Ciao, friends! For the past five days I have been immersed in the world of Italian fashion, seeing the spring/summer 2025 collections up close and personal from the runways, showrooms and appointments of Milan Fashion Week. Craftsmanship and glamour are always top of the agenda here at the style capital -- I never tire of seeing really beautifully made clothes, bags and shoes, and no other fashion hub does quiet luxury quite like the Italians. Many of us view this movement as an ongoing trend but the reality is that quiet luxury has long been the cornerstone of Italian style. Glance at any of the locals who are not going to the shows and it's plain to see: they invest in high-quality goods that are classic and made to last. People accessorise and add personality to these elevated basics but this will forever be a city full of chic, pulled-together outfits that simply don't date.
Some labels stand head and shoulders above the rest, having been purveyors of this kind of luxury for decades: Max Mara's clean lines and even cleaner palette, Tod's sophisticated workwear and Loro Piana's impeccable tailoring and knitwear set the blueprint for what a wardrobe with longevity looks like.
That's not to say that trends weren't abundant -- they were! The overarching theme? A lightness and sweetness that ran through many of the collections with featherlight fabrics (think chiffon, lace, gauzy organzas) and the most heavenly of colour palettes (washed-out pastels, neutrals and plenty of subtle whites and off-whites) were whipped up into flirty, slinky, billowing-in-the-wind kind of dresses. Tailoring came loose-fitting and elegant, while statement skirts played a main character, paired with more casual tops for that Milanese dressed-up but not-too-dressed-up aesthetic.
So, let's get into it. Here are the eight trends I noticed from the spring/summer 2025 runways during Milan Fashion Week.
Pistachio green, plaster pink, limoncello yellow... the colour palette for the majority of Milan Fashion Week was soft, sweet and undeniably summer-ready. Rendered often in semi-opaque chiffons, liquid satins or the finest silks, the colours were worn solo and together to create effect.
One of the most adventurous trends of MFW was the penchant designers had for applying artworks onto clothes and accessories. From poster-style prints to blown-up photographs and classical paintings, there was a literal tapping into the world of visual arts to create a break from the standard prints one normally sees return for the summer months such as stripes or ditsy florals.
None of the designers knew six months ago that Oasis would reunite for the most anticipated gigs of this decade but there was something distinctly Brit-pop about the array of functional outerwear pieces combined with party looks -- the uniform of a parka with a sparkly dress seems like a perfect outfit to rely upon should you be fortunate enough to bag a ticket to see the Gallagher bros.
Moschino's runway featured lines and lines of bright-white laundry pegged above editors, and it set the tone for a theme that was present across the city: white cotton poplin fabric was used to create sundresses, throw-on co-ords and laid-back tailoring, while white jerseys came up in vests, tube dresses and more. If there's one thing to invest in for SS25, it's stain remover.
Florals for spring? Groundbreaking, I know! But hear me out: spring's florals genuinely look quite strange and all the more appealing for it. Whether scratched into paint to create a radical rose print, appliquéd for 3D texture or strange colour combinations, it seems florals are far from classic for next year.
The omnipresence of Y2K and a return to bohemia this year meant that I was surprised to see the 1920s influencing some designer collections. It wasn't a full blown homage to the decadent era but rather a subtle nod to the flapper dresses that woman wore so freely during the time. Loose silhouettes with dropped waists and heavily beaded (a decorative trend that was visible in many corners of both LFW and MFW), this style of dress was modernised with no-makeup-makeup and very few accessories.
One pairing I saw time and again was a knee-grazing skirt with a knitted polo shirt. It has that kind of offbeat Milanese vibe of smartness combined with something unexpected and I imagine it would make for a reliable and chic office outfit.
If any one country would ascribe to the notion that animal prints are basically a neutral, it's Italy. Leopard print was across coats and shoes, while snakeprint crept up almost everywhere. This is one of those never-ending trends that boomerangs around every year -- a wise investment.