How did fashion designers break the rules during Milan Fashion Week?

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Risk or no risk? This was the question posed at Milan Fashion Week this season.

In a volatile economic climate, changing consumer tastes, and a rapid and unprecedented turnover in CEO and creative director positions, the Fall/Winter 2025 collections are a combination of expanding existing brand codes and taking risks. Many major brands have chosen the second option.

For Prada, creative directors Miomiuccia Prada and Raf Simons talked about “liberating traditional notions of femininity” with a collection that abandoned its usual polished, conceptual character and evoked a sometimes messy look. "Freedom comes with risk," Simmons told reporters backstage after the show. "You can't be free if you don't take risks."

For Versace, Donatella took inspiration from the interiors of the residences of her late brother and founder of the brand, Gianni, drawing inspiration from the symbols of Medusa, Barocco and Greca to create quilted bouffant designs and 3D-printed A-line skirts. Versace did not hold its usual press conference to talk about the collection, but its message in the show notes was: “Be yourself.

Matteo Tamburini, who presented his third collection as creative director of the Tod's brand, presented his vision of women as the embodiment of "authentic elegance and charisma that does not follow any rules." As for Giorgio Armani, through the brand “Emporio Armani,” he presented a literal interpretation of the idea of ​​changing his style, as playing card decorations appeared as prints and embroideries.

“Dressing up is always a matter of risk,” his show notes stated. Creative consistency Gucci, which is still without a creative director after the sudden departure of Sabato Di Sarno about two weeks before the show, had its collection designed by the brand's in-house team.

The team chose to focus on the theme of Gucci through the ages, from the gold "horse bit" details that debuted 70 years ago, to the sleek suits of Tom Ford's era in the 1990s, and the flirty lace looks introduced more recently by Di Sarno. Gucci noted this in its show notes, which stated: “A continuity of craft, taste, and culture that passes through time, the fashion house is an entity with many owners and custodians, such as artisans, creators, and designers, each with their own history intertwined with the brand’s legacy.”

At Max Mara, veteran creative director and avid reader Ian Griffiths, who this year celebrates his 40th anniversary as creative director of the brand, has found his entry point into the world of fashion once again through literature, specifically the Brontë sisters. His luxurious pieces of tan cashmere and fine tailoring are designed for the woman who “is more likely to walk the corridors of power, but still carries with her a dream,” he said backstage.

Stage Presence Many brands have relied on performance art to make an impression. For Dsquared2, twin designers Dean and Dan Caten brought Grammy Award-winning American artist Deutsche to perform on the runway alongside Naomi Campbell.

The British model later appeared in the front row at the Dolce & Gabbana fashion show, where designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana opened the doors of their headquarters, and the models walked directly from the catwalk to a temporary corridor in the street. As the industry is going through a transformation, the era of “mega fashion week trends” is gradually losing ground to brands betting on multiple and dispersed ideas.

And there are still great moments to be found if you look hard. In Milan, there were similarities in the looks, a chaotic mix of loose tailoring from the inside out, eye-catching laces, and exaggerated broad shoulders.

However, the overwhelming feeling was that the designers were looking for answers rather than providing them.