The China Mail - Prada's skirts take centre stage as Milan Fashion Week begins

Grey and pleated or green and straight, with floral patterns on minis peeking out from under leather coats or worn simply paired with a bra: Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons reconstructed the skirt for their Spring-Summer 2027 runway show.

Sensual, modern and at times ironic, skirts encrusted with flowers clinked as the models sashayed down the runway, nearly all of them in high heels, as Naomi Watts, Michelle Williams and Uma Thurman looked on from the front row.

Tuesday's show capped a busy week for the Milan brand, which inaugurated its new flagship store within the opulent 19th-century Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, where the brand was born in 1913.

The brand has spread over eight floors, expanding beyond its boutiques, patisserie and contemporary art space to add a new underground gallery, a museum and vast private salons.

The hope is to pamper its wealthiest clients when they shop in Milan -- and provide a luxurious space to host events -- all while strengthening the brand's image.

Even as the luxury sector is finding its footing after a rough patch due to macroeconomic tensions and the prolonged slowdown in the Chinese market, Prada posted in July better-than-expected results for the first half of 2026, despite shrinking margins linked to the integration of Versace.

On Monday, Versace's former artistic director turned brand ambassador, Donatella Versace, announced that she would launch a new beauty and fashion venture with the Los Angeles-based ready-to-wear platform Revolve.

Elsewhere in Milan this week, fashionistas are awaiting the debut show at Moschino by the duo of Frenchman Loris Messina and Italian Simone Rizzo, who won critical acclaim with their urban brand Sunnei.

At Gucci, the provocateur Demna was due to present his second collection, while Fendi's Maria Grazia Chiuri will also present for the second time.

"2026 started with a fairly tough January. But fortunately we held up in the second quarter," Carlo Capasa, head of the Italian fashion chamber, said earlier this month, calling it a "miracle" that the sector continued to stay afloat amid myriad challenges.

The chamber expects the sector's revenue to be down 1.6 percent for the year, with cosmetics on the rise and apparel picking up but footwear still struggling.

One hope is a change of faces, with "many houses having changed designers, which inevitably sparks interest in the fashion world," Toni Belloni, president of LVMH Italy, told AFP.

- New boutiques -

Steps from Prada's new flagship, Vogue magazine is staging a show Tuesday celebrating "Italian craftsmanship and creativity in the age of technology," featuring La Scala's star dancer Roberto Bolle and American model Alex Consani, among other celebrities.

On the nearby Via Montenapoleone, Dior has also opened its new multi-storey boutique, complete with a restaurant headed by Michelin-starred chef Enrico Bartolini.

Milan is of great importance to Dior's parent company, LVMH. The world's number one luxury group has already unveiled in recent months new stores for its Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co and Bulgari brands.

The group has also invested in its cashmere specialist Loro Piana, inaugurating last week a new factory in Ghemme at the foot of the Alps, in Piedmont, where nearly 200 employees produce sweaters and other knitwear.

Frederic Arnault, the chief executive of Loro Piana and son of LVMHb boss Bernard Arnault, said at the inauguration that the new factory was part of the vertical integration of the company's knitwear production.

On the Milan runways, alongside staples such as Giorgio Armani and Roberto Cavalli, Portuguese brands Marques’Almeida and Miguel Vieira will stage their first shows, as will Ecuadorian designer Neithan Ruiz.

There will also be a farewell: Glenn Martens is presenting his final collection at Diesel, a brand he successfully moved upmarket over the past five years.

Marten's successor has not yet been named, but the Belgian deseigner will remain within the Diesel group, at Maison Martin Margiela.

L.Kwan--ThChM