It’s easy to lose one’s sense of direction within the rooms of Palazzo Acerbi, the historic residence that has become Elisabetta Franchi’s maison in the heart of Milan. There was something in the atmosphere of the fall 2026 show that conjured the lavish gatherings once staged along those sweeping Baroque corridors—when, in the sixteenth century, they were home to Marquis Ludovico Acerbi. Perhaps it was Juno Francis’s opening performance of “Fading Memories,” as a cascade of white feathers drifted from the ceiling, or the finale, heightened by the resonant intensity of “Aria” by Argy and Omnya.
Some models seemed poised for a grand soirée; others suggested a more intimate, discreet affair; still others looked ready to head to the office with the self-assured energy of someone who had lived a memorable night. “This collection once again embodies an awareness of womanhood. We wanted to evoke the austerity of the Victorian era, but in a way that felt authentic to us,” Elisabetta Franchi said moments before the show. That vision explains the constant interplay between sensuality and discipline, romance and mystery.
Architectural silhouettes reference 19th-century corsetry, expressed in bustier belts worn over coats, jackets, and dresses, as well as in the garments’ internal construction—at times padded and sculpted to redefine the body and accentuate the hourglass form. Balancing this structured sharpness were enveloping outerwear and knitwear, weightless georgette blouses, and taffeta skirts edged with cascading flounces. The brand’s aesthetic codes remained unmistakable: masculine tailoring, lingerie inflections, glittering embellishments, and animal textures. Interrupting a palette that moved from black and white through shades of gray and brown to a uniform blue was red leather treated to resemble pony hair. Among the standouts, the brand’s first-ever sunglasses design previewed a launch scheduled for the coming months.
