From Madonna to Marvel, a fashion under pop influence

Naomi Campbell, Julianne Moore, Carey Mulligan, Korean pop stars… A diverse collection of celebrities paraded along the Milanese cobblestones during the Spring/Summer 2025 women’s fashion week, sometimes generating crowds in front of the shows. The big Italian houses have undoubtedly done everything in their power to ensure their visibility. An investment intended to counteract the gloomy economic outlook? No doubt about it. Because transalpine fashion is not immune to the general slowdown in the sector.

Its turnover fell by 6.1% in the first half of the year and a 3.5% drop is expected for the whole year compared to 2023, according to the National Chamber of Italian Fashion. To compensate for this lack of dynamism, the latter introduced some strategic changes to its fashion week calendar: instead of grouping the big brands together midweek, it dispersed them from 17 to 23 September, encouraging guests to stay longer (and spend their money) in the Lombard capital.

The heavyweight in charge of bringing in the professionals from the opening is Fendi. And as the inaugural brand of the fashion week, the LVMH brand has not spared any resources. In front of the Maxi studio, a noisy crowd watches the arrival of the “friends of the house”, from the contemporary artist Marina Abramovic to the singer Jade Thirlwall. Inside, the space is occupied by a giant pale pink box towards which the models converge and which will eventually open to offer a very Instagrammable image of all the young women gathered. The Roman house will celebrate its centenary in 2025, and this collection, which will be in stores next year, is inspired by its founding years.

“The year 1925 was also that of the International Exhibition of Decorative Arts in Paris, the publication of Mrs. Dalloway [de Virginia Woolf] and of The Great Gatsby [de F. Scott Fitzgerald] »enthuses designer Kim Jones, who was inspired by “Modernity reigned over clothing, decoration and minds”. Sequin wrap dresses with geometric or fringed motifs fit into a more modern wardrobe, in powdery tones, where a transparent skirt embroidered with flowers matches with hiking shoes. A friendly collection, aimed at customers who are already interested in the brand.

Opposite the Prada Foundation, the K-pop group Enhypen is greeted by enamoured banners from fans chanting the names of the seven young people. Inside, the atmosphere is more austere. The decor is limited to a sky-blue fabric stretched over the stools. The collection seems to be made up of junk: leather dresses invaded by metal rings, trompe l’oeil jackets of fur drawn on the fabric, elegant buttery yellow silk dresses, crumpled shirts, rigid perforated metallic skirts… Each silhouette tells a different story, sometimes seductive, but more often confusing, and this oddity is enhanced by accessories, such as these oversized sunglasses reminiscent of a Spider-Man mask.

“We live in an age of information overload, dominated by algorithms that give everyone the opportunity to form their own version of reality. We wanted to revisit this idea.”, deciphers co-designer Miuccia Prada. “And each silhouette represents a superhero. With social media, everyone is becoming a superhero.”His partner Raf Simons completes the look. The duo achieves their goal because the collection gives the impression of a random combination of garments mixed with Marvel sauce. But the stylistic dispersion leads to the same flaws as the avalanche of photos on Instagram: in the end, it is difficult to choose one silhouette or another.

Draped dresses and iridescent palette

There is no Milan Fashion Week without Giorgio Armani! But, in this season with an altered calendar, even he deviates from his habits. The patriarch, who celebrated his 90th birthday in July, presented only one collection instead of two. His main line, Giorgio Armani, will show in New York on October 17, on the occasion of the inauguration of a new Armani building on Madison Avenue, which will bring together several boutiques and a restaurant. In Milan he was content to present his Emporio Armani collection, as always in the minimalist premises of his brand, via Bergognone.

In terms of style, permanence is also present: a mix of soft suits, riding breeches, jackets, parkas and trench coats alternating with little draped dresses and long skirts in an iridescent palette. Aware that we still have to make concessions in the face of a changing world, the veteran of Italian fashion is renovating its stores and inaugurated the renovation of its flagship in Via Alessandro Manzoni during fashion week. Now very much in tune with the times, with its eco-resin floor and its ceiling covered with screens.

The most important brand of Milan Fashion Week remains, without a doubt, Gucci, which, at its peak in 2022, managed to surpass the symbolic mark of 10 billion euros in turnover. But those prosperous times are long gone. In addition to the tense economic context, Gucci has struggled to regain its style since artistic director Sabato de Sarno took over in 2023. To regain growth, the Kering group, to which the brand belongs, continues to invest: the show takes place at La Triennale, a palace where the presence of Hollywood stars, but especially of the K-pop singer Jin, justifies the installation of a large Fan Zone in front of the red carpet. Gucci certainly knows how to promote itself. The central point remains: the collection.

Until now, Sabato de Sarno had not proven his worth, offering garments that were too simple or disparate to really define a style. In his note of intentions, the Italian explains that this time he was inspired by “the moment when the sun sets in the sea at the end of an August day”and the décor, in shades of twilight, embodies this idea well. But if we are supposed to keep our feet in the sand, why is the bulk of the so-called “Casual Grandeur” collection made up of smart, urban clothing?

Sabato de Sarno moves from wool trousers to long draped dresses fastened with a jewel, passing through leather wrap coats and nightgowns of the finest lace, all in a palette of black and burgundy and paired with knee-high boots. The second part of the collection, with its touches of neon yellow and its embroidered ball miniskirts, evokes a little more summer, but struggles to seduce. The nods to the archives and the excessive use of the house codes (the bit and bamboo present in shoes, bags, jewelry, prints, etc.) are not enough to give coherence or a much-needed new impetus. No matter how rich Gucci’s heritage is, it must be nourished by new ideas to keep it shining.

In front of the Dolce & Gabbana show, the crowd of spectators is always impressive. This season is no exception, as Madonna is among the guests, her face hidden by a black lace veil; she is also the source of inspiration for the collection. “Madonna has always been our icon. Thanks to her, many things in our lives have changed.”say designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. Dolce & Gabbana began dressing the singer in 1991, designed her outfits for several of her tours, and chose her for their advertising campaigns… In 2000, The duo had already dedicated their collection “Madonna, the 80s” to her. This time they are addressing the Virgin. ninetyat the risk of evoking the work of Jean Paul Gaultier, who, in 1990, designed the costumes for her “Blond Ambition” tour.

It’s hard not to see a date when the models arrive in their pale pink corsets with conical breasts. While all the outfits feature Jean Paul Gaultier’s iconic pointed breasts, the rest of the costumes lean more towards Dolce-Gabanesque folklore, with its variety of tight dresses: floral, lace-up backs, lace, fringe… The staging, where the models slowly descend a mirrored staircase on their vertiginous heels, which gives them the appearance of characters from a film or a music video. After greeting and kissing Madonna, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana headed backstage with wet eyes and burning cheeks. Fashion has become big business but, fortunately, it also remains a business of feelings.