Milan Fashion Week 2026: Maria Grazia Chiuri’s Fendi debut, and Diesel and Jil Sander’s runways
Chiuri – previously at Valentino and Dior – made a stellar debut with Fendi, while Diesel’s Instagrammable runway turned heads
Here are three highlights from the first two days of shows.
One of the biggest designer debuts this season was at Fendi. It’s a new era at the house. For the first time in the brand’s storied history – it celebrated its 100th anniversary last year – no member of the founding family is involved in the label in any creative capacity.
While the late Karl Lagerfeld and more recently Kim Jones have designed womenswear for the brand, they both worked alongside the Fendi sisters (Lagerfeld) and Silvia Venturini Fendi (both Lagerfeld and Jones).
After Jones left in 2024, Silvia Venturini Fendi – who pretty much grew up in the Fendi ateliers and was behind some of the brand’s most popular bags – designed all collections for a few seasons.
Under Chiuri, who is known for her commercial sensibility and merchandising prowess, Dior experienced massive growth, greatly expanding its accessory business and delivering ready-to-wear collections that expanded its reach to a broader audience.
The powers that be at LVMH, which owns both Dior and Fendi, are clearly betting on Chiuri to work her magic at Fendi this time around.
Held at the label’s Milan showroom, the show was a big departure from the fun and whimsical aesthetic long associated with Fendi.