“The mood is curiosity this season,” says Dover Street Market Paris buying director Nick Tran, speaking of what to expect from Milan Fashion Week (MFW) Fall/Winter 2026. He goes on to ask the questions on everybody’s lips: “What will Demna bring to Gucci? What about Meryll Rogge for Marni? And Maria Grazia Chiuri at Fendi? And what will Simone Bellotti for Jil Sander and Louise Trotter for Bottega Veneta showcase in their sophomore collections?”
All will be revealed over the next seven days. But it’s clear that if last season marked a major reckoning for Paris Fashion Week, with scores of designer debuts at big luxury houses, this season, Milan is at a creative crossroads. New creative directors at Gucci, Fendi, and Marni will hit the runway for the first time, the Armani brand is in the midst of finding a new rhythm, and several of the city’s newer designers are due to cement their visions with a second or third show.
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Add a bubbling undercurrent of fresh talent, an influx of new labels activating across the week, and the halo effect of the Winter Olympics, which concluded on February 22, and there’s a lot to consider at MFW FW26, running from February 24 to March 1. The week will feature 52 physical runway shows and 89 presentations, including Prada (“always a highlight”, Tran says), Diesel, Ferragamo, Missoni, Dolce Gabbana, Etro, and Max Mara, alongside the aforementioned.
Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI) president Carlo Capasa expects a mood of “pragmatic energy” for FW26, in response to the tumultuous retail backdrop. The Saks Global bankruptcy, the latest in a string of retailer woes, is looming large, and luxury conglomerates Kering, LVMH, and OTB, which respectively own Gucci, Fendi, and Marni, all faced a decline in growth in fiscal 2025. With the next round of debuts and sophomore shows, their houses need solid creative foundations to further recover from the luxury slowdown.
“On one hand [this season] there will be the desire for creative momentum [because debuts raise the bar]. On the other hand, there is a very concrete awareness of the economic moment,” Capasa says. “The retail landscape is clearly undergoing a significant transformation, and multi-brand stores are facing particular pressure. This is a structural shift that cannot be ignored.”
Major debuts
Chiuri will make her runway debut as Fendi chief creative officer on Wednesday afternoon. It’s a homecoming of sorts: the Roman designer previously worked across accessories at Fendi from 1988 to 1999 (including co-designing the iconic Fendi Baguette). And now, she is returning after a commercially successful nine-year turn at Dior. “I’m really curious to see Maria Grazia at Fendi,” says Vogue’s Tiziana Cardini. “That’s my big curiosity.”
On Thursday, Belgian rising star Meryll Rogge — winner of the 2025 Andam Prize — will make her Marni debut, after being appointed at the house last July. Stefano Rosso, Marni CEO and scion of the brand’s parent group OTB, is pleased with the timing of the show, given the season is less saturated with major debuts, he said during the Vogue Business Global Summit: Middle East in November.
Then, it’s the big one. On Friday afternoon, Kering’s biggest brand, Gucci, will officially enter its next creative era, as Demna puts on his first runway show for the house. He has already released two collections: La Famiglia, revealed via a film screening during MFW SS26, and Generation Gucci, a lookbook of archive-inspired pre-fall pieces. But Gucci maintains that Friday’s runway moment is the official reveal of Demna’s vision for the Italian house, followed by a major party and a secret music performance.
Elsewhere, we will see the anticipated sophomore collections of Trotter at Bottega Veneta and Bellotti at Jil Sander, while David Koma will present his third runway show for Blumarine also on Friday. Following the passing of Mr. Armani, which happened shortly before the brand’s SS26 show, Giorgio Armani will once again be designed by the late founder’s niece, Silvana. Emporio Armani will be a collaboration between Silvana and Mr. Armani’s longtime collaborator, Leo Dell’Orco.
“The debuts and artistic direction changes bring energy and international attention, but what makes Milan unique is its ability to transform this creative moment into a system,” says Capasa. “Over 180 appointments between runway shows, presentations, and events confirm a solid platform, capable of connecting creativity, production, and market in a structured way.”
Newness to discover
For the last few seasons, there’s been a surge in emerging talent across MFW, as CNMI and talent incubator Fondazione Sozzani ramp up efforts to nurture young designers.
Cardini notes two brands — Institution by Galib Gassanoff and Act No.1 — which were both announced as LVMH Prize semi-finalists a couple of weeks ago, as those set to draw attention this season. Galib Gassanoff also won the Zalando Visionary Award during Copenhagen Fashion Week last month. Interestingly, the two designers, Luca Lin and Gassanoff, co-founded Act No.1 in 2016, before the latter struck out on his own in 2024. They have since found solo recognition, with the support of CNMI and Fondazione Sozzani, and will be presenting/showing on Friday (Institution) and Saturday (Act No.1).
“That’s the thing about Milan’s young talents. They really grow slowly, but if they succeed, they are quite consistent,” Cardini says. “That’s the difference. They may not have much exposure in the beginning, but they can grow well once they have everything in place.”
Other new brands to watch include Francesco Murano, who will stage a presentation, supported by Fondazione Sozzani, as well as debuting labels Florania and Casa Preti, also presenting under Fondazione. “Fondazione Sozzani always has the best programming during Milan Fashion Week, a place to discover emerging talent from Italy but also from around the world,” Tran says. “I’m especially excited to attend the screening of Paving the Way — Franca’s Legacy, a documentary on the incredible life and impact of [former Vogue Italia editor] Franca Sozzani.”
Emerging talents aside, there are plenty of events this season from visiting and local established names, as brands celebrate anniversaries, store openings, or collaborations. Moncler is staging an experiential exhibition of its Grenoble collections, spanning various seasons, on Wednesday, and Ann Demeulemeester is opening a Milan store on Thursday with a party. GCDS will stage a 10th-anniversary show, dinner and party on Friday night, in honor of its first decade.
While these events are invite-only, CNMI is keen to make Milan Fashion Week into more of a cultural event, hot on the heels of the Olympics buzz, which demonstrated the power of cultural activity in the city. The organizer’s fashion hub will be open to the public throughout the week, displaying various exhibitions including “Future Threads: Italy’s New Wave and New Gen, New Ethos”, curated by Fondazione Sozzani co-founder and CNMI international new talent and brands ambassador Sara Maino Sozzani. “This year, we are strengthening the integration between fashion week and the city, with the Fashion Hub acting as a strategic platform for visibility and networking for designers and international projects,” Capasa says. “Today, support for designers must translate into measurable opportunities; not only media exposure, but concrete opportunities for creative and entrepreneurial growth.”
