Identity in focus at Milano Fashion Week FW26.27
The power of a defined image, between reaffirmations and debuts
Between the reaffirmation of established designers and the uncertainty of high-profile debuts, Milano Fashion Week FW26.27 placed identity squarely in focus. The power of a defined image dominated the narrative, tempered by a distinct sense of pragmatism.
This is not a brand-by-brand breakdown. It’s an attempt to trace a few key ideas—and what they say about fashion right now.
When provocation becomes the only image
Gucci — the most anticipated debut was, undeniably, ugly. That familiar ugliness Demna carries with him. He essentially replicated the Balenciaga formula for Gucci: the same aesthetic of distortion, cynicism, and provocation. Even when accessing the archive — including references to Tom Ford — the repurposing felt superficial, almost careless. Executed in the cheapest way possible.
If his intention was to hold a mirror up to the contemporary landscape — to reflect the predominance of a gross aesthetic — then he succeeded. The image was brutally coherent.
But beyond that, what was the point?
The brand is experiencing a serious downturn. To reverse direction quickly, you think about what sells. And one thing has always sold, regardless of context: sex. Not refined sensuality, but its most literal and commercial iteration.
Perhaps it’s not even entirely his responsibility. Kering knows exactly what Demna’s vision is. So what did they expect? Is this the strategy? Is provocation the only remaining shortcut?
When identity is in focus
On the other side of the spectrum, Prada was identitarian in a completely different way. Fifteen models and different versions of womanhood. By removing layers and adapting garments to diverse occasions, the show suggested that identity is not singular, but plural.
Innovative? Perhaps not radically. Layering is not new. But limiting the cast created clarity. And clarity, in today’s visual saturation, feels almost subversive.
In our work with clients, we see how layering — though common in theory — is rarely mastered in practice. For women who rely on big names to legitimise experimentation, this might offer permission — and confidence.
However, the reminder that wardrobes, like women, can contain multitudes is powerful.
Dolce & Gabbana also returned to identity — their own. Sicily, devotion, sensuality. Their recurring codes, unapologetically reaffirmed. With Madonna in the front row, the message was amplified: heritage, spectacle, recognisability.
At Bottega Veneta, Louise Trotter’s debut was captivating. Brutalism softened by a hidden sensuality, grounded in the observation of Milanese women. Experimental craftsmanship, unexpected fabrics, bold silhouettes. A new direction — intellectual yet tactile. Here, identity was not nostalgia, but the construction of something new.
And then there is Antonio Marras. Marras remains Marras. Wearable poetry. A universe apart within the Milanese landscape. Fragments, intarsia, embroidery, striking red roses. Romantic, but never saccharine. His identity is so solid it does not need to shout. It simply persists.
Final reflections
Reaffirmations or debuts — identity in focus defined the season.
Perhaps this Fall/Winter 26 Milano Fashion Week wasn’t just about creativity.
It was about survival.
In a moment of market contraction and brand fatigue, identity becomes currency.
The clearer the image, the stronger the grip.
But clarity built on shock is fragile.
The question is not who is louder.
It is who will still feel coherent in five years.
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