Our Favorite Shows of Milan Fashion Week SS26
From fresh takes on the runway format to long-awaited creative director debuts, here’s everything you might have missed.
Milan Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2026 pulsed with transition; new blood, last bows and a few wild plot twists. London‘s KNWLS presented its first show in Milan while the veterans flexed their legacy, proving why they’re still the benchmark for craftsmanship. It was also a week of high-profile debuts: including Simone Bellotti at Jil Sander, Dario Vitale at Versace and Louise Trotter at Bottega Veneta. While some brands celebrated the start of new chapters, others announced the end of an era. MFW-favorite SUNNEI annouced that it’s creative directors, Loris Messina and Simone Rizzo, are departing the brand while Silvia Venturini Fendi shared that she’s stepping down as creative director of Fendi.
Something that stuck out this season was the reinvention of the traditional runway format: Diesel organized a citywide Egg Hunt to get its audience intimately engaged with its SS26 collection, meanwhile the first peek at Demna’s Gucci took form as a short film starring Demi Moore, Keke Palmer and Elliot Page and MSGM threw a major blockparty. In short, this season’s roster underscores a narrative of transition, honoring Milan’s heritage while embracing fresh voices, archival deep dives and evolving identities.
From big collaborations to impressive debuts, continue reading for our favorite SS26 showcases.
Before you go, check out our London Fashion Week highlights.
Diesel’s Citywide Egg Hunt
Fendi’s Pops of Color
Fendi‘s latest show turned sportswear on its head, elevating tracksuits in wool and organza while weaving drawstrings, cord locks and eccentric tailoring into couture silhouettes. Walked by all of the It-girls including Amelia Gray, Alex Consani and Paloma Elsesser, the showcase was a true celebration of vibrant street style. Color play was bold yet nuanced with shades layered within a single look or paired in unexpected contrasts. Accessories carried a variety of twists, from pixelated woven bags to sequin-lined Peekaboos and knit Baguettes. Florals arrived fried, overprinted and carved into sheer fabrics. With age-diverse casting and a soundscape of collaged voices, the collection struck a balance between playful disruption and refined craftsmanship. Plus, Hilary Duff made a surprise appearance and announced an upcoming album.
BOSS’ Immersive Set Design
Gucci’s Film Premier
As a first look at Demna‘s Gucci, the luxury house debuted a short film called “The Tiger,” trading the runway format for a cinematic experience. The film was led by Demi Moore as Barbara Gucci, a matriarch juggling legacy, family and control. With an ensemble cast including Edward Norton, Elliot Page and Keke Palmer, the story unfolds over a birthday dinner where glamour gives way to cracks beneath the surface. Balancing satire and suspense, the film mirrors the house’s duality, luxury laced with fragility, pop culture burned by public gaze. It’s a bold move for Gucci, positioning fashion not just as wearable, but as storytelling with emotional bite.
ICEBERG’s Milanese Flair
James Long served up ICEBERG with swagger this season, sportswear cut sharp, spiked with Brit-pop attitude and softened by Italian ease. Plus, models some strutted down the runway with arms-crossed, visualzing the hustle of an unbothered woman on-the go. Think zip-up leather bombers tied with foulards, check linen trenches with exaggerated collars, playful leather skirts and ruffled shirt-dresses colliding with expert tailoring. Knits twisted, dresses kicked out, and trousers strutted with room to breathe. Accessories doubled down: flip-flop-meets-heel hybrids, slouchy messenger bags and oversized sunglasses stamped with the ICEBERG “I.”
Loro Piana’s Voluptuous Accessories
Quite luxury superstar Loro Piana‘s SS26 collection traced a path from winter’s last chill to high-summer ease, using color as its compass. Earthy neutrals met jolts of marigold, turquoise and mocha across featherlight silks, cashmere knits and breezy linens. Silhouettes stayed fluid and elongated, grounded with sculptural and voluptuous, felt hats. Icons like the label’s Maremma and Traveller were reborn in airy fabrics, while buttery-soft bags debuted in minimalist forms. Evening wear shimmered with fringed jumpers and sweeping trousers, while heavy outerwear welcomes colder seasons to come. It was Loro Piana at its most effortless: precise craft, poignant color and quiet luxury made entirely tangible.
