As the Spring/Summer 2026 women’s ready-to-wear season shifts from Paris to Milan, anticipation is building for one of the most exciting fashion weeks in recent years. The Milan calendar, running from September 23 to 29, is packed with momentum: 12 new names are joining the schedule, balancing out 11 absences and injecting fresh energy into the week. Among the highlights are hotly awaited returns, buzzworthy emerging labels, and game-changing debuts from new creative leads at Gucci, Jil Sander, and Bottega Veneta. Adding to the significance, Giorgio Armani will celebrate his 50th anniversary with a landmark show.

As the Spring/Summer 2026 women’s ready-to-wear season shifts from Paris to Milan, anticipation is building for one of the most exciting fashion weeks in recent years. The Milan calendar, running from September 23 to 29, is packed with momentum: 12 new names are joining the schedule, balancing out 11 absences and injecting fresh energy into the week. Among the highlights are hotly awaited returns, buzzworthy emerging labels, and game-changing debuts from new creative leads at Gucci, Jil Sander, and Bottega Veneta. Adding to the significance, Giorgio Armani will celebrate his 50th anniversary with a landmark show.

Milan will host 55 physical runway shows this season—slightly more than February’s 54—including two from Emporio Armani. The week wraps on Monday, September 29, with four digital showcases featuring Maxivive and three newcomers: Mein Corp by Italian designer Lorenzo Sala, Ukrainian label Nadya Dyzak (launched in 2008), and Zenam by Cameroonian designer Paul Tanonkou, previously featured on the menswear calendar.

Gucci will open Milan Fashion Week on Tuesday, September 23, with Demna unveiling his first collection for the house. Although included in the official calendar, the debut will take the form of a presentation rather than a runway show. During Kering’s half-year results, Francesca Bellettini, Deputy Managing Director for House Development, stated that the artistic director will share “his vision and a complete collection presented in a static way to remind people what Gucci is all about.” Demna will stage his first runway show for the brand in March 2026.

Simone Bellotti will present his debut collection for Jil Sander on Wednesday, September 24. Later that week, on Saturday, September 27, Louise Trotter will reveal her first collection for Bottega Veneta, which will return to the calendar after its absence last February.

Fendi will continue its centennial celebrations on the same day with a mixed-gender show curated by Silvia Venturini Fendi. Giorgio Armani will begin marking his anniversary earlier in the week, on September 24, with the opening of a major retrospective at the Pinacoteca di Brera, featuring 150 archival looks. He will then close Fashion Week on Sunday, September 28, with a celebratory show in the courtyard of honor at Palazzo Brera.

Versace will step away from the runway this season as it undergoes a transition under new creative director Dario Vitale. Now part of the Prada Group, the house will stage its first official runway show under Vitale next winter. However, it will remain in the presentation calendar with a “confidential” event on September 26, previewing the designer’s first looks.

KNWLS will make its Milan debut on Wednesday, September 24. Known for its sexy, Y2K-inspired silhouettes and focus on feminine empowerment, the London-based brand has built strong momentum in recent years. English designer Charlotte Knowles and her Canadian partner Alexandre Arsenault founded the label in 2017. A finalist for the 2022 LVMH Prize, KNWLS now appears in more than 50 top multi-brand retailers worldwide.

Several designers will return to the Milan schedule this season after recent absences, including Boss, Calcaterra, Federico Cina, The Attico, and Stella Jean. Anglo-Nigerian designer Ineye Tokyo James, who first showed in Milan in February 2022 and returned in digital format last March, will also be back. Vietnamese designer Phan Dang Hoang, who debuted in September 2024, will return to the calendar as well. Indian designer Dhruv Kapoor and French designer Pierre-Louis Mascia, both previously shown on the menswear schedule, will shift to the women’s week.

The Milano Moda Graduate show will return on Sunday, September 28, for its 11th edition, spotlighting emerging talent from Italian fashion schools. A day earlier, on Saturday, September 27, the CNMI Sustainable Fashion Awards will honor leadership in eco-conscious fashion. Launched in 2017 by the Italian Fashion Chamber, the awards have become a benchmark in sustainable innovation.

This summer edition will also see several brands step away from the schedule. In addition to Versace, both Marni and Bally will remain absent as they undergo creative transitions. Fiorucci will now appear on the Men’s Fashion Week calendar, having shifted its showing to June. Other brands missing from the provisional lineup include Avavav, which had shown in Milan since September 2023; Susan Fang, who presented last March with support from Dolce & Gabbana; and Philipp Plein, K-Way, and DSquared2.

Despite these absences, Milan Fashion Week will continue to showcase the strength of Made in Italy. Powerhouse labels such as Prada, Moschino, Roberto Cavalli, Dolce & Gabbana, Etro, and Max Mara will lead a calendar that remains among the most influential in global fashion.