Milan Fashion Week Spring Summer 2026 Opens with Spectacle and Surprise
Milan Fashion Week began on September 23 with a bold reimagining of what an opening day could look like. Gucci and Diesel both abandoned traditional runways in favor of unconventional showcases that set the tone for a season defined by risk, spectacle and reinvention.
Gucci introduced Demna’s first collection for the house with a film instead of a runway. The 30 minute short, The Tiger, directed by Spike Jonze and Halina Reijn, starred Demi Moore, Edward Norton, Keke Palmer, Elliot Page and Ed Harris in a tense family drama where the costumes were as central as the script. At the film’s conclusion, actors and models appeared in person wearing looks from the La Famiglia collection, which had already been teased in a photographic lookbook by Catherine Opie. The cinematic format offered a theatrical debut that signaled Demna’s intent to ground Gucci’s new era in narrative and character rather than tradition.
Diesel’s creative director Glenn Martens staged an entirely different experiment. Instead of an indoor show, models were placed inside transparent egg shaped pods scattered across 18 public locations in Milan. Locals and visitors used a live map to track the eggs, turning the event into a citywide treasure hunt. At Piazza Beccaria, a central hub pulsed with brass music and crowds while participants who completed the hunt could win exclusive Diesel pieces. The collection itself leaned into distressed denim, layered fabrics, trompe l’oeil prints and bold tailoring, but it was the democratic staging that drew headlines by putting fashion directly into the hands of the public.
Elsewhere on day one the atmosphere was charged with anticipation. Attention was building around new creative directions at Bottega Veneta, Versace and Jil Sander. Buzz was growing for Giorgio Armani’s upcoming fiftieth anniversary retrospective. Celebrities filled Gucci’s premiere while Diesel’s citywide performance spilled into the streets, making Milan itself part of the runway.
The opening day demonstrated two opposing yet complementary visions. Gucci leaned into storytelling and cinematic artistry while Diesel invited playful public participation. Together they underscored a shift in Milan Fashion Week toward immersive, disruptive formats that blur the lines between fashion, entertainment and everyday life.
Watch “The Tiger” below.
