The crowds, the commotion, and, of course, the collections of Milan Fashion Week can feel like a days-long blur. How does one celebrate all the best parts of the biannual event, especially the smaller—but no less thoughtful—details that might go unnoticed? Below, we’ve rounded up every little thing we saw and loved during the fall 2026 runway shows and presentations.
Debuts A-go-go!
New designers shuffling between the biggest fashion houses have become a near-constant in the industry. In 2025, there were at least 29 notable rounds of creative directors playing musical chairs, from Maria Grazia Chiuri moving to Fendi after Dior, Demna shifting from Balenciaga to Gucci, and Meryll Rogge making her way to Marni (she’s still helming her namesake brand, as well). These three major players made their big debuts at Milan Fashion Week this season, each bringing their singular vision to legendary brands.
Chiuri was first up on February 26, marking a major homecoming for the Italian designer, who began her career at the Roman house in 1989. But she didn’t want to make the moment all about herself. The phrase “Meno Io, Più Noi/Less I, More Us” was spelled out in Italian and English on the runway, reflecting Chiuri’s belief that fashion is the product of many hands, not a single creative genius. The collection included a collaboration with the estate of Mirella Bentivoglio, the pioneering poet and visual artist, as well as the performance artist and competitive archer SAGG Napoli (who memorably shot arrows down the runway during Chiuri’s Dior spring 2025 show). Despite the welcome emphasis on arts and culture, we could not help but be taken by the Baguettes, which Chiuri put under the spotlight for her latest collection. She reimagined the style with beading, paillettes, embroidery, and animal prints, celebrating the house’s savoir-faire.
That same day, Meryll Rogge showed her first outing at Marni—a big moment for the designer, who says she grew up loving the brand (she even chose a green Marni skirt as a teenager for her older brother’s wedding). Rogge is only the third creative director in Marni’s history, alongside founder Consuelo Castiglioni and Francesco Risso. To celebrate being among that elite crowd, she dipped into certain elements that the biggest Marni collectors will instantly recognize. The collection was coed, and had a strong ’90s air that riffed wonderfully on the Marni ready-to-wear of the late 1990s and early 2000s. But Rogge brought in her own distinct touch, combining stripes on stripes, oversized dots, bubble hems, and vintage-inspired shift dresses with funnel necks and grommets.
On February 27, Demna unveiled his fall 2026 Gucci collection: skintight black slacks, thin logo belts, sheer white minidresses done in hosiery fabric—hedonistic, body-first, full of everyday, coed basics with a sensual twist. This was Demna’s first runway show for the house, which the Georgian designer dubbed “Gucci Primavera.” Arguably one of Milan Fashion Week’s biggest debuts, the presentation was held in the darkened Palazzo delle Scintille, which had been filled with replicas of statues from the Uffizi Museum in Florence, where Guccio Gucci founded the label in 1921.
Much of the lineup recalled Tom Ford’s celebrated fall 1995, fall 1996, and spring 1997 collections, which focused on minimalist, bodycon silhouettes. Even the show’s lighting seemed to be a reference to Ford’s Gucci tenure, when the designer used a spotlight in a darkened room to follow the models down the runway.
Demna takes a bow.
Demna’s Cast
During his time at Balenciaga, Demna was known to send the occasional celebrity or surprising model down the runway. For his Gucci debut, he went all-in on a mix of longtime fashion industry veterans (Kate Moss, Karlie Kloss, Elsa Hosk) and new-gen stars (Alex Consani, Vivian Wilson, Gabbriette). The up-and-coming musicians Nettspend and Fakemink, whom Demna noted he’d discovered not that long ago, also made appearances.
Fakemink
Layering Up at Prada
Leave it to Prada to come up with some of the most ingenious concepts for a runway show. This time, layering was the crux of the fall 2026 collection designed by Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons. Wild, chaotic, and free-spirited, the piles of clothes acted as an anchor—thick leathers collided with sheer skirts worn alongside big sweaters, and a pretty pink dress was peeled back to reveal a supersize striped scarf underneath. Shirts were worn open; even shorts and crop tops came with sheer layers peeking out from underneath. The brand called it “a reflection of the multifaceted realities of women and the complexities of life,” and said Mrs. Prada and Simons were informed by “a fascination with the process of layering, of transforming through the day, through your clothes.”
A total of 15 models emerged for four walks—each time in a new outfit that revealed what lay beneath. Bella Hadid, who made her first appearance for the Italian house, was among them:
A Madge Moment
We love seeing Madonna at fashion week, and it makes sense that Dolce & Gabbana would be her first (and only) stop. She’s been a close friend of designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana since the 1980s, when they met during her Blond Ambition tour. After four decades of designing thousands of bespoke pieces for the superstar—including for her The Girlie Show in 1993—Dolce and Gabbana have also invited her into countless campaigns, like their latest for the new The One fragrance. The duo hugged and kissed Madonna from the front row after the show, of course. How else would you treat a VIP like that?
Simone’s Jil
For his second collection with Jil Sander, Simone Bellotti invited fans of the brand on a house tour. He chose the label’s 1990 Milan show space as his venue, but with a warm and more intimate twist. The minimalist, off-white space overlooking Sforza Castle was softened with conversation-pit seating in velvety, burnt sienna. A room of one’s own became a central theme of the show; its soundtrack featured Kim Gordon reading a poem by the Italian writer Chiara Barzini titled “The House Above the Sea,” which explores fond memories of a childhood home and the longing to recapture that sense of rootedness later in life.
The collection was a clear sign Bellotti is already shaping his own narrative within these walls, one that is looser and freer. And even a bit whimsical: a peplum jacquard minidress accentuating feminine curves looked like its fabric could have been stripped from an armchair.
Heavy Coating
Fall collections frequently have an emphasis on outerwear, but MaxMara’s was especially sumptuous and glamorous. Wool coats and cropped evening shearling looks had us dreaming of the night we can hit the town in them.
Loro Piana’s Cashmere Jeans
Yes, you read that right—cashmere-blend denim. These slacks were made for a post-Covid world: endlessly stylish, endlessly comfy, and easy to pull on for a quick run to the grocery store.
Full Sail
The last place we’d expect to see a sailor neckline would be on an ’80s-esque red leather power suit. But that’s exactly what Maximillian Davis did at Ferragamo for fall 2026, creating a collection that felt modern and classic all at once. The designer knows how to lean into an emotional journey, speaking to the turbulence and instability of our time with a rare sincerity—and he did so in spades this season.
Twinning With Armani
Across Armani’s Emporio Armani, Giorgio Armani, and Armani Privé portfolio, there is one thing in common (aside from total chicness): a penchant for sending multiple models on the runway at once. This approach to duets and trios was employed again for fall 2026, and we couldn’t get enough. Talk about a real feast for the eyes.
Well-Suited
One more thing about Armani—the suits at both the Emporio and Giorgio shows were stunning, as usual. The soft separates felt polished and fluid, proving Silvana Armani (Mr. Giorgio Armani’s niece and longtime collaborator, who is the new head designer of the label) can more than handle being at the helm.