MM6 Maison Margiela’s “Heightened Normality”
MM6 Maison Margiela turned the street into its stage for SS26, painting the pavement white in place of a traditional runway. The collection toyed with perception: garment bags morphed into coats, swimwear doubled as outerwear and tailored trousers borrowed cues from denim. This season, the brand’s color play was in full force, post-it brights clashed with quiet neutrals, while raw hems, labels and trompe l’oeil inserts revealed the house’s mischievous hand. Everyday classics, futuristic sunnies, shinning socks, all reimagined with Margiela wit.
Ferrari’s Rustic Radiance
Ferrari pulled up to MFW like it owned the runway and the highway. Rocco Iannone clearly had fun with this one, unveiling a collection with cocked collars, floaty dresses built like car panels and knits tugged tight with seat belt belts. Even the accessories felt pragmatically engineered, including square-toed driving shoes, a new La Ferrari Dino Bag and a branded tool case. While the collection focus was mostly comprised of creamy whites, a pairing back intended to let the “materials speak for themselves,” we particularly loved the six washed blush and charcoal looks.
Dario Vitale’s Versace Debut
This one got the whole industry talking. After Donatella Versace‘s 28 year tenure, Dario Vitale’s debut for the luxury house felt like striking gold in its own archives. Rather than simply recreating the past, the house channeled its core instincts: color, contradiction, sex and unapologetic pleasure. With the intention to make the garments relatable, Vitale swapped gowns and evening wear for casual T-shirts, high-waisted jeans and chunky sweaters. Set within the historic Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, the show blended pure indulgence with ’80s pop culture references including Warhol-inspired Marilyn Monroe prints from the brand’s 1991 collection. It was carnal. It was elegant. It was something the Versace family can be incredibly proud of, their brand is in good hands.
SUNNEI’s Satirical Christie’s Auction
In true SUNNEI fashion, the brand once again challenged the conventions of the runway, this time by turning its SS26 showcase into a live Christie’s auction. Partnering with the auction house, SUNNEI staged a bidding war for guests to participate in. Traditional models were swapped for longtime members of the brand’s community, including Christie’s Italy’s managing director, each presenting looks as if they were rare collectible lots. Theatrics and social commentary are to be expected at a SUNNEI show, but this season, the biggest statement went unnoticed in plain sight. Among the lots up for auction were the brand’s own creative directors, Loris Messina and Simone Rizzo, offered to the highest bidder in exchange for “fashion dollars.” At first, it felt like satire. But moments after the show, the performance became reality: Messina and Rizzo officially announced their departure from SUNNEI.
Sportmax’s Botanical Prints
Sportmax staged its SS26 show inside the Frigoriferi Milanesi, a site built for preservation, which matches the brand’s obsession with looking forward by reworking the past. The collection felt like daydreams engineered for city life. Fabrics floated but never lost control. Organza trench coats and sheer structured trousers met grounded doublé wool and glove leather. Our favorite details from the collection? The botanical prints which were painted with lipstick and nail polish, appearing in layered illusions while leather flowers morphed into halter tops.
Louise Trotter’s Bottega Veneta Debut
Louise Trotter opened her Bottega Veneta chapter with a collection that was clear, focused, deeply rooted in the house’s codes, and welcomed with open arms by fashion fans worldwide. She treated the signature Intrecciato as a design tool rather than nostalgia, applying it across every corner of the collection. Bottega Veneta’s artisanal precision was applied throughout the collection, too and even into a leather cape that reportedly took 4,000 hours to make. Neutral tones dominated, with controlled bursts of color in outerwear and dresses. Classic bags like the Lauren and Knot were subtly reworked, while new shapes like the Squash and Framed Tote signaled fresh direction. Consider us at the edge of our seats for more to come from Trotter and team.
