Diesel’s denim set design, AVAVAV’s RUNway, and the Black Carpet Awards: As the industry heads from Milan to Paris, we take a look at our favourite moments from the Italian fashion capital.
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Renowned for their craftsmanship and materials, Milan is often synonymous with luxury labels and old school glamour. But this season, designers proved that the city’s playful side is thriving too — with grassy heels, denim runways, and models giving track stars a run for their money. Between awe-inspiring set designs, tributes to the likes of Madonna and Roberto Cavalli, and music scores that brought collections to a new dimension, here are our 7 superlatives for Milan Fashion Week.
Best set design: Diesel’s denim dreamland
Denim on denim, anyone? For Diesel’s show this season, creative director Glenn Martens looked to the brand’s origins as well as its future — combining their signature distressed denim with a message of sustainability and circularity. Constructing the set using 15 tons of fabric scraps, the label transformed the space into a cool-tone, blue denim world, matched perfectly to the looks. The scraps will then go back into the cycle, repurposed for a new life.
Best choreography: AVAVAV
Ever since AVAVAV had the audience throw trash at their AW24 models, the internet has been patiently waiting for what the brand would bring to the catwalk next. This season, they put the ‘run’ in ‘runway,’ as models ran down a track in an Adidas collaboration. One of our favourite — and most difficult to look at — details was a pair of four-toe sneakers that doubles as a bag. We hope those models were paid well.
Best tribute: Dolce and Gabanna’s ode to Madonna
Perhaps as beloved for her fashion as for her music, Madonna has long blurred the lines between ready-to-wear and on-stage costumier, pushing the boundaries of underwear-as-outerwear and debuting avant-garde trends we now associate firmly with 1980s style. We’ve all seen the photos: the wedding dress-inspired tulle skirt, bustier, and ‘Boy Toy’ belt at the 1984 MTV Video Music Awards; the plethora of Marilyn Monroe and Marie Antoinette references; and, of course, the one and only Jean Paul Gaultier conical-bra, worn during her Blonde Ambition tour. In an homage, Dolce and Gabbana presented a collection full of nods to the icon and her decade-defining looks — straight to Madonna herself in the front row.
Best accessories: GCDS
Butterflies trapped inside a clear bag with a bedazzled phone for a handle. Fuzzy orange kitten heels with red stitching and silver charms. An oversized overnight bag that blends into the grassy runway. The list goes on. Giuliano Calza’s SS25 collection, “Flowers of The Concrete,” makes it difficult to pick a favourite accessory.
Best score: Attico’s breaking glass
When glass shatters, its sharp edges reflect light in a sparkling dance of delicacy and power — fragile and dangerous all at the same time. Piecing the broken parts back together takes patience, resilience, and focus, and the result is the most magical of all: a fresh start. These are the themes captured in Attico’s SS25 presentation, set to a score by Frédéric Sanchez that fills the chandelier-ified space with the sound of breaking glass.
Best event: Black Carpet Awards
Anna Wintour and Michelle Francine Ngonmo at Black Carpet Awards, courtesy of Black Carpet Awards
This fashion week, the Afro Fashion Association hosted the second edition of their Black Carpet Awards at Teatro Manzoni in Milan to industry powerhouses, from Anna Wintour to IB Kamara. Founded with a mission to promote diversity within the creative industries, the event honoured ten Change Leaders across five categories — culture, creativity, community, entrepreneurship, and legacy — along with a special Virgil Abloh Award, which went to fashion and textile designer Romy Calzado. “This event is so much more than just an awards ceremony; it is a powerful platform to celebrate and uplift those who are often invisible in our society,” shares Founder of Afro Fashion Association, Michelle Francine Ngonmo. “It is a reminder of the importance of visibility, recognition, and the profound impact that diversity, equity, and inclusion have in the creative industry.”
Best finale: Roberto Cavalli
As Fausto Puglisi’s SS25 Roberto Cavalli show came to a close, guests were in for one final surprise. In an homage to the House’s founder, Mr. Cavalli himself, seven supermodels graced the runway in archive looks — celebrating the late designer alongside his successor as well as his wife, Eva Cavalli. The lineup included Joan Smalls, Isabeli Fontana, and Natasha Poly. Beautiful, emotional, and memorable: just what the label stands for.
