MILAN, ITALY — It’s rare to hear designers profess Fall as their preferred season. Deliveries and key drops arrive at a puzzling moment: should a lineup consist of wear-anywhere essentials or breezy coats? A mix of cosy separates and snazzy statements? In a season where simplification and subtle provocation have largely emerged, designers didn’t get bogged down in minutiae.
Chalk it up, in part, to the somewhat season-less quality of the clothes, created with inventive yet structured layering in mind: a longline piece over a slip, a skirt over trousers. Top it off with a slouchy jacket and bask in an air of effortless cool.
Ferrari AW26
Ferrari AW26
Ferrari AW26
Poised change comes incrementally in Milan’s collections; it does come, even if you have to look closely. This season, for instance, designers reworked their tailoring, integrating more structured fabrics and introducing a softer, pragmatic take on suiting. There was also a downtick in colour, a neutral tee worn with fitted pants delivered minimalist moments destined for many wardrobes. Little bags splashed with logos are likely to find plenty of takers, too. Silhouettes narrowed and became more essential; deconstruction was reduced to a gesture, like the crisp hem of a silky blazer.
“As a tenth collection, I wanted to celebrate a very intimate story that talks about empathy, connection and transformation,” Rocco Iannone, chief creative officer at Ferrari, told GLASS backstage. “It’s a concept that starts from our skin, understood as a membrane that surrounds us, protects us, but also connects us with the world.” The clothes were conceived as a second skin, hence an exploration of nude tones and enveloping constructions that protect as much as they reveal.
Ferrari AW26
Ferrari AW26
Ferrari AW26
Ferrari AW26
On fabrics, “it was very important this season to explore touch as a feeling,” he said. “The fabric gives you the opportunity to experience emotion—from liquid silk to leathery surfaces that replicate a turtle’s shell.” And the references?
“Water, considered an element of connection, is an electrical conductor. I liked the idea of using it as a metaphor—able to connect us through the electricity it carries, but also to represent changing skin, new opportunities and the future.”
Ferrari AW26
Ferrari AW26
Ferrari AW26
Ferrari AW26
Ferrari’s AW26 outing leaned into conceal-and-reveal, from weightless underwear-inspired pieces and draped, softly muscular duchesse to sturdy leather, dry wools and liquid cupro that made a case for airy strength.
Dolce & Gabbana AW26
Dolce & Gabbana AW26
Dolce & Gabbana AW26
A breeziness ran through Dolce & Gabbana’s proposal for next Fall, where the co-creative directors delivered a statement of identity as the ultimate luxury. Erotic, provocative and elegant in equal measure, the tension rose with the arrival of pop superstar Madonna, one of the duo’s chief muses, whose presence electrified industry insiders and fans alike. Tradition came with a sensuous undertone—the overarching themes were intimacy and authority.
Dolce & Gabbana AW26
Dolce & Gabbana AW26
Dolce & Gabbana AW26
Dolce & Gabbana AW26
Few designers would so boldly suggest fur with skin-tight trousers and heels. The duo continued to refine their sexy blazer signatures, cutting sharp patterns from boxy shapes. Though much of the offering was black, the result felt polished and elegantly structured. In short, the sort of clothes easily tossed into a weekender for a last-minute – or long-overdue – jaunt.
Tokyo James AW26
Tokyo James AW26
Tokyo James AW26
At Tokyo James, a study in opposites defined the lineup, with silhouettes that felt sculpted yet unforced. “We did a lot of wool this season, and a lot of woven fabrics,” James said ahead of the show. “There’s knitwear, which we haven’t done in a while, so we decided to bring that back, everything handmade.”
The pieces were hand-knitted in Ibadan, Lagos. Texture was integral to the dialogue: tweed, bouclé and structured wool alongside fluid fabrics that skim the body. Sheer layers and organic patterns offset architectural tailoring, while chiffon shirts—“like paper!”—felt light to the touch.
Tokyo James AW26
Tokyo James AW26
Tokyo James AW26
Tokyo James AW26
“This season, I was inspired by my dad after seeing old pictures of him; he’s a stylish man who loved scarves,” James said. AW26 included 1970s-inspired jackets with a crisp, matter-of-fact tone. “It’s a bit more stripped-back Tokyo James. It’s not as shouty as I might want. Given the socio-economic environment and the chaos in the world, I didn’t think the clothes should add to it.” The drama remained, woven leather trousers, for instance, but everything felt considered. A maximised vent at the back of a longline blazer, rendered in dusty grey and cinched with a buckled belt, added structure and poise.
Amid a challenging retail climate, James remains optimistic, noting growing demand across the African continent, from Kenya and Morocco to Senegal, Ghana and South Africa. “They’ve really been buying a lot of our products,” he said.
Simon Cracker AW26
Simon Cracker AW26
Simon Cracker AW26
Simon Cracker’s AW26 journey continued along a path of discovery, proving that growth happens slowly and without haste—maturing while retaining its sense of humour. For Simone Botte, the collection drew from family ties. “My aunts have always been muses for me,” he reflected. “There’s some skin on display, curated wardrobe picks and precise colour combinations: they’re very intentional about choosing a colour in the morning. There’s fur, too, assembled with a gritty, crafty aesthetic that has shaped the brand from the beginning.”
Simon Cracker AW26
Simon Cracker AW26
Simon Cracker AW26
For Fall, Botte extended his commitment to slow fashion. “I wanted to leave a moment of suspense with the first part shown in January, while showing how Simon Cracker has grown,” he said. “I wanted to talk about colour through the figures who have inspired me, not just aesthetically but in life. They taught me what love means. Family is not something to be taken for granted. Taking the most precious gifts you have and putting them out in public is the biggest—and perhaps most rewarding—challenge.”
Cheers to that.
by Chidozie Obasi