Prada preached restraint for a world in chaos—then Milan filled its summer runways with leather and knits nobody can actually wear in the heat

In complicated, heavy times, Milan designers went lighter — if not in materials, then in silhouette. Amid economic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions and a sweltering Milan Fashion Week, designers largely stripped things back for next summer, embracing clean lines and pared-down looks. Prada led the way, with co-creative directors Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons arguing for simplicity and familiar clothes reimagined through proportion and fabrication. That didn’t mean dressing for the heat was straightforward. Milan’s runways were filled with leather and knits for the next summer season, suggesting that fashion’s elite may need generous air-conditioning, mountain escapes or higher latitudes to wear some of the looks. Key trends from Milan Fashion Week menswear Spring-Summer 2027 collections that closed on Monday include the embrace of luxury materials, sartorial ventilation and lighter tailoring, while a few defiantly chose bling over restraint. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the season was persistence of leather. Prada’s leather combinations were inspired by the universality of jeans, featuring slim five-pocket pants matched with cropped flat-pocketed jackets that functioned as shirts. Other designers used woven and perforated techniques to make leather more breathable, even as temperatures climbed. In Milan, luxury and practicality were often in tension. The return of the body After years of oversized silhouettes, menswear is once again embracing the body. Designers broadly agreed that a well-dressed man still wears a suit. The challenge was how to survive the heat. The response was ventilation, with dress shirts left unbuttoned. Some were rendered transparent. Or they were simply done away with. Long trousers remained dominant, but there was a shift toward closer-to-the-body dressing. Dolce & Gabbana pushed the idea furthest with microshorts that showcased muscular legs, while some brands exposed torsos. Suiting for a hotter planet Tailoring remained central to Mil