As Wonderland’s editors descend on the Milanese capital, they keep tabs on this rolling round-up of the shows, presentations and collections you won’t want to miss from AW26.
After a cold, slate-grey weekend in London, the fashion flock touches down in Italy for Milan Fashion Week, which kicked off yesterday afternoon with Glenn Martens’ DIESEL AW26 show. On the horizon: a formidable lineup poised to commandeer your Instagram feed. Simone Bellotti and Louise Trotter unveil their sophomore outings for Jil Sander and Bottega Veneta, respectively, following critically lauded debuts. Elsewhere, a fresh guard of firsts is set to sharpen the schedule – Demna’s hotly anticipated debut at Gucci, Maria Grazia Chiuri’s return to FENDI, and Meryll Rogge’s inaugural showcase for Marni. An exciting season, to say the least. Here, Wonderland’s editors and writers present the ultimate cheat sheet, rounding up everything you need to know about Milan AW26.
Diesel Doesn’t Do Sunday Scaries
Waking up in an unknown bed, rubbing your eyes as flashbacks from the night before begin to seep in, all while dragging yesterday’s glitter across your face. Some might call the feeling a nightmare – Diesel’s Glenn Martens calls it successful living, not coincidentally the house’s motto. For AW26, the collection that kicked off Milan Fashion Week this afternoon, the Belgian designer reframes the walk of shame as a walk of fame, revelling in the delicious chaos of a night well lived – the kind that still feels entirely worth it come morning, when you catch your reflection and realise… you look fabulous. And hot.
Staged inside a stark, clinical-white warehouse in the heart of Milan, the show brought together 50,000 artefacts from Diesel’s archive as models strutted the runway – with a special appearance from Rema – wrapped in Martens-coded Diesel-isms: pantaboots, reworked knitwear, pleated and crinkled textures, and florals splashed across everything from dresses to handbags. “This collection is about waking up in a place, with no idea what happened last night, and you are the most glorious person ever,” says Martens’ via show notes. “When you sneak away from the hotel room of the person who you don’t even know, you are truly at your best. These are super-wearable pieces for successful living, the essence of Diesel.”
Words – Sofia Ferreira