Leathers, Layers, Latitude: Alpine-Aspirational at Milan Men's
Setting in motion the new year's first Fashion Month, Milan Men's gave us a premier glimpse at what we'll be shopping for by autumn. Common motifs across these Fall/Winter 2025-26 ranges were hilltop-appropriate outerwear, Sunday Best-level tailoring, and all things animal.
By the looks of it, designers must've plastered their moodboards to the edges with mountains, mink, and merino; with mocha, maroon, and marine tones – a clear focus on colors and materials native to nature. It read as an eagerness to allow for modularity; for items that would easily unify and coalesce in an outfit, but'd draw attention for their individual specialness just the same.
Perhaps both a preview of what's to come from other cities and a polite reckoning with industry antics, some of the freshest shows at Milan Men's felt decidedly uninterested in novelty.
Giorgio Armani
Though I'm struggling to put my finger on it just yet, I can't help but gush at the collection that was this Armani offering. The 90-year-old(!) was feeling blue – literally – and sent lush cobalts and navys down the runway, with the occasional scarlet touch, on woolen blazers with velvety trousers. To contrast liquidy suits and boxy 80s leather, there was sharp, of-the-moment skiing gear, too – goggles and all.
All this, mind you, was styled to a T, and a clear homage to the house's very own history. I smell a comeback. Do you?
JORDANLUCA
Now on to a new gen company that is still carving out a space for itself: JORDANLUCA. It's quite a feat to get married at your own brand's staging, and still manage to outperform the ceremony with clothes that cut through the noise – slogan tees, sculptural trench coats, and furry plateaus among them.
Jordan Bowen and Luca Marchetto, the couple slash co-creative directors in question, have gained traction for a handwriting that dovetails London and Milan in everything from pattern making to aesthetics. There's a sense of humor innate to their work that compliments their craftsmanship rather than overshadowing it.
Dhruv Kapoor
ETRO-trained Dhruv Kapoor's namesake label is as expressive as they come. A love for artisanal embellishment practices and heritage prints (I see you, Argyle) is juxtaposed with highly contemporary silhouettes – modern canvases for the Indian designer's culture-transcending experiments.
Beaded bombers, embroidered denim, and pleats that descend a leg like waterfalls constitute a line of seasonless statement pieces that could stem from and match any era.
Saul Nash
In a relatively short amount of time, Saul Nash has managed to successfully bend athleisure and sportswear tropes to his liking. His work has a sex appeal, an androgyny, and an attitude to it that rises above the often homogenous-appearing category he's been grouped into.
A most recent example of the above entailed cut-outs, asymmetry, and chimera-products that blend elements of office, evening, and performance attire. With a point-of-view this distinct, and with real-word manifestations of it so refined, it's no wonder Lululemon wanted in on the action.
Prada
Oh, Miuccia and Raf, the pairing that you are. Everybody knows, Prada's the crown jewel of Milan Men's, and the duo's latest, Wild Wild West assortment does little to dispute such a notion.
It included patchwork'd animal hide tuxedos, distressed knits, and double puffers. But what really got the internet going? The shoes. People were in a frenzy over those floral-painted cowboy boots, and there's not a doubt in my mind these'll be one of, if not thee footwear template(s) of the season.
Zegna
Not that they needed to, but Zegna proved once again that they're the holy grail of sophisticated menswear. The presentation saw gradient, luxurious shades of green, burgundy, and brown strut across a grassy terrain.
There were plunging cashmere v-necks, sumptuous textures, and patent leather raincoats so polished and shiny you could've seen your reflection in them. It was a lesson in taste, in tradition; a summons to do away with all that quiet luxury b.s., and simply take to heart that understated by no means equates to underdressed.
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