Milan Fashion Week really stands out this season as the definitive destination for personal style.
The theme wove itself through many of the collections presenting during MFW, and it feels as though it’s a symbol of the city’s fashion week itself. It’s been a while since the zeitgeist has made room for such individuality (outside of niche circles), as consumers are expected to perpetually chase after rapid and often thoughtless trend cycles, both in contemporary and even designers spaces.
I’ve been yapping about it for days and I have to continue here: Prada’s SS25 collection, whether you were a fan or not, will be a highly important collection that’ll be referenced for years. It is a marked one not only because of its projected performance, commercially speaking, but because of the momentum it will create around the relevance of personal style. Leaning into personal style eases some of the consumer desire to overconsume in an endless trend chase, and promotes consumers to shop from resale and talented independent brands as they seek individual expression (not to mention allows greater creativity from designers).
Miuccia Prada’s and Raf Simon’s inspiration this season was rooted in the idea that in a world shaped by algorithms and curated realities, true creativity and personal expression come from individuality. They believe fashion can empower people to transform how they see themselves and define their own identities - and they’re absolutely correct.
And then there’s Marni. Initially I was rather bewildered by the collection, which felt like it was almost blatantly referencing Alice in Wonderland (Marni’s actual FW20 collection inspo) - but days later I’m left still thinking about it, and intrigued by the mischievousness of the SS25 collection. Why? Because it was just so individual.
Risso, who took over Marni in 2016, has always been known for his bold, irreverent approach to design. His distinct POV - and continued commitment to the playful defiance that drives Marni - supports a needed embracement and return to personal style.
So, amidst the many relevant trends we’ll look at this season, this macro focus on personal style seems to be the most critical one, at least culturally speaking. Milan Fashion Week and its influential designers got a little weird this season, and for that, we can thank them.
#milanfashionweek #fashionnews #prada #marni #fashionindustry
Senior Director of Product Development and Production
7moAmazing, Ryne! 👏