Milan Fashion Week AW26 (Part 2)

MARNI

by Eve Bailey

Debut shows always carry a certain weight. For Fall/Winter 2026, Meryll Rogge stepped into the role of Creative Director at Marni, presenting her first collection for the house, a moment less about reinvention than recalibration.

Rather than wiping the slate clean, Rogge approached Marni through memory. The collection explored familiar house codes, pattern clashes, playful proportion and craft-led decoration, but  reworked for a new chapter. It felt like revisiting the Marni archive through a different lens, one that understood the brand’s quirks and leaned into them rather than smoothing them out.

There were nods to the outdoors, inspired by the Prealps that border Milan, which introduced a mountaineering thread through the collection. Sportswear references merged with tailoring, while substantial leather, industrial ciré and utilitarian fabrics sat against softer materials like satin and organza. Opposites were everywhere, but never in conflict, more like different dialects within the same language.

Elsewhere, familiar Marni motifs resurfaced. Gradient stripes, bias checks and patchworks echoed seasons past, while broderie anglaise and polka dots brought a slightly naïve charm. Construction details were pushed forward too: bold stitching, reversed seams and oversized sequin embroideries made the hand of the maker visible. Even the accessories carried the house forward, with the Fussbett sandal and Trunk bag reappearing in reworked forms.

Rogge also leaned into the idea of dressing without strict boundaries. Clothes were presented across genders, with an emphasis on the joy of getting dressed, high shoes, polished accessories and a sense that even everyday pieces could carry a touch of occasion.

For a first outing, the message felt clear. This wasn’t about rewriting Marni, but about understanding its language, and beginning to speak it in Rogge’s own voice.

FENDI

by Amelia McGarvey

A/W26 may be Maria Grazia Chiuri’s debut as creative director of Fendi, but it is not her first rodeo with the brand. 1992 marked her entrance into the industry as accessories designer, a role in which she is often credited with having co-created the infamous Baguette style, working under the late Karl Lagerfeld. So, big shoes to fill, but ones she helped to design! 

In this landscape of references, gimmicks, and shocks, it is unexpected but refreshing to see a debut collection presented as a clean slate. An almost all black show, the emphasis is on stripped-back but tasteful tailoring, exquisite furs and fabrics, and a sex appeal which feels freshly plucked from the lens of Helmut Newton. Queue sultry smoking jackets, disembodied collars, and lacey slips, undercut with MGC’s signature safari-inspired aesthetic, which she honed (never uncontroversially) at Dior, and sings within Fendi’s tradition of fur. At certain moments we were even reminded of those early days of Hedi Slimane at YSL – those deep V-necks and stark white collars – but a much more refined, grown-up version, of course. 

Perhaps where the collection lacks in novelty, it makes up for in integrity and execution. MGC’s rain-or-shine commitment to brandishing her signature white shirts and sheer dresses within the confines of a heritage brand makes her a natural successor to Kim Jones, who left the house in 2024. The Baguettes, it has to be said, were a standout. It will be interesting to see how Chiuri ascends from this quiet but confident start, whether she builds momentum with more adventurous pieces or continues to perfect a more minimalist approach.

ACT NO.1

by Amelia McGarvey

With its clean autumnal palette and emphasis on layering, Act Nº1’s A/W26 collection is at first glance a fairly sensible one, satisfying our expectations of seasonal attire. But wait, is that a belt, twirled around a cardigan, becoming a scarf? A misplaced lining, a belt undone, three sweatshirts tied around the waist, instead of one? Increasingly, each look has the hallucinated excess of a computer-generated image, made intentional. In some moments, particularly in the artificially nibbled knits and grass-stained jeans, one is reminded of the larger tradition of forced imperfection that has possessed fashion for the last decade; but Act Nº1 has always staked a claim to social awareness and conscious messaging. Toward the end of the show, a panoply of impressive designs – from a shirt of pearl-coloured vintage buttons, to a paper maché bust sculpture endowing an otherwise lithe model with giant breasts – shows the designer at his best. Where the pieces are kept in accordance to their purpose, they are well-executed, almost refreshingly so. Luca Lin is a genius of tailoring: this collection puts credence to the phrase, “learn the rules to break them.” 

INSTITUTION

by Caroline Issa

Galib Gassanoff's Institution returned for its fifth collection (but only sophmore Milan Fashion week show) with the same restless, resourceful energy that has defined the label from the start. Galib's signature upcycled shoelace constructions evolved into maxi skirts paired with a simple grey sweater, while new experiments with carpets as skirts pushed the boundaries of what fashion material can be. The tailoring, impressively, remained sharp throughout — a grounding craft beneath the otherworldly aesthetic. And otherworldly is the word: FW26 felt more Arrakis than Aldgate, potentially better suited to the dunes of a sci-fi epic than the realities of London streets with its built in hoods. But that's precisely the point — Institution continues to build its own universe, one collection at a time.

GUCCI

by Eve Bailey

All eyes were on Gucci this season. Demna’s first official runway show as Creative Director was always going to be a moment, one the industry was eager to witness firsthand. What he delivered was unmistakably Demna: confident, confrontational and entirely self-assured. 

Titled Primavera, the collection proposed a new Gucci vocabulary, one shaped not only through silhouette, but through archetype. Seamless minidresses in hosiery-like fabric opened the show with stark clarity, followed by ultra-fitted jackets, legging-trouser hybrids and trackdresses that fused sport and sensuality. Heat-sealed edges, curved hems and liquid tailoring added a sleek, almost engineered finish, while iridescent materials and a heavy use of the GG logo signalled a bold recalibration of house codes.

The casting sharpened the intent. A mix of mega models, Kate Moss among them, alongside cool new-gen names like UK rapper Fakemink gave the show an undeniable cultural currency that has flooded our feeds. It felt marketed toward a younger generation: those who consume fashion as much through social moments as through ateliers. Super-muscular male models in tightly cut T-shirts and chiseled silhouettes nodded to Renaissance ideals, while ultra-sexy, crystal-drenched dresses, including a sparkling moment on Alex Consani, delivered high-impact glamour.

Was it typical Gucci? Not exactly. The overt luxury codes felt dialled down in favour of attitude and immediacy. The shock factor, the logos, the body-consciousness, it marked a distinct shift. But Demna has never been a designer who plays it safe. His confidence in his own vision is part of the appeal, even when it challenges expectations.

Gucci has always spoken to more than one archetype. From the client investing in a full runway look to the customer reaching for a belt, a sneaker or a hat as a cultural signifier, the house operates across layers of desire. This show seemed to acknowledge that spectrum.

It may not have been the Gucci some anticipated, but it was undoubtedly a statement of intent.