Milan Fashion Week’s Next Chapter: Gucci to take center stage, brands switch to coed shows
Milan is preparing for a bustling Fashion Week next month as the couture season continues in Paris. Gucci has secured a significant spot for the official schedule’s first draft, opening Milan Fashion Week. The Italian luxury brand will showcase its runway show on February 25, with the location remaining undisclosed for now.
The house of Gucci plans to return to the coed format for its shows—or, as the brand prefers to label it, a “unified” iteration, with men’s and women’s collections presented together. Creative director Sabato De Sarno will host this coed display in February and September. In May, Gucci will also hold a coed cruise 2026 show in Florence.
The decision to move to a coed format was announced in November last year. The company believed that this format would allow De Sarno to present a “sleek, thoughtful and cohesive storyline” for Gucci, fostering a dialogue between the complementary men’s and women’s collections. They explained that each collection “reflects and responds to the other, maintaining its individuality while contributing to a multifaceted narrative in which femininity and masculinity coexist, enrich, and elevate one another”
Milan Fashion Week, running through March 3 will likely be significantly busier than the men’s shows earlier this month. Several brands have moved or skipped their men’s shows for strategic purposes or to celebrate milestones. Fendi has decided to opt out of its traditional separate men’s show and instead will go coed with a runway event next month to kick off its centenary celebrations. Other brands making significant shifts include Dsquared2, which has adjusted the timings of its coed shows to honor its 30th anniversary.
These anniversaries are set to be a highlight in the women’s show schedule, along with Lorenzo Serafini’s debut as creative director of Alberta Ferretti, Alberto Caliri’s official return at the Missoni helm, and David Koma’s first runway show for Blumarine.
As the ‘fashion musical chairs’ continue, there’s much buzz surrounding the event; speculation has risen regarding potential shifts in creative direction for some brands. Industry speculation proposes that Luke and Lucie Meier may exit Jil Sander after the fall 2025 show, with Bally’s current creative director, Simone Bellotti, potentially becoming a successor.
Swiss brand Bally plans a coed show in February, similar to Diesel. There is speculation around Versace, with the contract of chief creative officer Donatella Versace coming up for renewal in February. Meanwhile, former Gucci president Marco Bizzarri is reportedly gathering funds to invest in Milan’s Versace. The competition is high, with Barclays drumming up buyers for Versace and Jimmy Choo on Capri’s behalf. The auction is said to have started with about 15 potential buyers, but it’s now down to half, with the next round of bids expected to be finalized in early February.