Milan Fashion Week Men's FW26: Top 5 Trends & Insights

There has been a lot of discussion around the nuances of masculinity over the last year, which has in turn prompted reflection on the future of men’s fashion. In Florence and Milan, each home to traditional, sartorial tailoring, men’s designers got experimental for Fall/Winter 2026 — subverting menswear tropes, embracing Eastern design codes and showcasing ski-inspired collections (the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics kick off on February 6). Add to that a double appearance from Heated Rivalry heart-throb Hudson Williams and an appearance from Ralph Lauren, FW26 made for an interesting season, albeit against the backdrop of continued retail challenges. On the first day of Pitti Uomo, Saks Global, the US’s largest luxury retail group, filed for bankruptcy. Saks has since secured $500 million as part of a financing package, which provides liquidity to maintain operations. But it was a sobering reminder at the start of a new season that the fashion industry — and its menswear — is not out of the woods just yet. Here are the key takeaways from Pitti Uomo and Milan Fashion Week Men’s FW26. A backdrop of change At Pitti Uomo, the number of international buyers in attendance for FW26 remained flat year-on-year, sitting at 5,000, says the men’s trade show CEO Raffaele Napoleone. “Considering the many international tensions and the market’s cautious approach, this is a significant result,” he says. “On the other hand, Italian buyers decreased slightly, reaching around 7,500, in line with the complex picture emerging from observers of national distribution and retail.” “The economic context remains demanding, and the sector has gone through a phase of contraction across the supply chain. But menswear continues to show a solid capacity to hold its ground in international markets,” adds Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI) president Carlo Capasa. “Conveying coherent messages and proposing the right products makes it possible to create a more direct relationship with consumers, expanding their engagement.” To combat retail challenges, brands need to better speak to today’s consumers, Mr Porter CEO Toby Bateman said in a talk with Brunello Cucinelli last Wednesday, during Pitti. “In the industry at the moment, it feels like retailers are losing sight of who they are selling to. They’re looking for short-term gains,” he said. “You can’t just say this is a Prince of Wales check in cashmere anymore. The customer wants to know, where is it made? What’s the [composition]? How can I style it? How does it fit into my wardrobe and work with my life? They need to be able to wear it five ways.” Across Pitti and Milan, designers leaned into this idea via their show formats, styling and communications. Redefining menswear codes This season, some of Milan’s biggest brands looked to the sociopolitical climate and the characters men evoke through clothing as inspiration. On Sunday, the garments in Prada’s show were conventional on the surface — trench coats, anoraks, slim suiting, simple shirts and tees — but subverted through unconventional details like buttons along the back, T-shirt necklines, sweetie-colored cufflinks, or rain hats attached to the back. The idea was to take something traditional and play with it, co-creative directors Raf Simons and Miuccia Prada explained post-show. “I don’t know how to not get political, Miuccia,” Raf said to his fellow creative director, before explaining the approach. “Think about an American businessman or a politician’s shirt. What if you put the stripes horizontal? What if you make it a T-shirt neckline? What if you change it into a T-shirt, but you keep the pocket? It’s about transforming things you actually respect and love, because maybe they have the wrong connotation at a certain moment.” From Issey Miyake to Setchu, we’ve seen an influx of Japanese designers at Pitti and Milan Fashion Week (MFW) Men’s in recent seasons, as organizers understand the much-needed innovation in menswear silhouettes that talents from the East can provide. For buyers and editors, Soshi Otsuki was among the highlights. The designer, fresh from his 2025 LVMH Prize win, presented “his best season yet”, says Nordstrom men’s fashion director Jian DeLeon. Like the Prada collection, Otsuki added new details to classic tailoring, from heavy pleats on pants to curled lapels and silk scarves fashioned into ties or draped from pockets. “This season is about bringing the fun back into getting dressed. So many designers have been interrogating and subverting dress codes,” DeLeon says. Brands embraced the Winter Olympics As expected, the influence of the upcoming Winter Olympics was felt across Pitti Uomo and MFW Men’s this season. On Friday evening, Ralph Lauren held its first standalone menswear show for more than two decades, presenting an eclectic collection that spanned its prestige Purple Label alongside the more casual Polo. “Ralph Lauren was the standout of the weekend,” Mytheresa menswear buying director Sophie Jordan says. “There have always been subtle overlaps between Polo and the Purple Label, but showcasing them together gave free reign for each collection to embrace the signatures of others.” As the official outfitter of Team USA, part of Ralph Lauren’s collection featured Alpine knits, retro ski jackets and ski suits (the Milan store also displayed an Olympics capsule in its foyer). While the Olympics tie-in was a likely draw, the Milan show wasn’t just a one-off, Ralph Lauren CEO Patrice Louvet told Vogue Business, hinting that the New York label will continue to show in the city. Long-time brand ambassador Tyson Beckford, who became the face of Polo in 1993, closed the show, which was “a big flex on