came naturally to me because that’s how I am.”
Celebrities like Madonna, Kate Moss and Mark Zuckerberg attended, with Zuckerberg at Prada drawing attention alongside heir Lorenzo Bertelli. Trends across shows pointed to suits for back-to-work, brutalist outerwear, feathers, eco-fur and animal prints to counter uncertain times, with rare war references at Moschino via “Basta” graphics.
