Milan Fashion Week came to a close on Saturday after several days of shows. The message from designers this season? Chic style doesn’t have to be boring.
Read on for the elegant yet exciting looks you’ll want to keep an eye out for for spring/summer 2025…
1. The shirt dress – Fendi
For an outfit that requires almost no thought, is supremely comfortable to wear, and looks smart enough for work, a shirt dress (as seen at Fendi) is your secret weapon. Long sleeves, a sharp collar, and a flattering just-below-the-knee length combine to create the ultimate wardrobe staple. It also came in a pale aquamarine, but the taupe version is more practical and effortlessly chic. Fringed bag and embroidered socks are optional. SS
2. Luxurious but make it colorful – Brioni
In recent years, luxury fashion has been associated with beige and more beige. At Brioni, creative director Norbert Stumpfl takes a more creative approach. No one in Brioni-land wants a fuchsia trench coat. But when it comes to the perfectly shaped jacket, why not make it in tomato red or powder blue silk and wear it with cream?
Stumpfl has been around since 2018, and has quietly made Brioni—particularly its womenswear—one of the most talked about off-schedule collections. No flashy big shows for the house. Instead, a chance to get up close and personal with those fluid pants, impeccable shirts, and slinky bucket bags. “It’s all about the drape and the fabrics,” Stumpfl told me, as a model walked toward us in a mismatched pantsuit that seemed the easiest to wear because so much attention had been paid to its construction. “The idea is to make it look like it’s nothing, but everything at the same time,” he said. LA
3. The Uneven Hemline – Bottega Veneta
At Bottega Veneta, considered by many to be the best of the Milan season, creative director Matthieu Blazy was in a playful mood. Inspired by a child wearing his parents’ clothes, he showed off oversized jackets and coats and voluminous knits. An uneven hemline makes a (literally) overwhelming impression and this pretty orange version has the potential to be a showstopper. But paired with a relaxed slouchy sweater and flats, it offers that elusive combination of comfortable and cool. SS
4. The Long Line Shirt – Brunello Cucinelli
Three notable developments here. 1. A new detail on trousers, sometimes pleated and gathered at the waistband, but always elegantly slouchy. 2. The longer shirt, designed to be shown off under blazers or cropped jackets. (How this will work for petite women remains to be seen, but designers everywhere are playing with these proportions—the real-life translation will depend on how well they shrink everything in store.) 3. The maxi skirt—no longer just a billowing, bias-cut piece for off-duty wear, but a tailored piece with real presence.
Add in some intricate embroidery and sparkling beading and Cuccinelli isn’t just aiming for the tech billionaires, but the red carpet crowd too. LA
5. What Now, Brown Wow – Max Mara
Brown is already becoming a strong fall line – just look at it on the high street. But the way Max Mara has incorporated it into this collection might make you consider wearing it into spring and summer too. All you need are good fabrics, clean lines and a touch of white. More specifically: sleek maxi skirts with matching cropped jackets or longer blazers and flat sandals (often worn with crisp cotton shirts and gold jewelry) contribute to a pleasantly smart but relaxed summer work or dinner outfit. LA
6. The 50s coat – Prada
Miuccia Prada and her co-designer Raf Simons were in uncompromising mood with this collection that spits in the eye of beauty. We’re talking shocking proportions, baggy trousers tucked into white cowboy boots topped with a pea green thigh-length jacket; bizarre, forehead-obliterating sunglasses; and futuristic metallic skirts with circles stamped into them.
The color combinations are punchy, too: medicinal pink, orange, and purple. But if you’re interested in the wiles of modern marketing, here’s a case study: how to stage a confusing “art crowd” show and still deliver commercial pieces in store. And there were plenty of them: this ’50s-style animal print coat , wearable knits, and of course bags galore—including a compact, patented bucket style. LA
7. The scarf top – Missoni
“Loos up and have fun” seemed to be the message at Missoni, where chiffons and primary-colored sweaters were artfully layered in modernist and Mondrian effects. The best version came in origami-esque shawl tops – wear them with easy, wide-leg pants on vacation nights next summer. KL
8. Armani without the price tag – Emporio Armani
The classic Armani silhouette is unmistakable. The Italian master of laid-back elegance has made stylish androgyny his trademark for nearly half a century. But those long, unstructured jackets and cropped trousers can come with a rather unlaid-back price tag. The answer is to turn to Emporio Armani, the brand’s younger sibling. This sleek, fitted shirtwaist, in a soft grey-blue with a dropped-shoulder sleeve and matching cropped trousers, is unmistakably Armani, without the wallet-busting side effects. SS
9. Blue Belle – Tod’s
Tod’s is all about sleek, casual daywear. In a season where shades from chocolate to cream via caramel to taupe dominated – not least on the Tod’s runway – the house still offered up some cheerful pops of colour. While lemon yellow can be a challenging shade for a trench coat, there’s no denying that a cerulean top has a pleasing effect. The cut of this azure pair is minimal and forgiving, and the proportions of the navy trousers are as generous as those of the maroon bag. And that sky blue will lift any outfit – or mood. SS
10. The Flapper Dress – Dolce & Gabbana
Designers drew inspiration from the ’90s and ’20s for this year’s Milan Fashion Week—sometimes merging the references. At Dolce & Gabbana, a handful of history’s most famously beautiful blondes—from Marlene Dietrich to Madonna—inspired the collection. The beaded, fringed midi dresses are begging to be worn to a party and paired with a champagne glass next summer. KL
11. City Shorts – Loro Piana
Designers are constantly throwing shorts down the runway in the hope that the trend will one day catch on. Usually it’s a lost cause. But for the first time in Milan, there were fashion editors in the front row who dared to try the look. So how do you make them work in real life? We’ll leave the hot pants to others to promote, but Loro Piana has delivered a pair of city-friendly Bermuda shorts that make a great case for culottes as workwear. And all with Loro Piana’s superior manufacturing and expert tailoring. SS
12. Casual grandeur – Gucci
Separates are back at Gucci, along with co-ords – in chocolate or black leather. Trench coats and parkas sweep the floor and, as elsewhere, there are silver mirror dresses and separates for those Gatsby-style parties that someone, somewhere, is still throwing. Creative director Sabato De Sarno calls it “casual grandeur”.
But the first few and last few looks pretty much sum up the predictions for the coming season: relaxed, zip-front jackets, loose trousers or shorts, and even more emphasis on shirts and flared jeans (not that most people look to Gucci for everyday wear).
This is a house still best known for its bags (note the fringed bag and Blondie, inspired by Debbie Harry who was sitting front row). But nostalgics (and increasingly so among Gen Xers) will also appreciate the draped dresses of the Tom Ford era. LA
13. High/low dressing – Versace
Going for maximum impact on your lower body with, say, a sparkly gold pencil skirt? Then balance it out up top with a classic brown shirt. These are the new rules according to Donatella Versace, who made a compelling case for wearing glitter at all hours of the day. KL
14. Ballet shoes – Ferragamo
Fashion’s obsession with ballet continues next season – we’ve seen tutus and leotards on the catwalk in London, and now in Milan. At Ferragamo, designer Maximilian Davis took a particular interest in the rehearsal wardrobe – knitted wrap cardigans and jersey leggings, in a mix of blush pink, lilac and burgundy. The two key items that anyone can transfer into their everyday wardrobe are those wrap cardigans and, best of all, ballet shoes. Ferragamo’s come with particularly impressive silk ribbon bows. KL