Milan Fashion Week: Prada goes utilitarian chic while Max Mara embraces rococo style
The Italian brands showcased different approaches in Milan, with Prada blending undone style with its brand signatures and Max Mara opting for modern opulence
Here’s the lowdown on the two brands’ spring/summer 2026 shows.
There’s a reason why Prada is still the most influential brand in Milan.
In the early 1990s, Miuccia Prada – who now co-designs the label with Raf Simons – transformed her family company from a staid luggage maker into a fashion powerhouse. She’s still at the top of her game, delivering strong collections season after season – something that designers half her age struggle to achieve.
The label’s spring/summer 2026 show opened and closed with two drab, workwear-inspired outfits that you could picture a mechanic wearing. A no-nonsense shirt with flap pockets and epaulettes was worn with matching trousers and nonchalantly paired with rolled-up opera gloves or a ladylike faux croc handbag. It’s one of those seemingly awkward pairings that, at Prada, looks just right.
The utilitarian vibe of those looks intentionally clashed with the slightly undone and haphazardly put together get-ups that followed: loose bras and flimsy bandeau tops worn with cardigans and oversized sheer slip dresses that hung loose on the body. Extreme layering done the Prada way.
