5 Spring/Summer 2026 fashion trends everyone’s talking about from MFW
From utility glamour to soft tailoring, discover the Milan Fashion Week SS26 trends shaping how we’ll dress next summer
Milan Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2026 closed with a sense of quiet precision as the final model left the runway and cameras clicked backstage.
This week paid homage to Giorgio Armani’s legacy, featured Demna’s debut at Gucci, showcased Istituto Marangoni alumnus Dario Vitale at Versace, and included Simone Bellotti’s first collection for Jil Sander. It also marked Silvia Venturini Fendi’s final show for her family’s maison in its centenary year, before she transitioned to the role of Honorary President. Most notably, MFW SS26 blurred gender lines, redefined modern elegance, and opened Milan’s runways to a broader global audience.
Amidst these highlights, five defining fashion trends emerged to shape the future of Spring/Summer 2026 style: four key directions and one wildcard.
1. Utility Glamour Takes Over Milan Fashion Week SS26
One of the biggest trends at Milan Fashion Week 2026 is the return of utility fashion—uniforms reimagined as symbols of power and modern femininity.
At Prada SS26, under the direction of Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons, womenswear embraced functional beauty—structured shirting, boxy trousers, and pleated skirts softened by taffeta or satin touches. “What we try to do is clothes that make sense for women today,” read one backstage note.
Fendi showcased this trend in Silvia Venturini Fendi’s final co-ed show for the LVMH maison, alongside Max Mara, where utility pockets, belts, and hardware became the language of empowered dressing, anchoring elegance with functionality. The underlying idea is that your outfit should serve a purpose.
Even brands typically associated with romantic or maximalist styles incorporated elements of uniformity—blending fabrics and tailoring to evoke a uniform logic, then twisting the concept. Uniforms were presented as a canvas rather than a costume.
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At Prada SS26, utility met softness—Charli D’Amelio embodies the uniform redefined: purposeful, elegant, and quietly powerful
2. Top Colour Trends 2026: Chartreuse and Scarlet Light Up Milan Runways
Among the standout visual stories of Milan Fashion Week SS26 were bright colour accents that energised accessories and details.
At Ferragamo Spring/Summer 2026, creative director Maximilian Davis paired chartreuse bags and shoes with 1920s-inspired outfits, creating a striking contrast with otherwise muted colour palettes.
Meanwhile, scarlet red emerged as the statement colour trend of 2026, appearing on trench coats, dresses, and heels. These weren’t blocks of colour, but punctuation marks—flashes of attitude and confidence.
When neutral dressing becomes predictable, bold accents like chartreuse or red can instantly uplift the mood.
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Ferragamo SS26: when neutral palettes whisper, scarlet heels speak—bold colour accents redefine elegance with quiet confidence
3. Craft and Collaboration: How Artisans Are Shaping Sustainable Fashion SS26
For SS26, craftsmanship wasn’t a side note—it was the main story. Stella Jean’s comeback after a three-year hiatus was significant; she incorporated Bhutanese artisans into her collection, featuring handwoven jackets and embroidered skirts to emphasise cultural urgency on the runway.
Throughout Milan Fashion Week 2026, designers celebrated handcrafted details—macramé, patchwork, and textured weaves that honoured heritage techniques. The message was clear: craft is the new luxury, and collaboration between artisans and designers is shaping the future of sustainable fashion.
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Stella Jean involved Bhutanese artisans in the developmenet of her collection, marking the first appearence of Bhutanese culture and craftsmanship at Milan Fashion Week
4. Tailoring SS26: Soft Silhouettes and a New Fashion Power
The tailoring trends for 2026 signalled a shift from rigid power suits to softer, fluid shapes. Blazers with relaxed shoulders, jackets that drape rather than cinch, and voluminous trousers redefined modern structure.
At Jil Sander’s SS26 show, new creative director Simone Bellotti presented a more ethereal take on structure, with crisp lines softened by fabric folds and open seams.
The era of “hard cut = power” is morphing. The new language is “sculpture in motion”. While shape remains important, you also want to move freely.
Even brands known for their strong structures (Prada, Fendi) balanced their architectural designs with ease: tailoring that suggests armour while allowing the body to speak.
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At Jil Sander SS26, structure meets softness—tailoring reimagined as quiet strength, where folds speak louder than shoulder pads
5. Preppy Fashion Trend: Italian-Style Americana Arrives in Milan
The preppy fashion trend of 2026 made a playful comeback—ironic, fluid, and unmistakably Italian. Picture oversized polos, crested blazers layered with shearling gilets, micro-shorts or half-tucked shirts.
Brands like Emporio Armani, Prada and Fendi have reinvented the Ivy League aesthetic with a Milanese twist, which Marie Claire aptly dubbed “Italian-style Americana prep.”
It’s not nostalgia, though; it’s a new language of relaxed sophistication, where fashion houses meet campus in an effortless style.
Milan Fashion Week SS26: Key Takeaways and Future Fashion Trends
From utility glamour to artisan collaborations and fluid tailoring, Milan Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2026 redefined how we’ll dress next season. These five major trends reflect a shift towards intelligent design, authenticity and expressive colour—proving that Italian fashion continues to lead the global conversation on creativity and purpose.
Agnese Pasquinelli
Editor, Milano