MILAN: The bold and beautiful fashion roadshow arrives in Italy this week, as Milan Fashion Week opens its doors on Tuesday with a packed calendar of runway shows, retrospectives, and tributes. This year’s edition carries a particularly emotional weight, following the recent passing of two icons who helped define the soul of Italian style — Giorgio Armani and Gian Paolo Barbieri.
Both men transformed global aesthetics in their own ways: Armani through his minimalist yet timeless tailoring that reshaped modern elegance, and Barbieri through his cinematic photography that elevated fashion into art. Their creative legacies continue to influence how the world sees beauty, identity, and Italian sophistication.
A Tribute to Armani’s Enduring Legacy
Earlier this month, the Armani Group confirmed that its shows would proceed as planned to commemorate both the house’s 50th anniversary and the opening of a major retrospective at Milan’s Pinacoteca di Brera.
“We are celebrating Milan Fashion Week in memory of one of its founding fathers,” said Carlo Capasa, President of the National Chamber for Italian Fashion (CNMI). The exhibition will explore Armani’s evolution from the understated power suits of the 1980s to the fluid, sculptural silhouettes that came to define the essence of Italian elegance.
Gian Paolo Barbieri: A Life in Pictures
Running parallel to the runway celebrations is Milan’s heartfelt homage to Gian Paolo Barbieri, the self-taught visionary whose black-and-white photography became synonymous with post-war Italian glamour.
The first major retrospective of his work since his passing last year opens this week in Milan, offering a window into six decades of fashion history through Barbieri’s lens.
His portraits of Audrey Hepburn, Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, Donatella Versace, Eva Herzigová, and Vivienne Westwood—whose image now hangs in London’s National Portrait Gallery—defined not only eras but emotions. With his meticulous eye for composition and beauty, Barbieri captured fashion as theatre, crafting images that remain timeless in their power and poise.
Sustainability Takes Center Stage
While nostalgia runs deep this season, Milan is also looking firmly ahead. Among the week’s highlights are the spring/summer collections of Italian powerhouses including Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Max Mara, Fendi, Ferragamo, Roberto Cavalli, and Bottega Veneta.
On Saturday, 27 September, the Teatro alla Scala will host the CNMI Sustainable Fashion Awards 2025, honouring the industry’s most environmentally responsible designers. The finalists were selected under the guidance of Paola Deda of the United Nations Alliance for Sustainable Fashion.
Also spotlighted is “Designers For The Planet”, a project dedicated to eight emerging talents who have placed sustainability at the core of their creative process. Curated by Sara Sozzani Maino, CNMI’s International New Talent and Brands Ambassador and Creative Director of the Sozzani Foundation, the initiative champions the next generation of conscious design.
Innovation and Global Voices at the Fashion Hub
The Fashion Hub at Palazzo Giureconsulti will once again serve as the beating heart of innovation — a public space for creativity, experimentation, and dialogue. Visitors can register online or on-site to explore thematic exhibitions including “Voices of Seoul”, a collective showcase of Korean designers now in its second edition, and “GoMongolia”, featuring five emerging brands from the Asian nation.
The hub, envisioned as a laboratory of ideas, provides a platform for young designers to gain international visibility, forge professional connections, and develop sustainable business models. Many of its events will also be accessible via livestream, further broadening Milan’s global reach.
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