their part”, adds DeLeon. DSquared2 returned to the runway with a Team Canada-inspired show, complete with fake snow, mountains and a runway mimicking the end of a competition ski run. Williams, the star of viral ice hockey drama Heated Rivalry, opened the show, much to the excitement of fans both in and outside the venue. He later appeared front row at Giorgio Armani. The collection featured all manner of DSquared2 skiwear, from towering ski boots heels to its oversized furry hats. Last year, as it took a break from fashion week, DSquared2 announced it was in a licensing dispute with OTB-owned Staff International. However, OTB chair Renzo Rosso attended the show on Friday night, with the label later announcing it had renewed the deal. Chinese brand Li-Ning and official outfitter of Team China, also went all-in on winter sports for its one-off Milan show. The impressive set included fake snow, mountains and a Li-Ning train station, displaying the brand’s Olympic kits throughout the years. Meanwhile, the collection included Li-Ning ski suits, snowboards and base layers, alongside its more typical performance wear. Actor Jackie Chan sat front row, before parading through the venue as fake snow rained down. Perhaps this Olympic fever is well timed, as buyers are increasingly investing in skiwear. “Our technical ski business is a strong performer, currently trading up 36% year-on-year,” says Mytheresa’s Jordan. “We plan to grow our open-to-buy in the category and expand our après-ski offer with more novelty knitwear, fleeces, mountain boots and shearling-trimmed down jackets.” Up close with the designers In Milan, more and more designers are adopting a traditional salon format, to explain their inspirations and fabrications in detail, and to imbue their collections with a more personal feel. Paul Smith, once again narrated his collection in real time during his brand Saturday show. “We’re doing another salon show,” Smith announced as the models started to walk. “I find these more personal in a fashion world that’s becoming more mass-produced and corporate.” British brand Dunhill has shown in Milan for three seasons now, often in opulent ballrooms or lush palazzo gardens. This season, the brand invited press and buyers into Palazzo Mozart, the HQ of its parent company Richemont, which was designed by renowned architect Piero Portaluppi. “We’ve done several shows here in Milan. It’s nice to invite people to experience the collection in a different way,” creative director Simon Holloway said. I visited the presentation at the end of the final day, by which time Holloway had put on three full days of appointments unpacking the collection. “Certainly, doing a show is easier. But we work very far in advance at Dunhill. It’s the very definition of slow fashion, so we wanted people to experience it [up close].” Japanese label Setchu’s Satoshi Kuwata also opted for a salon-style show. As the show began, the designer made his way onto the runway: “We are growing, and I’d like to thank all of you for that,” he said, revealing that we were sitting in Setchu’s shiny new office space. As ever, the collection was inspired by Kuwata’s love of fishing, with angling boots and utilitarian fishing vests. The designer accessorized models as they hit the runway, while explaining the fabrication and inspiration of each look. Since his Pitti debut for FW25, Setchu has continued to show in Milan, while growing his stockists by 30% and entering new markets including Spain, Türkiye and the Philippines. Even at Zegna, one of the city’s biggest shows, models including brand ambassador Mads Mikkelsen stuck around post-show, so guests could touch the fabrics and admire the details. Slimmer silhouettes and new styles As predicted, menswear designers are exploring a slimmer silhouette for FW26. Prada set the tone, with slim-fit suiting and outerwear. When asked about the silhouette, Mrs Prada joked: “That’s fashion!” But Simons elaborated that the decision was intentional. “There has been a lot of loose [clothing]. But I think that [slim-fit] is also comforting in a way; it’s got a very soft shoulder, it’s not hard. But yes, we did want to make that statement,” he said. At Brunello Cucinelli, too, the designer explored slimmer fitting pants, notably in wool or cargos. The brand has previously stuck to a wider leg across all looks, but as Cucinelli continues to explore “new expressions of sartorial elegance”, as the brand puts it, it’s challenging tradition. “Brunello Cucinelli once again stood out as a key highlight of Pitti Uomo, and remains an important moment for one of our biggest brand partners,” Mytheresa’s Jordan says. “The balance of subtle newness consistently feels true to the brand’s DNA, while still delivering a strong and credible ‘reason to buy’ for the customer.” Canali also played with silhouettes during its Milan presentation on Sunday. The collection, titled Sartorial Cocktail, because the brand wants to “shake up the codes of sartorial menswear”, incorporated gray cashmere sweats and more casual pieces, layered over tailored pants and beneath camel coats. Regardless of a slimmer show schedule than Paris, Italy’s manufacturing horsepower means that Pitti Uomo and MFW Men’s will retain an outsized influence on the market, even without scores of major shows. “It was a compact and very readable fashion week, functioning as a true ecosystem,” CNMI’s Capasa says. “The message was clear: Milan is a place where menswear builds continuity and long-term perspective based on creativity and savoir faire.” More from this author: “This Isn’t a One-Off’: Inside the Ralph Lauren Men’s Show with CEO Patrice Louvet Can Chinese Sportswear Label Li-Ning Win the Sportswear Race? Why Did 180 People Just Parade Through Florence in Suits?