A Monumental MFW: Designer Debuts, Farewells, and Every Major Trend to Know

Fashion month is far from over, and yet we are already talking about the spring/summer 2026 season as one that will be written about in history books and remembered years from now. It gives me chills just to think about the fact that we get to watch fashion history play out in front of us. How lucky are we? Of the many, many significant moments that have happened so far, Milan has been the scene of the crime. All eyes were on MFW this past week as we celebrated the year's most-anticipated creative director debuts, witnessed heartfelt farewell collections, and ushered in a fresh new chapter in fashion's aesthetic direction.

Perhaps the most notable runway was at Bottega Veneta, where Louise Trotter's inaugural collection returned to the heritage of craft and material innovation that the house is known for. At Versace, Dario Vitale brought his signature Miami sex appeal and a heavy '80s bent to his post at the Italian house.

Meanwhile, Simone Bellotti's futuristic tailoring and serene minimalism proved to be the perfect match for Jil Sander. Finally, Giorgio Armani bid a bittersweet farewell with a final collection conceived by the late designer himself. And who could get past the Miranda Priestly—er, Meryl Streep—sighting front row at Dolce Gabbana?

Now that the style set has packed up its things and headed to Paris to close out fashion month, let's sit down and discuss everything we just saw from the Milan fashion week S/S 2026 shows that gave us plenty to discuss and dissect.

Color Theory

Color, color, and more color! Bright, vivid tones have popped up on the New York and London runways, but in Milan, designers took it to another level with looks that combined shades from across, diagonal, and adjacent the color wheel. Orange and pink; red and blue; purple and green—it seems the more off-kilter the pairings, the better.

Prep School

Preppy aesthetics are to be expected from heritage American labels, but the European houses are putting their lens on modern prep, and it's one trend we're already expecting to majorly come spring 2026. Prada tapped in through sporty jackets, Boss highlighted crisp tailoring, and Missoni took a layered approach with sweaters and sweatshirts that could almost be collegiate.

Out From Under

If you were on Tumblr between approximately 2010 and 2014, you're probably getting flashbacks right now from the exposed-bra aesthetic. The look, especially layered with lariat necklaces and dainty body chains, was all over during that era, and it seems like just over a decade later, it's once again returned. Prada's take involved dramatically large bra tops that reminded us of cutout doll clothes, while The Attico took a much more 2000s-inspired approach with push-up bras peeking out from under fitted cardigans.

Futuristic Tailoring

Tailoring is getting… freaky. Between Jil Sander's trousers with slit-like cutouts at the hips, The Attico's twisted blazers, and Max Mara's halter-top vests, suiting is going on a creative bent with futuristic silhouettes that are taking tailoring as we know it into a brand-new age.

In Motion

While the Bottega Veneta fiberglass pieces were among the most talked-about looks of Milan Fashion Week, it wasn't the only runway that featured texture and movement. At Ferragamo, 1920s-esque fringe was attached to satin scarves and hung from beneath tailored jackets for an elegant and evening-ready twist, while at Alberta Ferretti, crochet felt airy and light.

Layer Cake

Spring and summer usually connote less clothing, not more, but this season brought a new perspective on layering for the warmer months. Poplin shirts were nestled underneath suede jackets at Missoni, and cardigans were tied around the waist of pencil skirts at Versace (just a few of the many ways designers experimented with lightweight layers).

Intricacies

Sequins and embroidery were the standout details of the week that I promise are worth zooming in on. Intricate beading popped up as a feature on pieces like bra tops and briefs that, when styled with more conservative, quiet items, had an especially chic effect.