Daily trends

Prada does not do half measures. For SS27, Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons built the entire collection, all 63 looks, around a single garment: the skirt. Sheer plisse, sharp pencils, wraps, crystal-embellished columns and pleated A-lines each got their turn, in linen, knit, tulle, nylon and leather-like cotton.

The discipline is the point. By narrowing the silhouette, the design duo could push material and technique to the edge, and the result felt anything but one-note. The pencil and the pleat return as power pieces, cut with the precision Milan does best.

Outside the shows, the street took the memo literally. Midi skirts did the heavy lifting, worn with knee-high socks and sharp pumps, proof that the runway thesis translates directly to real pavements.

Demna's first Gucci collection, staged as a 'Store Show' in Milan on September 25, is a deliberate break with the discreet era. Logos are back on the outside: GG branding reads across jackets, Horsebits grow oversized, and belts come in threes, slung low over trousers.

The silhouette is built for presence. Shoulders go broad and exaggerated, collars turn up, trousers crop or sit low, and loafers stretch long without socks. A navy double-breasted peacoat with heeled equestrian boots sets the tone: tailoring with attitude.

The signal for menswear is clear: after years of stealth wealth, the pendulum swings toward clothes that announce themselves. Expect high-street echoes of the triple belt and the elongated loafer by spring.

Demna's first Gucci outing, staged as 'The Store Show,' was luxury as spectacle. Oversized Horsebit hardware, strong sculpted shoulders, visible logos, cinched belts, big bags, tartan skirts, chain jewelry and glossy boots: nothing whispered.

It is a deliberate break from the quiet years. Where Milan once traded on restraint, Demna is betting that the appetite now is for glamour you can spot across the street. The show lands squarely on the maximalist wave: chunky jewelry, bold shoulders and shine, worn with total conviction.

The commercial logic is hard to argue with. Statement hardware and recognizable icons photograph instantly, travel across social feeds, and give the house's classics a jolt of new energy. Maximalism is the new minimalism in Milan.

Glenn Martens closed his Diesel tenure with a collection that treats denim as something in motion. Jeans and knitwear appear to disintegrate into each other, shearling and leather turn up as trompe-l'oeil, and T-shirts arrive laser-cut.

The body is the point. Waists sit low, shorts get progressively briefer, and 200 (LA)HORDE performers turned the runway into a nightclub: a reminder that Martens' Diesel was always designed for after dark.

Where Gucci polishes its hardware, Diesel roughs up its textiles. The two shows read as opposite answers to the same question: one dresses up to be seen, the other dresses down to be felt. For the street, the takeaway is texture over logo: washed, frayed, cut-up denim with a low rise and a cropped leg.

At Fendi, Maria Grazia Chiuri moved lingerie into daylight. Visible bras, satin shorts, sheer slips, lace trims and body-conscious layering were styled as outerwear, finished with the house's signature furs worn light as boas.

Prada echoed the mood with bra and bralette elements, and the message across both houses was the same: the boundary between underwear and outwear has dissolved. If it looks like lingerie, wear it outside.

The trick to wearing it now is contrast. A sheer slip under sharp tailoring, a lace trim against a plain knit: the frisson comes from the mix, not the exposure alone. Styled that way, it reads as confidence rather than costume.

The week's strongest sneaker stories share a fashion-first instinct. New Balance's Made in USA 990v4 lands in 'Monarch Burgundy' with pumpernickel brown: a tonal, autumnal take on the dad-shoe icon that sold out its September 24 launch.

Kiko Kostadinov continues his ASICS run with the LYASA FF II, a split-toe silhouette with a bound leather toe-box that borrows more from the runway than the track. It dropped September 21.

The headline collaboration is Mowalola's Air Jordan 14, which gets its global launch today: brown leather, faded plaid at the rear, red plaid lining, script Mowalola branding, and the Ferrari-inspired side window swapped for a circular hit. Retail $255 via Nike SNKRS and Mowalola.

Max Mara gave utility a polish for SS27: trenches, safari shirts and cargo forms cut in light mesh and organza, finished with oversized hobo totes. Workwear codes, rendered in fabrics that move like eveningwear.

Onitsuka Tiger pushed the footwear equivalent at its 'ENERGY STATION' show. The Mexico 66 was recast as a mule, joined by wedge biker boots in yellow, metallic pink and silver, kitten heels and fisherman sandals. Practical shoes, impractical shine.

Together they sketch the season's formula: take something functional, then make it gleam. It is utility for people who never intend to get their hands dirty, and it works precisely because of the contradiction.