We may all be looking forward to the holidays. But the fashion industry is already casting an eye to the New Year. The Fall/Winter 2026 menswear season will kick off on January 13 with men’s trade show Pitti Uomo, shortly followed by Milan Fashion Week (MFW) Men’s, from January 16 to 19.
There are some exciting names topping the bill. Ralph Lauren is returning to the Milan schedule, more than 20 years since his European runway debut in the city in 2002. Zegna is coming home after its one-off Dubai show in June. And DSquared2, which took a pause following its blockbuster FW25 anniversary show, is returning to the runway. The MFW Men’s show schedule also features Italian mainstays, including Prada, Dolce Gabbana, Paul Smith, Tod’s, Canali, Etro and Bally, who will be showing throughout the week. Giorgio Armani will present the brand’s first men’s show since the passing of Mr Armani in September.
As usual, Milan has a rich presentation schedule, dominated by refined tailoring labels including Brunello Cucinelli and Canali. The calendar will also welcome new names this season, including Bottega Bernard, K-Way and Stone Island. The latter, joining the presentation schedule for the first time, will display an installation with visual media artist Ken-Tonio Yamamoto. Ferragamo is also investing in menswear, returning to the men’s calendar for the first time since 2019, this time opting for a presentation format.
The FW26 season takes place during a special moment for Milan and the Lombardy region, as it coincides with the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, which will take place between Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI) will release an Olympics campaign in line with MFW Men’s featuring items from the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland, and highlighting the works of young brands on the calendar including Cascinelli, Ascend Beyond, Moarno, MTL Studio, Via Piave 33 and LVMH Prize 2023 winner Setchu. Setchu returns for its second show on the Milan schedule, following a runway debut at Pitti Uomo in January of this year.
Carlo Capasa, president of the Italian Chamber of Fashion, is doubling down on the city’s fashion future.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Capasa highlighted brand incubator Fondazione Sozzani, “the beating heart of the week”, founded by Carla Sozzani and Sara Maino Sozzani in 2016, which will once again present its Fashion Hub of young talents. Elsewhere, Capasa pointed to Domenico Orefice, Simon Cracker and Marcello Pipitone as some of the young talents to watch.
“Milan confirms its position as a central city for creative and men’s fashion, a place where identity, experimentation and industry continue to interact. At Milan Fashion Week, institutions, businesses, creativity, the production chain and distribution work together to strengthen the competitiveness of ‘Made in Italy’ on a global level,” Capasa said. “[We] continue to invest in the future, opening up concrete spaces for young brands and emerging talent, because the creative energy of the new generations is a fundamental lever for the growth and evolution of our system.”
