Milan Fashion Week AW26 brings star power to the runway

Milan Fashion Week has been a whirlwind, and we’re only halfway through. Day one gave us a Diesel show where creative director Glenn Martens rummaged through HQ and made a stark white room zap back to life with endless bits and pieces from the archives: butt plugs, ciggies, inflatable dolls, a car… the list goes on. Jil Sander was on the opposite end of the scale, delivering a minimalist collection with just enough offbeat detail to leave you ruminating: high necklines, daring slits, padded dresses, platforms and trains trailing from the backs of shirts. Delicious. More where that came from below…

If there’s one thing Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons are going to do, it’s keep everyone on their toes – and this time, they did it with just 15 models and a whole lot of layers. Held inside the Deposito at the Fondazione, the staging included makeshift doors, marble fireplaces and decorated mirrors. Love Story​’s Sarah Pidgeon and Gabbriette sat front row.

Things went up a notch. A group of security guards stood at the centre of the runway, radioing one another and signalling. Who arrives 30 minutes late for a show – and a Prada one at that? Seconds later, Mark Zuckerberg (?) and his wife, followed by Anna Wintour and Eva Chen, head of fashion at Instagram, took their seats on the front row, and the show swiftly began.

Coats complemented by colourful scarves whirled past; a thick royal purple knit layered over a striped one came soon after. Then a super surprise popped out of nowhere: Bella Hadid claimed her spot as a Prada girlie making her debut for the house. A few looks later, she appeared again – not unusual. But then she returned. And again. That’s when it clicked: Bella was one of just 15 models walking the runway, shedding a layer each time until unveiling her final – and fourth – look. Backstage was carnage as press clamoured to get a quote from Mrs P and Raf, grab a few cream puffs and capture a couple of Prada smizes (maybe that last one was just us).

For MM6 Maison Margiela’s show, we were corralled into the bustling station, where a projection of the MM6 numerical logo flickered above the show space. When the show started, my eye was immediately drawn to glossy equestrian boots – some white, others black – tucked into stirrup-style trousers and denim. Horse prints galloped across tops and fleeces, while skirts ballooned wide at the hips, full and voluminous. Rounded sunglasses, sitting close to the face, were not to be overlooked.

Walking into Diesel, you were likely either to have a mini panic attack over the thousands of trinkets spread across the white showspace’s floor, or experience one of those moments that makes you grateful you work in fashion – for me, it was the latter. Diesel memorabilia, a huge pink pig with a plush snout, ​“so many dildos”, as one guest pointed out, toy animal tails, dice and practically anything a hoarder might keep stashed away filled the room – 50,000 items, to be specific. The culmination of years of archival bits and bobs. We should have known we were in for a ride when we received a resin yellow banana as the show invite. On the runway, models’ faces were dusted in iridescent or brown-toned body glitter and slipped into crystal-clad denim, spliced jackets, voluminous skirts that swayed with every step, patchwork-textured waistcoats, floral knitted pedal pushers and more print-heavy head-turners.

The fun continued at Marni, where Meryll Rogge made her creative direct debut. Running your own brand and then taking over an existing house, with its pre-existing identity and codes, isn’t easy. But Meryll took on the task with aplomb. The first look – a grey top with eyelets, a black sequin skirt, socks, monochrome kitten heels and a white overcoat – set the tone for a collection rife with clashing colours. More paillettes on dresses and tops followed, jangly necklaces bumped against models’ chests as they walked, animal-print kitten heels stomped by, alongside lace, tactile coats and anoraks. We could barely keep up. It was fun, flirty, and exactly what fashion needs right now.

Demna’s Gucci debut drew more than the usual crowd, for obvious reasons. It felt like tackling an assault course en route to the entrance – I traipsed across muddied leaves in metallic pink Tabis (!). But I’d do it again, and here’s why: inside, as guests descended four large flights of stairs, statuesque marble figures were dotted around the space. Aidan Zamiri was within eyesight, catching up with Steve Lacy; then EsDeeKid popped over in incognito garb, his eyes the only thing visible, carrying a capacious Gucci bag. In waltzed Romeo Beckham and Shawn Mendes, taking their seats together, before Paris Hilton and Nicky Hilton entered just before showtime.

Keeping things pared back, a model in a white dress and black heels walked the long runway first, a smoke machine misting the air. It was minimal fuss – but we know that’s not Demna’s MO. Former FACE cover star Fakemink, phone in hand, then to his ear as if taking a call, strolled down the catwalk, Gucci boxers peeking out from his sagging trousers. A few models later, Nettspend appeared, wearing a lilac snake-print top and metallic silver trousers. Emily Ratajkowski joined the line-up in a painted-on silver glitter dress made for a night out; Gabbriette kept the minx vibes going in a lace, twinkling number, smoothing her hair back as she stomped across the floor. Former FACE cover star Alex Consani followed suit in a floor-sweeping gold dress that shimmered in the light. And to close: Kate Moss in a long, black, entirely backless dress, a G‑string visible at the rear – clearly a homage to Tom Ford’s ​’97 era at the house (we did call it, tbh).

Moschino, Ferragamo and Bottega Veneta, we’re coming for you next.