MILAN, ITALY — After a few seasons playing catch-up with trends, Dolce & Gabbana’s Stefano and Domenico returned to their strengths for Autumn/ Winter 2026, and guess what?
The trends have finally managed to catch up with them. Slouchy dressing has been big news across Italy’s important collections, which means the house’s distinct versions should prove alluring to retailers and customers shopping for a look of their taste.
The collection was mostly neutral and monotonous, but it didn’t feel bleak or brooding. A sharply trimmed longline blazer with gold jewellery at the neckline looked like a good time. And if you’re looking for something more dramatic but just as youthful, there were evening separates in black tucked into trousers with Edwardian shirts.
Titled The Portrait of Man, the collection paid homage to the singular identity of every model, portraying not a theme, but a creative manifesto. Here, individuality returns to the centre of menswear, where each model is seen as a self-contained universe of passions, memories, and inner tensions.
The only trouble was, though, that such individuality didn’t reflect on the inclusion of the actual casting: the quota of models coming from European countries were present, but overall they didn’t feel representative of today’s multicultural landscape. What a missed opportunity.
The runway becomes a gallery of living portraits, where the looks function as a psychological and sartorial self-portrait of each person. As seasons go, tailoring rules supreme and becomes a tool of expression beyond all manner of conventions. Shoulders define character; constructions reveal intention; fabrics and textures speak of memory and presence.
Elsewhere, standouts encompass the likes of deep velvets and compact wools, ranging from matte silks to modern brocades. Indeed, each material reflects a different way of inhabiting the world of the wearer. If some pieces (the shearlings and fur-trimmed toppers) prompted a dejà-vu reaction—as in, doesn’t that resemble [insert another high-end label please] from past collections?
It simply confirms that these designers have a knack for vanquishing runway clichès into first-date fashion. Their collection will make it to man-about-town walks and opera premieres; skin-tight shirts and cosy knits have a wear-anywhere appeal, while accessories have a dusk-till-dawn style potential, too. All in all, these are lifestyle codes that the designers understand well.
by Chidozie Obasi