The Milan fashion week was just as much an event behind the scenes this September as on the catwalk. The currents of fashion rarely shifted as abruptly as in 2025. Both the spectacle and the machine in the industry are now being observed closely. According to the Camera Nazionale Della Moda Italiana, the Italian fashion industry generates over 100 billion euros annually. This corresponds to more than 40 percent of European luxury goods production. Nevertheless, this season underlined how fragile this dominance has become.
The fashion world had expected the debuts from Demna at the Italian fashion house Gucci, Louise Trotter at Bottega Veneta and Simone Bellotti at Jil Sander for months. They came in the middle of a slowdown in the luxury segment. Global sales growth will probably fall below three percent this year, compared to double -digit growth before pandemic.
Important decisions are imminent
The turbulence was not only limited to creative transactions. In the middle of the women’s modes season, Brunello Cucinelli’s shares fell strongly. An investigation had shown that the brand continued to sell goods at a full price in Russia and thus dealt with sanctions. It was a memory of the dark side of fashion, where a call can be ruined quickly. The once inviolable seal of approval “Made in Italy” is still under pressure. Fashion houses such as Dior and Loro Piana have outsourced parts of the production to cheaper locations, which undermine the value of the labels.
At the same time, the succession tests are heavily on the family -run brands. The future of Giorgio Armani and the fate of his minority stake remains unclear until his estate is regulated. At Fendi, the industry is preparing for a new chapter. Silvia Venturini Fendi announced her retreat from the design area to take on the role of honorary president. Maria Grazia Chiuri is widely acted as a probable successor; An announcement will be expected shortly.
And yet Milan provided moments of clarity. The most expected debuts of the season, which will probably define this moment, were impressive. Louise Trotter at Bottega Veneta, Dario Vitale at Versace and Simone Bellotti at Jil Sander brought new energy to the traditional fashion houses.
From the goddess to street style: Versace’s new casualness
At Versace, vitals did without goddess dresses that were the trademark of the house for a long time. Instead, he introduced sportswear again with a provocative note. It was a nostalgic return to the 1980s, accompanied by the soundtrack of the era, to the “Everything She Wants” by Wants! and Eurythmics belonged. But it was not a simple retro exercise. There were casual jackets with diagonal stripes made of suede and leather; West with open side slots; And pants in washed-out blue and purple tones that seemed unexpectedly modern.
The collection indicated a Versace beyond the bombast on the red carpet. But the absence of Donatella Versace, which the fashion house has headed since Gianni Versace’s murder in 1997, was striking. After retiring, she had not given a public declaration of support for vital. Her silence indicates tensions while the label is preparing for the Prada Group; A transaction that is to be completed in October.
Weighty debut
Trotter’s debut was closely observed at Bottega Veneta. Once a discreet brand for connoisseurs: inside, Bottega has developed into a commercial power pack. This was initially driven by Daniel Lee’s oversized intrecciato braiding pattern and subtle triangular motif. The technical experiments of Matthieu Blazy later followed. Trotter, who previously worked for Joseph and Carven, concentrated on the artisanal core of Bottega. The Intrecciato braiding pattern was found on large pockets, suede, coats with springs and even knitwear.
These are pieces that oppose the imitation from mass production and embody a level of craftsmanship that is inimitable. Nevertheless, the collection looked massive, especially with oversized cuts and outerwear, because after all it should be for the spring/summer season. The lack of the characteristic “Bottega-Grüns” indicated a conscious break with the recent past.
Minimalism newly calibrated
Jil Sander offered a welcome realignment under Bellotti. He drawn from the brand’s minimalist legacy and reduced it for the present. Shortened knitwear, slight gaps in shirts and subtle slits in clothes created a reserved sensuality. It was a collection that made proportion and subtlety over spectacle. The commercial potential will depend on the execution and fit. However, the direction seemed to be in harmony with a fashion house lived by understatement.
Utility in Technicolor
When Bottega and Versace signaled a transition, Prada confirmed continuity. Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons remain unsurpassed to capture the zeitgeist without using excessive tricks. The show opened functional work clothes. However, it was reinterpreted in the form of neon dresses and bullied skirts, which were layered with unexpected colors. A salmon-colored coat with begging feed was combined with yellow shorts, green gloves and a red-black handbag.
This demonstrated Prada’s genius to combine elements into looks that appear overloaded on the catwalk. In real life, however, they combine as individual parts. There were weaker moments, such as the suggestion of a wafer -thin bralett and artisted, floating rock dresses. Overall, however, the collection held the balance between portability and intellectual play.
Imperishable elegance from Hollywood to Milan
The fashion week ended with an elegiac note. Giorgio Armani, who died at the beginning of the last month, was celebrated with a memorial exhibition, “Milano, by Amore” and a fashion show. Armanis deconstructed tailoring of the 1970s, his range of gray and sand tones and his ability to reduce suits to their essence, still looked modern. Stars from Richard Gere to Julia Roberts dressed his aesthetics. However, it is even more important that it changed the way men and women approach their wardrobe. The homage recalled Milan and the entire industry that true design enclosures last long after the fashion week is over and the quarterly results fade.
This article was used with digital tools translated.
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