Mark My Words: Everyone's Going to Want to Wear These Elegant Italian Trends

Milan’s most engaging moments during autumn/winter 2025 fashion week artfully combined elegance with experimental energy—clearly, London isn’t the only city that likes to shake things up.

Using distinctive House codes we all know and love in unexpected or amped-up ways, a slew of Milan’s most prominent fashion businesses leaned into their heritage aesthetics whilst offering something new and fresh. Just as I saw on the streets of Milano, the runways brought a refined yet offbeat attitude to the fashion vision for A/W 25.

Through peculiar colour palettes, strange silhouettes, fabrics that weren’t quite what they seemed, asymmetry and a mix-and-match approach to looking sophisticated, this autumnal line-up wasn’t all about classics and quiet luxury—rather finding a mid-ground between the artsy eclecticism and glamour this city exudes, as well as it’s smarter, pared-back alter ego. Perhaps I’m biased, but this is how I want to dress, and it’s why I say non-stop during MFW that I could see myself living there. People get dressed up on the daily, but they never look OTT.

Prada (by Raf Simons and Miuccia Prada) sent out an archetypal collection that led as the week’s most talked-about show. Challenging the audience to question what femininity looks like, this collection suggested a new type of glamour, free of the archaic tropes of the past. Instead, a kind of dishevelled, undone approach gives women the freedom to be more "throw-on-and-go" and less contrived in our overly curated, perfectly groomed, sculpted and "snatched" times—sweet relief.

Forever perfecting individuality, Marni’s Francesco Rizzo continued to wow the critics with an extravaganza of riotous colour, texture, shape and, ultimately, fun. Fendi celebrated its 100th anniversary, and despite its creative director remaining as-yet unfilled, Silvia Venturini Fendi provided a tour de force (tour de faux fur?) of Fendi glamour that perhaps only a family member entrenched in the business could really do justice.

Gucci, also without a creative director, showed a confident and daring collection that will undoubtedly see editors and fashion people clamouring to own anything with the brand’s signature horsebit. Ferragamo, Tod’s, Bally and Max Mara brought an abundance of classy looks and pieces to build out the most comprehensive capsule wardrobes. Sass wasn’t far behind with David Koma’s debut at Blumarine, Versace’s vibrant dig into the archive and Dolce Gabbana’s "cool-girl" party frocks that models took outside of the showspace for a vibey street party.

Some trends particularly stood out to me as frontrunners for next season, so keep reading to see which MFW A/W 25 trends I predict will be big news.

"Mob Wife" Coats

Style Notes: Whichever manufacturer is supplying Milanese fashion houses with faux fur and shearling is heading for a very profitable A/W 25, by the looks of things. Faux fur was everywhere and on everything, from trimmed hemlines through to full-blown floor-sweeping coats, the latter of which seemed to reflect last year's TikTok trend for the "mob wife" aesthetic. These coats are nothing short of dramatic and entrance-making, and they were at almost every key designer brand from Fendi (which supplied numerous options as part of their 100th-anniversary celebrations) through to Ferragamo. Chicest in brown tones, I expect this trend to be one of next season's biggest.

Fringing

Style Notes: The trend for fringing started in London and continued with force during MFW. From ultra-swishy options rendered in long leather strands to fine beaded options or the subtlest tufted edging on knitwear, this trend comes in many guises, from minimalist to maximalist and understead to bohemian—meaning that brands with wildly different aesthetics (think Jil Sander vs. Etro) all agree—this is the detail to adopt.

Plum

Style Notes: Picking up where burgundy has left off, we've already seen plum shades coming to the fore on social media. Now, the colour trend has progressed from our feeds to the runways. A notable commitment at Max Mara, the show opened with a series of monochromatic plum looks instead of the brand's signature camel. Plum also popped up in other corners as an accent, as well as a main character.

Kick Hems

Style Notes: Skirts have been having a good run of late—2024 felt like the year of the skirt after a long period of tailored trousers ruling supreme. The focus on this silhouette has now translated into skirts and dresses with statement hemlines; the kind that swish, kick and bounce their way through life with godets, trims and extra fabric to make a point. It's like the clothing version of a sashay, and I couldn't help but fall in love with this niche but effective addition to many a collection, from Marni's sweeping midis to Amelia Gray wearing the hell out of a Roberto Cavalli peplum-hemmed LBD.

Brown Leather

Style Notes: Brown leather—particularly when finished with an aged or distressed look—was a constant fixture across the runways and presentations at MFW. It was Prada's worn-in, ruched skirt that lured me in first, but you'll find a commitment to brown leather across the gamut, from outerwear to leather goods like handbags, belts and shoes.

Knits on Knits

Style Notes: Comfort and elegance were best achieved through Milano's lineup of two and three-piece knitted sets. Often in ribbed finishes and autumnal hues, this felt like an ultra-luxe way to do cold-weather dressing, staying cosy without giving into the now-ubiquitous puffer coat. From Gucci's fluffy polo, which was styled with a slouchy cardigan, to Tod's marled and layered looks, this comes in many iterations from retro to preppy, bold to quiet.

Chartreuse

Style Notes: Should we blame Charli XCX for an influx of fashion's most affronting colour? Chartreuse and acid greens were surprisingly present for an A/W 25 season, providing an off-kilter base colour that many brands paired with brown or black to make it winter-appropriate. In Gucci's case, more was more, combining the electric hue with punchy purple.