Milan, Fashion Capital: How the Big Fashion Houses Are Regaining Power

While the event is intended to be flamboyant, it is nonetheless taking place against the backdrop of a crisis in the sector that has affected major Italian brands since the beginning of the year. What strategy are the big names adopting to change direction and regain their former glory? A new artistic director.

This is the case at Gucci, which has chosen the eclectic Demna (formerly at Balenciaga) as its artistic director, tasked with the daunting challenge of rescuing Kering's flagship brand from decline. Last year, the company's turnover stood at €7.65 billion, compared to €10.5 billion in 2022. Although the announcement of his arrival was not met with particular enthusiasm by financial players (Kering's share price fell 12% after the announcement of his appointment), the “La Famiglia” collection presented in Milan on Tuesday seems to have rekindled the flame and won over the public. The designs partly reflect the brand's timeless codes, such as the double G monogram and the Flora print, in a short film featuring a succession of megastars: Demi Moore, Edward Norton, Elliot Page, and Keke Palmer.

It must be said that Gucci knew what it was doing: for Milan Fashion Week, the brand transformed the Palazzo Mezzanotte, home of the Milan Stock Exchange, into a cinema. Around 400 seats faced a giant screen in a stunning wooden setting, allowing guests to admire the short film The Tiger directed by Spike Jonze and Halina Reijn.

The Fendi brand is another key player at the Milan event. Building on her creative heritage and her recent appointment as head of the fashion house, Silvia Venturini Fendi presents a Spring/Summer 2026 collection that redefines the language of luxury, thanks to a vision that combines rigor and lightness. Following the departure of Kim Jones, Silvia Venturini Fendi has taken the helm with determination and aesthetic consistency.

A few days before the show, Fendi unveiled a new maxi store in Milan: 910 square meters on the iconic Via Montenapoleone, a space designed to bring together fashion, art, and culture in one place. This choice reflects the link between the fashion house and the Italian city, and aims to confirm the brand's urban identity.

Bottega Veneta is also reinventing itself to weather the storm with the first fashion show by designer Louise Trotter, who joined the fashion house in January 2025 after leaving Carven.

The trend toward radically revamping a brand's image can also be seen at Versace, which will present its first collection behind closed doors, under the banner of sobriety, with Dario Vitale, in slight contrast to the flamboyant style that characterized Donatella Versace.

Giorgio Armani will close the Fashion Week with an event celebrating the brand's 50th anniversary in Brera, the artistic district of the Italian capital. From September 24 to January 11, the Pinacoteca di Brera will host the exhibition “Giorgio Armani: Milano con Amore,” a retrospective designed to bridge the gap between classical art and fashion. The exhibition brings together 133 iconic designs, such as the famous grey-beige unstructured suit worn by Richard Gere in American Gigolo, and the dress worn by Sharon Stone at the 1996 Oscars.