The curtain has fallen on Milan Fashion Week, leaving in its wake a powerful preview of the styles that will define men's fashion for the Fall-Winter 2026-27 season. The event, which concluded on Monday 19 January 2026, was notably infused with an Olympic spirit, reflecting the impending Winter Games. Beyond the athletic inspiration, the collections sparked conversations on diversity, legacy, and the future of sustainable design, setting a complex and compelling agenda for the year ahead.
Olympic Fever and Athletic Elegance
The upcoming Winter Olympics served as a major creative catalyst. Canadian duo Dean and Dan Caten of Dsquared2 presented a playful and ironic case for why their brand should have outfitted Team Canada. Their show opened with actor Hudson Williams, star of the series 'Heated Rivalry', in ripped double denim, setting the tone for a collection featuring hybrid ski-boot heels and cheeky gold medal motifs.
In stark contrast, Ralph Lauren offered a patrician take on mountain wear at a stately Milan palazzo. The collection, presented to celebrities including Nick Jonas and Tom Hiddleston, featured geometric knits and layered fleece, evoking a cosy, wholesome American heritage. Meanwhile, Emporio Armani celebrated by parading Team Italia's official uniforms in-store, cementing the Games' influence on the week's narrative.
Defining Silhouettes and Statement Details
Attention to detail and bold silhouettes dominated the runways. At Prada, co-creative directors Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons focused intently on headwear, creating foldable berets and fedoras that could snap onto outerwear. The show also featured modular capes and ultra-slim car coats that sparked debate. Miuccia Prada addressed the sleek lines directly, stating, "That's fashion."
Jewellery for men also took centre stage as a key wardrobe component. Dolce & Gabbana showcased lavish lapel pins and brooches with embedded watches, while Prada used cufflinks made of semi-precious stones like lapis lazuli to fasten exaggeratedly long sleeves, finished with mismatched sculptural earrings.
The Enduring Push for Sustainability and Inclusion
The drive for meaningful sustainability and genuine diversity remained pressing themes. Zegna's creative director Alessandro Sartori emphasised building a lasting wardrobe with generational pieces, highlighted by a versatile jacket with a clever button-reversing mechanism. The family-run brand, now led by fourth-generation co-CEOs, underscored its commitment by displaying a century-old jacket made from its own fabrics.
On diversity, the debut of Ghanaian designer Victor Hart, supported by the Afrofashion Association, was a standout moment. However, the spotlight on inclusion has dimmed since 2020. Dolce & Gabbana faced significant criticism on social media for the all-white casting of its Saturday menswear show, with one commentator calling it "a thousand shades of white." This incident highlighted the ongoing challenge beyond mere performative gestures.
Ultimately, Milan Fashion Week 2026 delivered a powerful snapshot of a sector at a crossroads. It celebrated high craft and spectacle, from Prada's intellectual designs to Dsquared2's irreverent glamour, while forcefully reminding the industry that its most critical conversations—about ethical production, lasting value, and true representation—are far from over.
