This season’s Milan Fashion Week showcased a striking departure from the traditional emphasis on house codes and familiar signatures. Just six months ago, designers focused on practical, everyday wear. However, this week saw many labels stepping outside their comfort zones in search of fresh perspectives, resulting in a season that was difficult to pin down.
Brands typically known for their strong points of view opted for a more experimental approach, throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. Meanwhile, designers who had become predictable managed to captivate the audience with surprising offerings. Even Miuccia Prada, a key influencer in setting trends, expressed her nerves about her collection, noting that if she feels anxious, it sends shockwaves throughout the fashion world. Consequently, the week’s shows felt somewhat unhinged.
The consensus? Experimental Italian elegance is in, while rigid perfection is definitely out.
Crunch Time
One of the most notable trends was the return of creases. At Prada, collars were whimsily styled with threaded wire, and Ferragamo showcased trench coats adorned with puckered lines. Max Mara’s tailored shirt dresses were intentionally wrinkled, while Bottega Veneta’s typically polished ensembles appeared as if they had been carelessly tossed in the washing machine. Remarkably, this all worked, presenting a deliberate choice rather than a chaotic rush.
Each designer had a unique inspiration behind their departure from flawless finishes. Miuccia Prada referred to “unpredictability as a measure of human creativity,” while Max Mara’s Ian Griffiths related it to chaos theory, exploring the idea that “the creasing is the opposite of impeccable smoothness—every expectation has its counter.”
Ferragamo’s Maximillian Davis embraced raw finishes and unrefined accents to create a more relaxed sartorial mood, drawing inspiration from his Caribbean heritage. Matthieu Blazy captured the essence perfectly: “It’s like that first day at school when you arrive looking impeccable and come back crumpled,” he said after the show.
This Milan Fashion Week has certainly proven that fashion is ready to embrace unpredictability and creativity in exciting new ways.
At Bottega Veneta, all-leather clothes were purposefully creased and scrunched.
Perfectly Imperfect
High-octane glamour took a backseat this season. At Fendi, Kim Jones unveiled a 1920s-themed collection in anticipation of the brand’s centenary next year. The delicate Art Deco dropped-waist frocks and sheer tea dresses were styled with chunky lace-up boots from Red Wing. “I didn’t want it to be too ladylike,” Jones explained backstage. “I wanted to bring in the girl I know,” referencing his close friend Kate Moss as his muse. “Watching Kate get dressed for dinner while on holiday, it’s fun to see all the different outfits she tries on just to go for dinner on the beach.”
At Prada, the scene was equally intriguing, with intricate couture-worthy ball gowns paired with yellow tourist-shop cagoules. Tailored trousers and clean-cut suede shackets were dressed down with scuffed white cowboy boots. This season, Prada moved away from its usual Milanese polish, opting for “a bit of everything” rather than the typical three or four themes, as the designer shared with journalists post-show. Meanwhile, Gucci’s Sabato de Sarno introduced his collection under the title “Casual Grandeur.”
The Blouse is Back
Normcore may have relegated the blouse to the back of the closet, but it’s making a comeback for next season. From flowery and frilly designs, including the return of the pussy bow at Prada, to buttoned-up Peter Pan collars at Jil Sander, blouses have resurfaced in various styles. They also made appearances at Marni, N°21, and Bottega Veneta, ranging from clean-cut, office-ready looks to more flouncy and feminine options.
At Jil Sander, creative directors Lucie and Luke Meier presented chinoiserie-inspired styles crafted from jacquard silks and adorned with satin buttons in cream and baby-blue hues. This revival of the blouse signals a refreshing shift in the fashion landscape, embracing both elegance and individuality.
Jil Sander had chinoiserie-inspired styles.
The jacquard silk and satin blouses were a departure from the label’s usually unfussy vision.
Make Some Noise
While quiet luxury has dominated discussions in recent years, next season promises to make a grand entrance that you’ll hear before you see. Shimmering dresses adorned with dazzling embellishments jingled down the majority of runways, making a dramatic statement that leaves no room for a discreet exit.
At Marni, Francesco Risso’s return to the schedule brought a rare moment of hyper-elegance, with large rhinestone-embroidered ball gowns rustling their way through the audience. Later, at N°21, Alessandro Dell’Acqua showcased hand-embroidered “couture-glam” dresses, featuring sequins cut into strips that created the look and sound of armor as models clattered past the crowd.
Gucci’s standout pieces included a long sleeveless gown and a pencil-skirt co-ord, both covered in all-over mirrored paillettes. At Versace, Donatella explored 3D printing to create her gold wiggle dress—a modern take on the iconic metallic mesh dresses of the 1990s. “That was a joyful moment,” she remarked. “There was happiness, not too much thinking. Fashion sometimes wants to be very intellectual, but with everything happening in the world, we need positivity and freedom.”
Celebrities at Play
Madonna was the guest of honor at Dolce & Gabbana, receiving a spontaneous standing ovation as she took her seat in the front row. The runway showcased a collection featuring conical bras paired with corseted looks, along with models sporting corkscrew-curled blonde wigs.
Fans quickly noted the references to the superstar’s iconic 1990s Blond Ambition tour, for which Jean-Paul Gaultier designed the wardrobe. Interestingly, Gaultier was not involved in this particular collection.
Madonna made a surprise appearance at Dolce & Gabbana.
“Madonna has always been our icon,” said designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, who have collaborated with their muse since 1992. “It’s thanks to her that many things in our lives changed.”
Later in the day, Bottega Veneta’s Matthieu Blazy created a unique experience for his guest list—featuring stars like Julianne Moore, A$AP Rocky, Jacob Elordi, Kendall Jenner, and Michelle Yeoh—by having them sit on nappa leather beanbags shaped like various animals. This playful leather menagerie, which included chickens, foxes, whales, birds, and rabbits, drew inspiration from a scene in Steven Spielberg’s 1982 film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, where Elliot’s mother overlooks the titular character nestled among her son’s stuffed toys.
Blazy’s theme of childhood imagination resonated throughout the show as he explored “the wonder of being a kid, the first experience of fashion when you try on your parents’ clothes and play dress-up,” he shared after the show on Saturday night.
For more standout moments from the Milan shows, keep scrolling!
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