INSIDE MILAN FASHION WEEK—MEN’S SPRING/SUMMER 2025
by MAGDALENA ROE & THORE DAMWERTH
From JW Anderson’s whimsical call to sleep to Prada’s Sunday rave, JordanLuca’s romantic punk, and Martine Rose’s prosthetic transformations — Milan’s Spring/Summer 2025 Men’s collections have been an eclectic showcase. Dive into our highlights for an exclusive look behind the scenes and intriguing trivia.
JORDANLUCA
“We’re very honest as designers and about our process, which is always inspired by our lives and where we are at. We are not afraid to dig into those things that people might find a bit uncomfortable, while this collection perhaps also feels a bit more joyful and hopeful.”
Jordan Bowen, co-creative director of JordanLuca
JordanLuca SS25 is a ballet of contradictions. The collection juxtaposes the ethereal grace of the ballerina with the starkness of synthetic realities, capturing desires in plastic forever. Emotions are abundant yet manufactured, with synthetic appliqués highlighting the tension between the real and the unreal. Black-ravaged tutus and Duchess Silk paired with thigh-hugging lycra challenge notions of luxury while glazed silk blends and plastic-coated outerwear create fragmented feelings of opulence. The dichotomy of societal expectations and freedom is explored through ornamental black lace and laminated metallics. Some of our favourite elements, elongated leather pumps and slanted harnessed kitten heel boots, accentuate the collection’s study of savage intimacy.
JW ANDERSON
A surreal journey into dreamy proportions and spirited exaggerations, in JW Anderson’s Menswear SS25 collection loafers become bags, and balloons inflate to whimsical extremes. Flaps bend and grow, inhabiting a knitted British house, while space cadets in aggrandized attire add to the dizzying spectacle. Highlighting the collection true to Jonathan Anderson’s playful approach, a special partnership with Guinness infuses the runway with luxurious pearl embroidery mimicking Guinness foam. The collection peaks with a hand-knit intarsia cashmere blend, featuring the designer’s embroidered signature.
MARTINE ROSE
In her SS25 Collection, Martine Rose navigates the delicate balance between mass-market allure and niche beauty, presenting a subversive exploration of aesthetics in Milan. The show features bold, body-modifying elements with wigs and latex prosthetics challenging traditional beauty norms. Women’s garments are innovatively sculpted with brassiere cups moulded from motorcycling gear, while men’s suits blend double-breasted blazers with pencil skirts. A DIY sensibility pervades through cut edges, string vests, and wax resist-dye prints. Celebrating the brand’s core values, the collection embraces transparency and authenticity, culminating in a creative collaboration with Clarks, revealing a fresh take on classic designs.
“I just loved the show in general. And I’m excited about the new Nikes that are about to drop!”
Kaytranada on the show and the new Nike Trainers featured in homage to the long-standing relationship between Martine Rose and Nike
PRADA
Prada’s SS25 collection by Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons questioned the power of reality in a world of the imaginary, emphasising simplicity over perfection. Viewed from afar, pieces can pretend to be different—details may seem simplistic and naive, but up close, perceptions transform. Deliberately creased and aged fabrics carry the marks of our time, as if you’d thrown your garments on in the morning after a night out, highlighting imperfections as signs of life and reality. What might seem like belts are revealed upon closer examination to be integrated elements of low-waist fitted suit pants. Bernard Buffet paintings appear, printed like concert t-shirts. Like wearing pieces stolen from a father’s or mother’s closet, we find exaggerated proportions, deliberately long or cropped, instinctively combined and transposed to a new context.
The designs embody freedom and energy, set in a rave-themed atmosphere at the Fondazione Prada. A simple hut, from which blasting techno emerged just before the show started, symbolizes essential, authentic living, mirrored in straightforward, uncontrived clothing. This vision blends Prada’s heritage with youthful optimism, demonstrating a reflection on the now.
