Key trends from Prada's autumn/winter 2026 menswear collection in Milan
Milan_ Italy - The Prada man was in search of “beauty” and “precision” for the brand's autumn/winter show on Sunday in Milan_ against the “unpredictable” backdrop of today's world.
Long coats clinging to the models' slender frames were paired with a unique cotton hat_ slung over the shoulder.
Classic trench coats were topped with a red_ yellow or purple waterproof capelet_ reminiscent of young cardinals shielding themselves from the outside world.
The shirts had a classic cut_ but their sleeves blossomed out from under the coats_ adorned with colourful cufflinks.
“We live in a time where we know so little_ we cannot predict the future. So we need clarity_ precision in clothing_” explained designer Miuccia Prada after the show.
“We wanted to focus on the essential_ on beautiful things that seem familiar but need to be reconsidered_” commented her co-creator Raf Simons.
“We have inverted the formal language of certain objects we know so well - a new silhouette_ a transformed classic shirt (...) You know all the pieces. But you do not know the final result.”
The show was set amidst the remnants of an ancient palace at the heart of the Fondazione Prada. Outside the museum_ 1_000 fans awaited the celebrity guests_ including American rapper Jack Harlow; Thai actor Win Metawin; and Korean singer Karina.
Reggaeton singer Rauw Alejandro praised a collection with “vibrant colours” and charming details_ such as the wallets (sometimes double) left casually in the back pockets of the Prada models. The brand generates a significant portion of its revenue from luxury leather goods.
Desert trilogy
A few steps from the Fondazione Prada_ in the working-class neighbourhood of Corvetto_ Milan_ French designer Emma Rowen Rose covered the floor of a former church with sand. She presented her collection inspired by painter Salvador Dalí's desert trilogy.
By candlelight_ the Apollos and Venuses from Dalí's painting revealed their forms through draped and sometimes transparent crinolines. These were structured with wide shoulder pads_ a signature of Rowen Rose.
The young designer also reimagined the pleated (faux) leathers seen on the jackets and trousers of her last season. Crocodile_ zebra? No_ this year the geometric patterns and different shades of sand referenced the cliffs of Wadi Rum in Jordan_ she told AFP.