Men’s Fashion Week in Milan defies the global luxury crisis

Milan, the capital of Italian fashion, invites you to the men’s fashion week from this Friday – a festival of colors and creativity that aims to make you forget for a moment the crisis in which the luxury market is currently facing.

A reflection of the challenges in the luxury market

Milan Fashion Week, dedicated to the Fall/Winter 2025/26 collections, has been scaled down to include just 16 physical runway shows across a total of 75 events. Big brands like Fendi and Gucci are left out this time and have decided to present their men’s and women’s collections together as part of Women’s Fashion Week in Milan in February.

Moschino, which opened men’s fashion week in June 2024 with a subversively elegant collection by creative director Adrian Appiolaza, is foregoing a presentation of the men’s collection this year.

New talent and fresh perspectives

But there are also numerous new additions. The French designer Pierre-Louis Mascia opens the Fashion Week in Milan with a mixed men’s and women’s collection entitled “Étoile brilliante”, which delights with a colorful spectacle. Its debut in June 2024 at Pitti Uomo in Florence – traditionally the start of Milan Fashion Week – was a complete success. He attracted the attention of the industry with an exotic collection that skilfully combined colors and patterns.

After studying art in Toulouse, Mascia worked as a fashion illustrator for over 20 years before founding his own brand in 2007 with a series of printed silk scarves. These are produced in the renowned Achille Pinto screen printing workshop in Como, northern Italy. Over the years he has continually expanded his repertoire and now offers a wide range of clothing and accessories. His signature, complex patterns are created using a collage technique that combines artistic graphics with fashion.

Graphics and art as leitmotifs

“I see myself more as a fashion illustrator than as a designer,” emphasizes Mascia. “Today’s fashion concept – rapidly changing collections that are obsessively renewed every season – is not my approach. My work is deeply rooted in graphic design and art.”

His collections are characterized by the interplay of different patterns, precise color design and the use of high-quality materials. “Basically I’m making a kind of Hermès – just with a funky twist,” he jokes.

The Italian men’s fashion industry suffered a decline in sales of 3.6 percent to 11.4 billion euros in 2024, after growing by 4.7 percent in 2023 and emerging from the pandemic in 2022 with an impressive increase of 20.3 percent.

Overall, the Italian fashion industry – including women’s fashion – ended the year with a decline in sales of 5.3 percent to 95.9 billion euros, as reported by the Italian Fashion Chamber.

Creativity as the key?

The reasons for the crisis are diverse: geopolitical tensions, rising prices and, in particular, a declining interest among Chinese consumers in luxury products. “The crisis is primarily due to the Chinese market. The collapse of the real estate market there is making people feel poorer, which is dampening their buying mood,” analyzes Luca Solca, analyst at Bernstein.

Is there hope for a recovery in China? “That’s what everyone wants. “But based on the data from the fourth quarter of 2024, there is still no clear improvement,” said Solca.

For Carlo Capasa, President of the Italian Chamber of Fashion, the key to overcoming the crisis lies in creativity. “We must continue to create dreams to drive consumption. “Especially in times of crisis, it is essential to invest in creativity – it is our most important driving force,” he explains.

Can fashion shows boost sales? “They are important to generate attention for the industry and the brands,” emphasizes Solca. “They provide a platform that influencers use to share their comments on social media.”