The standout shows of Milan Fashion Week Men’s S/S 2026: Dolce & Gabbana to Paul Smith

Menswear month continues this weekend with the S/S 2026 edition of Milan Fashion Week Men’s, unfolding in locations across the city. As ever, the powerhouses of Italian style will provide the week’s biggest moments, among them Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, and Emporio and Giorgio Armani. Of the latter, news came on Friday that Mr Armani would be absent from his usual runway bow after a recent hospitalisation, though a statement from the house assured he ‘worked with his usual dedication on the collections that will be presented [and] although he cannot be there in person, he will closely follow every phase of the shows.’ Leo Dell’Orco, head of menswear design, took his place at the end of the Emporio Armani show yesterday, and will do so tomorrow at Giorgio Armani.

Alongside the heavyweight houses, there’s fresh blood in Milan this season, too, with a handful of newer labels populating the week. Japanese designer Satoshi Kuwata of Setchu kicked off the Milan schedule with a fishing-inspired follow up to his Pitti Uomo debut last season, while young London native Saul Nash – known for his fluid, dance-inflected designs – is set to show in Milan for the second time. Nash included, there’s something of a British takeover in the city this season, with Paul Smith and Dunhill both making an appearance on the schedule. ‘I’ve proudly had my own showroom in Milan for 22 years and have great affection for the city,’ said the former. ‘I’ll be hosting a salon-style show which I know will be intimate and honest to who we are.’

Here, in an ongoing round-up, we select the best shows of Milan Fashion Week Men’s, as they happen.

The best of Milan Fashion Week Men’s S/S 2026

Emporio Armani

On Friday afternoon, news came from Giorgio Armani HQ that the house’s eponymous designer would not be taking his usual runway bow at either Emporio Armani or Giorgio Armani this Milan Fashion Week, choosing to recover at home after a recent hospitalisation (in lieu, head of menswear Leo Dell’Orco would greet guests at the end of each show). That said, a statement from the house assured Mr Armani had ‘worked with his usual dedication on the collections that will be presented’ and, at Emporio Armani – held at the Tadao Ando-designed Teatro/Armani on Saturday evening – the collection felt certainly typical of the designer’s oeuvre (indeed, he was purportedly FaceTiming the team moments before the show).

Set against billowing beige curtains and staged on a runway of sunbaked tiles, this collection was about the fantasy of travel and escape – a perennial theme of the designer’s summer collections. Spurred by ‘a genuine interest in other cultures’, as Mr Armani described, wrapped, scarf-like silhouettes, carpet bags, tasselled jacquard jackets and voluminous trousers, which ruched at the ankles, recalled the nomadic cultures of northern Africa, albeit in hyper-luxurious style (‘Moroccan mosaics and Berber tents’ were both references for the collection). In a similar vein, the collection’s sporty stream of opening EA7 looks – which came out so fast some guests had barely taken their seats – recalled a more contemporary desert wanderer, with sleek, technical-wear designed to protect its wearer from the elements. JM

Paul Smith

There’s nothing like wandering through the aisles of a European supermarket on holiday – everything familiar, yet different enough to spark intrigue – before picking up some fresh fruit, a few trinkets from a shop, and throwing back an espresso far later in the day than you’d dare to at home. It’s these little pleasures that punctuated Paul Smith’s first debut in Milan – a city where the 78-year-old godfather of British design has long based his HQ, but until now, had never presented a collection during fashion week.

As such, he wanted to keep things personal. Guests were welcomed down to the sleek, modern building Paul Smith is based, where blue crates from farmer’s markets made neat rows for seating and the designer’s voice softly recounted memories of his extensive travels. Eschewing the theatrics of a traditional runway, the show took on the charm of a nostalgic salon, presenting something of an album of his adventures. Bold prints and clashing textiles drew on vintage treasures from far-flung places, while a retro palette of green, fuchsia and coral radiated 1980s European heat. Silhouettes nodded to 1950s tailoring, with jackets cropped and trousers high-waisted, while Smith’s flair for pattern shone through in leather appliqué birds, florals, and photographic collages on shirts, outerwear and ties – a technique he pioneered in the brand’s early years.

Surprisingly intimate for a label of its scale, the salon format allowed models to meander through the space, offering a close-up look at accessories that winked at the art of souvenir hunting – such as hotel room key fobs that became charms dangling from leather belts, berets, and net bags filled with fresh veg. Few designers could pull off such a maximalist assemblage of ideas, but a bold eclecticism has been Smith’s first language since founding his brand in 1970. A Milan debut to remember, it was a celebration of the expressive sophistication that has defined his vision for more than 50 years. OB

READ: Paul Smith on his ‘lovely and simple’ Milan Fashion Week debut

Dolce & Gabbana

Before the Dolce & Gabbana show, held at the house’s Metropol venue in central Milan, a series of screens showed models lolling in bed in cotton pyjamas – a vision of Sunday-morning ease which permeated the collection itself. Titled ‘Pyjama Boys’, the playful S/S 2026 outing saw Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce riff on cotton pyjama pants and shirts, while oversized tailoring was gently crumpled as if models had just stepped out of bed (indeed, thrown-on jackets in mock croc and signature Dolce & Gabbana leopard print looked as if models were off on an early-morning milk run). The idea of softness was another theme – fluffy-edged parkas, cotton-jersey henleys, and a colour palette of gelato pastels all showed a sweeter side of Dolce & Gabbana – while the closing looks saw pyjama sets embellished with swathes of surface hand-finished embellishment, from glimmering crystals to floral embroidery. It made for a breezy summer offering which looked seductive in the Milanese heat – even more so when the models trailed out of the Metropol and onto the sun-drenched street outside, where the usual throngs of fans screamed in delight. JM

Setchu

Satoshi Kuwata knows a thing or two about patience. The Japanese designer waited nearly 20 years to launch his own brand, working his way from a job at Pret a Manger to a tailor in Angel before making it to Savile Row, later joining teams at Gareth Pugh and Givenchy. Knowing this, it’s less surprising that his other lifelong love, besides clothes, is fishing – an activity where those who are willing to wait will reap the best reward.

Shown yesterday evening at Galleria Ordet in Milan, Kuwata’s follow-up to his debut at Pitti Uomo found its starting point in a recent fishing trip to Zimbabwe. Here he met master weavers of the Batoka tribe, leading to theatrically woven baskets, hats, and skirts made in collaboration with local artisans – a partnership supported by LVMH’s Métiers d’Art initiative. These palm-fronded pieces – more like sculptures than clothing – were paired with designs that blurred savoir-faire tradition with the playful cuts of contemporary Japanese design.

Shirting was twisted and tied over the body in embracing shapes with sleeves left dangling, while ‘origami-cut’ tailoring – made to be packed and neatly folded – struck a balance between rigour and play (such as a safari jacket with tote bag-esque straps, seen slung over one model’s shoulder). Echoes of the trip to Zimbabwe ran through the collection without feeling heavy-handed, from a palette inspired by African sunsets to billowing chiffon cut with the water of Victoria Falls in mind. A display of authenticity and skill guided by the setchu principle – a ‘compromise’ or blending of cultures – these were the clothes of a designer who knows exactly where he’s going. OB

Stay tuned for live coverage of Milan Fashion Week Men’s here.