Giorgio Armani Shines at Milan Fashion Week with Shimmering Menswear Collection

 A model walks the runway during the Giorgio Armani collection show at Milan's Fashion Week Men's Fall / Winter 2025-2026 in Milan, Italy, on January 20, 2025. (AFP)
A model walks the runway during the Giorgio Armani collection show at Milan's Fashion Week Men's Fall / Winter 2025-2026 in Milan, Italy, on January 20, 2025. (AFP)
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Giorgio Armani Shines at Milan Fashion Week with Shimmering Menswear Collection

 A model walks the runway during the Giorgio Armani collection show at Milan's Fashion Week Men's Fall / Winter 2025-2026 in Milan, Italy, on January 20, 2025. (AFP)
A model walks the runway during the Giorgio Armani collection show at Milan's Fashion Week Men's Fall / Winter 2025-2026 in Milan, Italy, on January 20, 2025. (AFP)

Giorgio Armani’s menswear collection previewing Monday on the final day of Milan Fashion Week was all about catching the light, which the 90-year-old designer achieved with shimmering textiles and a smattering of crystals.

Armani closed four days of menswear previews for Fall-Winter 2025-26 at his historic headquarters on Via Borgonuovo, freeing the fashion crowd to head to Paris for the next round.

Fans gathered behind barricades to snap photos of VIPs including Adrien Brodie, Joe Alwyn, Rocco Ritchie and Darren Star, arriving for the show under a light drizzle.

The Silhouette Armani set the runway show deep inside the headquarters to a rhythmic almost club beat. Brimmed hats gave structure to the soft silhouette of wintery velvet and corduroy complemented by shimmering textiles that grabbed the light.

Trousers were pleated, gathering slightly at the ankle, creating movement and allowing an easy tuck into laced boots. Jackets layered over zipped vests. Scarfs substituted for ties, sometimes big knits that converted to hoods. Faux fur collars, a trend in Milan this season, were used sparingly on outerwear.

Light and color Jewel tones of ruby, emerald and sapphire brightened a neutral palette. Delicate crystal pins decorated evening wear lapels.

A handful of women’s looks emphasized the versatility of the menswear silhouette. The show closed with couples dressed for a festive evening, glistening with sequins and crystals for him and for her.

Armani took a final bow wearing a blue velvet jacket, underlining his hallmark of comfort and elegance.

Trend watch: Brimmed hats. Textiles that shimmer. Unstructured bags. Sporty zip vests for suits. Scarves with built in turtlenecks.



Prada Offers Savage, Instinctive Menswear during Milan Fashion Week

 A model walks the runway during the Prada collection show at Milan's Fashion Week Men's Fall / Winter 2025-2026 in Milan, Italy, on January 19, 2025 (AFP)
A model walks the runway during the Prada collection show at Milan's Fashion Week Men's Fall / Winter 2025-2026 in Milan, Italy, on January 19, 2025 (AFP)
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Prada Offers Savage, Instinctive Menswear during Milan Fashion Week

 A model walks the runway during the Prada collection show at Milan's Fashion Week Men's Fall / Winter 2025-2026 in Milan, Italy, on January 19, 2025 (AFP)
A model walks the runway during the Prada collection show at Milan's Fashion Week Men's Fall / Winter 2025-2026 in Milan, Italy, on January 19, 2025 (AFP)

Miuccia Prada and her co-creative director Raf Simons described the latest Prada menswear collaboration unveiled during Milan Fashion Week on Sunday as raw and cinematic.

While the Milan Fall-Winter 2025-2026 runway was full of faux fur collars, Prada went the usual step beyond and created primitive detailing in shearling that looked almost torn from the beast and set askew on outerwear lapels, or patchworked into garments.

“Maybe, it reads as savage, primitive cavemen. I think that our aim was to make it feel warm and human and instinctive, but also kind of beautifully domestic in a way,” Simons said backstage.

Collection hallmarks Cinematic references were broad and not specific to any film, director or even character type, Simons said. Western touches included scuffed cowboy boots and knitwear mimicking a wrangler’s shirt - without creating characters or caricatures.

The silhouette mixed skinny trousers, often in bright rock-and-roll satin, with more ample volumes like pajama tops or slightly ratty sweaters. Suits required no shirts, as the designers advocated instinctive dressing.

One look seemed to distill the collection to its boyish essence: Straight leg jeans with a knit top featuring striped detailing, worn with floral-stamped cowboy boots.

Fashion as meaning

The designers said the collection was meant to offer hope in difficult times, proffering humanity as a form of resistance to whatever may be oppressing.

“It’s a bit of an answer to what of course is happening. We have to resist with our instinct, with our humanity, with our passion, with our romance,” Prada said backstage. Good work, she said, is also a form of resistance.

The message contained in the collection “has to be optimistic by definition and in principle,” Prada said.

The Setting The ever-transforming showroom inside the Prada Foundation’s Deposito contemporary art space was sheathed in Art Noveau carpet, and the runway was set on raised metal scaffolding. Simons said it represented contrasts, decoration and a work-in-progress.

Star power Prada's front row hailed from across the globe and disciplines, including British actor and musician William Gao, arriving with British musician Olivia Hardy, US actor Keith Powers, South Korean actress Kim Tae-ri, Chinese table tennis player Ma Long and British actor Louis Patridge. A crowd of fans waited just beyond a barricade to cheer them all.