San Francisco Frontiers - Furry, frayed & freezing on Milan catwalks: the fashion trends

Here are some of the key trends seen during Milan's Fall/Winter 2026/2027 women's collections.

- Furry beast -

Furry, fuzzy or just plain poofy was all over the Milan runways, from the two Easter egg-shaped coats adding a bit of fun to Emporio Armani's runway to the multicoloured patchwork men's coat tipped with neon orange shown at Diesel.

Etro offered up a 1970s-inspired coat with broad shawl collar, its fuzz worthy of Bigfoot, while Roberto Cavalli's silver tipped long faux fur coat was paired with a tiny embroidered bralette and slouchy pants in a floral graphic.

At Prada, a curious furry tie-like decoration -- some resembling sable, others in cheetah -- ran down the front of sporty jackets in yellow and red like a vertical stole.

Under new designer Demna, Gucci went the other direction, showing faux fur bands worn horizontal over the chest just below the shoulders.

Most of the fur shown in Milan was faux, with Fendi the main holdout, showing real but "remodelled" furs.

Even more stunning was fibreglass, the synthetic material that Bottega Veneta turned into showstopping long coats and matching hats in ivory, electric blue and bubblegum pink whose fibres shimmered and fluttered when models sashayed down the catwalk.

And in the novelty category, small Italian brand Themoire introduced the "Fur Potato", a bag in faux shearling made from -- you guessed it -- the humble spud.

Potato starch ferments and transforms into fibres, used to create the fuzzy and degradable, diminutive clutch.

- Back-baring -

Certainly it was Gucci's skinny and sparkling backless gown shown on model Kate Moss that wins the award for least use of fabric on the back of a garment at Milan.

But it was the G-string with the Gucci logo -- a wink to Tom Ford's "must-have" item from 1997 -- that captured headlines about the unapologetically sexy collection.

Marking a break from the faux fur, chilly back-baring looks showed up at various designers' shows, despite them being intended for the upcoming fall/winter season (remember that fashion is pain).

Most notable was at Tod's, where asymmetrical "foulard" dresses in graphic prints and trimmed in leather left the back fully exposed.

- Skinnier-than-skinny, or slouchy -

"How did you get into those pants?" may have been the question on many people's minds as they watched the shows in Milan this week.

The skinniest, narrowest, tighter-than-tight pants were shown everywhere from Emporio Armani, where they were paired with high heels and big white men's button-down shirts, to Tod's, where they included a suggestion of a foot strap that evoked the world of saddlery.

In the highly feminine Dolce & Gabbana collection, thigh-high black stockings were stand-ins for skinny pants -- paired with corsets on top, of course -- while at Gucci, new designer Demna showed pants whose cut-outs dangerously below the hips suggested an exposed thong.

Other designers went for slouchy, with generous fabric in pants cut low and roomy, including harem pants at Moschino. Roberto Cavalli showed luscious faux Persian lamb cut into pleated trousers, while wide legs at Max Mara felt warm and luxurious.

- Eaten away -

Call it frayed, distressed or "eaten away" in the words of Prada, an obvious trend this season was for fabric exposed beneath other fabrics.

Distressing on the collar and front of Prada's zip-up jackets suggested "mutations from within, visible to the exterior", according to the brand, while a black satin slip looked as it had been munched on by a silk worm to reveal sheer floral fabric beneath.

At Roberto Cavalli, a dramatically distressed long-sleeve sweater in lilac remained elegant despite its half-shredded feel.

Of course, lace is the ultimate fabric that covers and exposes, and flowing black lace took centre stage in the collections of Dolce & Gabbana and Fendi.

Y.Harris--SFF