On Monday, the last day of Milan Fashion Week, the attention of the world’s fashionistas turns from Milan to Paris. It’s time for a recap of Italian runway style.
Here are some of the key trends seen during Milan’s Fall/Winter 2026/2027 women’s fashion collections.
Fluffy beast
Furry, fluffy or just puffy was omnipresent on the Milan catwalks. This ranged from the two egg-shaped coats that added some fun at Emporio Armani to the colorful patchwork men’s coat with neon orange accents shown at Diesel.
Etro presented a 1970s-inspired coat with a wide shawl collar and fluff worthy of a Bigfoot. Roberto Cavalli, on the other hand, paired his long faux fur coat with silver tips with a tiny embroidered bralette and casual floral graphic pants.
At Prada, a strange, furry decoration adorned the front of sporty jackets in yellow and red. It ran like a vertical stole, reminiscent of part sable and part cheetah print.
Under new designer Demna Gvasalia, Gucci went in the opposite direction. The brand featured faux fur straps worn horizontally across the chest just below the shoulders.
Most of the fur shown in Milan was artificial. Fendi was the big exception, presenting real but “transformed” fur.
Even more impressive was fiberglass. Bottega Veneta transformed the synthetic material into stunning long coats and matching hats in ivory, electric blue and bubblegum pink. Its fibers shimmered and fluttered as the models walked down the catwalk.
In the novelty category, the small Italian brand Themoire presented the ‘Fur Potato’. This is a bag made of artificial lambskin that is made from the simple potato.
Potato starch ferments and turns into fiber. These are used to make the fluffy, degradable and dainty clutch.
Backless
Gucci’s slim and sparkling backless gown, worn by model Kate Moss, certainly wins the award for the least amount of fabric used on the back of a garment in Milan.
But it was the Gucci logo G-string that made headlines about the unapologetically sexy collection. It was a nod to Tom Ford’s ‘must-have’ item from 1997.
As a break from faux fur, cool backless looks appeared at various designer shows. These were intended for the upcoming fall/winter season, but as we all know, fashion has to hurt.
This was particularly noticeable at Tod’s. There, asymmetrical ‘foulard’ dresses with graphic prints and leather trim left the back completely uncovered.
Tighter than tight, or casual
“How did you get into those pants?” was perhaps the question many were asking themselves while watching the shows in Milan this week.
The tightest, slimmest, skintightest pants were everywhere. At Emporio Armani they were combined with high heels and large white men’s shirts. At Tod’s they had a hint of an ankle strap that was reminiscent of the world of saddlery.
In the very feminine collection from Dolce & Gabbana, thigh-high black stockings served as a replacement for tight trousers, combined with corsets, of course. At Gucci, however, Gvasalia showed pants whose cutouts dangerously low below the hips suggested a visible thong.
Other designers focused on casualness. They showed low and wide-cut trousers with generous use of fabric, including harem trousers from Moschino. Roberto Cavalli showed lush faux Persian lamb made into pleated trousers. The wide legs at Max Mara, on the other hand, felt warm and luxurious.
Nibbled on
Call it frayed, “distressed,” or, in Prada’s words, “eaten away.” An obvious trend this season was fabric visible under other fabrics.
Wear on the collar and front of Prada’s zip-up jackets indicated “mutations from the inside that are visible to the outside,” according to the brand. At the same time, a black satin slip dress looked as if it had been nibbled on by a silkworm to reveal the sheer floral fabric underneath.
At Roberto Cavalli, a dramatically worn long-sleeved sweater in lilac remained elegant. This was true despite his half-tattered appearance.
Of course, lace is the ultimate concealing and revealing fabric. Flowing black lace was the focus of Dolce & Gabbana and Fendi’s collections.
This article was created using digital tools translated.
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