Prada Opened Milan Fashion Week 2026 with a Collection Where the Skirt Was the Sole Star

Milan Fashion Week 2026 kicked off with a show that immediately sets the tone for the entire season: Prada presented a collection built entirely around a single item of women's wardrobe. The lineup features 63 looks, and not a single one includes a dress or trousers. Every outfit is assembled around different skirt models, making the show one of the most conceptual openings of the week.

The Skirt as the Sole Star

The decision to focus the show exclusively on skirts became the collection's main dramatic move. Instead of the usual array of silhouettes, the designers invited the audience to examine the same wardrobe element from countless angles: from strict basic shapes to decorative, almost jewellery-like solutions. This approach transforms the skirt from a supporting detail into a standalone object of fashion expression.

The Minds Behind the Collection

The idea of building the entire show around skirts belonged to Miuccia Prada. Together with Belgian designer Raf Simons, she decided to make this wardrobe item the central pillar of the collection. The collaboration of the two creators allowed them to combine the brand's archival rigour with an analytical, almost laboratory-like approach to form and combinations.

Shapes, Textures and Palette

The foundation of the collection was knee-length A-line models. The lineup featured pleated, leather and semi-sheer skirts, as well as versions with floral and polka-dot prints, embroidery and crystals. Some models were adorned with slits, ribbons, bows and large decorative buttons. The palette spans pink, acid green, purple, yellow and blue shades, as well as looks in black, white, brown and grey.

Tops and Shoes: How One Element Works

To demonstrate the versatility of the skirt, the designers paired it with various tops: lace blouses, shirts, sweaters, leather jackets, bombers and transparent raincoats. Footwear was an equally important addition — shoes with open and pointed toes, curved heels, perforation and floral decoration. Thus the same wardrobe item was showcased in the context of the most varied situations.

Brand Philosophy

At Prada, they emphasised that the perception of clothing changes under the influence of interaction with other items. 'A skirt can be seen as a fragment of a whole, in a changing interaction with the items it is paired with. Each of them can inspire alternative interpretations of the entire look. This is the inner beauty of observing the familiar — in the question of how many forms a known thing can take, how many different possibilities it may hold,' the collection description reads.