Highlights from the ‘Italian Fashion Week’

Pitti Uomo and Milan fashion week always offer plenty of talking points. Here are the best.

Highlights from the ‘Italian Fashion Week’

It doesn’t take long for the world of menswear to kick off the new year. Every year in January, two of the calendar’s biggest style events inform press and visitors what the style conscious will be wearing next winter, and they both take place in Italy. Trade show Pitti Uomo kicks things off, with the world’s finest craft and heritage brands descending to Florence, before Milan’s AW25 shows welcomes big fashion houses to the runways. There is always a lot going on across both affairs, and it’s worth keeping an eye out for interesting design choices, notable unveilings and just general style inspiration. From tactile tailoring to leather outerwear and new luggage options, these are the highlights. 

The masters: Brunello, Ralph Lauren and Dunhill

Always a highlight of Milan, Brunello Cucinelli is a master of texture. For AW25 he presented one of his more experimental collections to date, combining his trademark soft tailoring with chunky knitwear, robust leather and suede outerwear and vibrant colours. The palette included rich pumpkin, sapphire and amaranth alongside more staple tones of grey, beige and blue. Tailored trousers were dressed down with bomber jackets, and suits were worn with jacquard patterned cardigans, combining the smart and casual to impressive effect.

Dunhill meanwhile presented its third collection under the creative direction of Simon Holloway. An exercise in exploring the English drape suit, the collection is a further return to the house’s elegant, tailored roots. The suit was celebrated in all forms, from double-breasted pinstripe options through to textural separates. But the fabrics set everything apart. There were suede shearling and double-faced lambskin car coats, a cashmere-lined suede blazer, donegal tweeds, glen-checks and selvedge denim. 

Elsewhere, Ralph Lauren Purple Label was also a highlight. Alongside its usual array of tailoring, which combines 1920s and ‘30s styling with a contemporary soft structure, the collection worked as a suit of ode to white trousers. A large number of the looks shown featured white trousers. There were pleated versions alongside flat fronted styles, and a variety of tones, from bright white to soft stone. Do as Ralph’s models did and wear them with deep greens, rich browns and even black. 

Brunello Cucinelli FW 2025.
Dunhill FW 2025.
Ralph Lauren Purple Label FW 2025.

Luggage: Bennett Winch and Montblanc 

At Pitti, British brand Bennett Winch showed off its full array of new, tobacco suede bags. The colour may be inspired by the ‘70s, but the fabric and construction is right up to date. Each style, from the backpack and tote to the weekend holdall is made from Italian moss-backed and treated suede. It looks the part but is also entirely waterproof, making the bags as rugged and durable as its cotton canvas versions.  

Montblanc also looked to the past for inspiration with its latest collection, which was presented in Milan. The idea of travel was riffed on throughout its presentation, with the entrance corridor referencing the golden age of train travel and early Montblanc advertisements from the 1920s. The bags, too, had an air of old age glamour about them, with the highlight being a riff on the briefcase. The front zip compartment opens up to reveal dedicated sections for pens, wallets and a notebook, and even an integrated watch roll. 

Bennett Winch FW 2025.
Montblanc FW 2025.

Leather outerwear: Canali and Tod’s 

Think of leather jackets and you likely picture black biker-styles or brown leather bombers. In Milan though, leather outerwear featured prominently in a wide range of cuts, colours and finishes. Canali swapped out its blazers in favour of short cut bombers in teal blue and olive green. There were also heavyweight suede shirts, and a grey shearling-lined black funnel neck, offering a point of difference versus the usual brown normally associated with shearling.

Tod’s meanwhile added length to its leather jackets. There was a tan leather chore jacket, complete with relaxed cut and oversized pockets, which had a slight ‘80s, London market stall proprietor feel. Another highlight was the house’s long suede car coat, worn over a check shirt and stone chinos. 

Tod's FW 2025.
Tod's FW 2025.

Mobster tailoring: Dolce & Gabbana and Emporio Armani

Big, voluminous tailoring has been popular in the fashion world for some time now, and we’re pleased to see this continue. Two of the big Italian houses took things a stage further in Milan however, with 1920s and ‘30s inspired suits that wouldn’t look out of place among a gang of Chicago mobsters. Dolce did this with relaxed double-breasted cuts, fur collars and baker boy hats, as well as tonal grey, mottled fabrics. Emporio Armani on the other hand went for three-piece glen checks, double-breasted waistcoats, tie pins and pocket watches, for the full padrino look. 

Emporio Armani FW 2025.
Emporio Armani FW 2025.
Emporio Armani FW 2025.