EMPORIO ARMANI
Emporio Armani’s SS25 collection takes the urban man on a journey to nature’s boundless horizons. Trading cityscapes for expansive lavender fields and sunlit slopes, the collection embodies a newfound freedom and sensuality. Colours inspired by nature—wheat, sand, and bougainvillaea—dominate the palette. The lightest of wools, silk blends, and perforated denim create a wardrobe of airy, tactile garments. Dropped-shoulder jackets, elasticated blousons, and soft, straight trousers evoke a country and equestrian spirit with high-waisted trousers, leather Bermuda shorts, and woven straw hats emphasising a rustic charm. This vision of freedom extends to women’s pieces, capturing summer’s playful and ethereal essence in fluid, bright designs.
MAGLIANO
Magliano delves into “tender, fleeting memories that resurface like unexpected storms” for its SS25 collection. Silhouettes are essential, recalling the gaunt memories of the 2000s, rendered in white, black, and greys. Classics transform with beach-inspired and folk elements, where coats integrate towels and trousers double as swimwear. Childhood is evoked through cross-stitch, merging poetry with the mundane, and embodying an unconditional alliance with Cormio/Magliano sweaters. The collection’s hero, Pinocchio, symbolises transformation, while workwear morphs into chic attire. The climax sees latex fighting organic elements, highlighting the insubordination of both body and clothes in Western culture’s rigid conventions.
DOLCE & GABBANA
Celebrating the timeless allure of Italy, Dolce & Gabbana’s SS25 collection evokes the spirit of the Grand Tour. Handcrafted by skilled artisans, the collection features tailored jackets, amphora trousers, and linen shirts, reflecting pure Italian craftsmanship. Inspired by the 1950s, the era of Marcello Mastroianni, the aesthetic is sophisticated and nostalgic. Colours of white, sand, brown, burgundy, green, and Sicily black dominate, with stripes in various sizes enhancing the retro vibe. Raffia and leather adorn shoes, overcoats, and jackets, embodying the essence of a luxurious Italian summer.
DSQUARED2
For SS25, Dean and Dan Caten bring the heat to the runway between elegance and edge, softness and strength – creating one of their most exciting, and undeniably sexy fashion mashups yet. As the iconic red velvet curtains of Milan’s historic Teatro Lirico Giorgio Gaber rise, latex-clad figures dance in hanging cages to kick off the show. Sheer chiffons are draped around the body revealing skin-tight harnesses or barely-there bralettes and denim peels away into sculptural latex.
Dsquared2 once again showed us how sexiness and certain extraness transform in a collection that brings together a liberated community of artists, athletes, and aesthetes, an underground milieu that is a poetry salon, wrestling league, and kink scene all in one.
FENDI
As Fendi approaches its 100th anniversary, Silvia Venturini Fendi’s SS25 Men’s collection draws on the house’s storied craftsmanship. Tailoring deconstructs work and play uniforms, rendered in hues of sherbet, mist, and buttermilk, alongside deep indigo and forest green. The signature Selleria stitch, passed down from Roman saddlers in 1925, appears throughout, from pinstripe suiting to boro denim. Fluid trench coats and slashed trousers evoke nostalgia with a modern twist. Accessories, including the Peekaboo ISeeU soft bag and patchwork Baguette, continue the Selleria obsession, while whipstitch details on Fendi Force sneakers underscore the collection’s blend of elegance and sportiness.
GUCCI
Gucci closed Milan’s SS25 Menswear Fashion Week with Sabato de Sarno blending beach and city vibes in a captivating runway. Infusing Italian streets with a salty breeze, the show – titled “incontri” – celebrated the eclecticism of gatherings on sand or in museums. Long wool and bonded leather coats paired with unique bowling shirts featuring utility-inspired three-pocket designs, adorned with beaded fringe and embroidered flowers. Infinity prints of surfers, dolphins, and hibiscus flowers highlighted the “tourist” aesthetic. Archival-inspired Gucci luggage enhanced the getaway feel while soft colours and upside-down sunglasses added a playful touch, embodying Gucci’s effortless, relaxed elegance.
