Olympic Spirit Infuses Milan Fashion Week as Designers Embrace Winter Games Influence

The Olympic spirit took center stage at Milan Fashion Week as the upcoming Winter Games inspired designers’ fall and winter collections. From Dsquared2’s playful tribute to Ralph Lauren’s refined alpine aesthetics, the fashion world embraced the excitement of February’s international competition while navigating broader industry conversations around sustainability and diversity.

Canadian designers Dean and Dan Caten of Dsquared2 delivered one of the week’s most talked-about collections with their tongue-in-cheek nod to Olympic winter sports. Actor Hudson Williams, star of the series “Heated Rivalry” about a gay hockey love story, opened the show descending a fake snow-covered staircase in ripped denim and racing numbers.

The brand’s innovative footwear captured particular attention, featuring hybrid designs that merged high fashion with functional winter sports equipment. For women, they created floating high heels that snap into ski boots at the ankle, with similar mashups for men. Olympic imagery appeared throughout the collection, though carefully designed to avoid infringing on the International Olympic Committee’s strictly protected copyrights.

Ralph Lauren presented a more traditional approach to mountain-inspired fashion at the brand’s stately Milan palazzo. The collection featured colorful patterned knits and cozy fleece jackets layered with puffers and flannel, capturing the brand’s wholesome American heritage. The presentation drew celebrities including Nick Jonas, Tom Hiddleston and Noah Schnapp, providing a warm entrée to the Olympic season amid turbulent news from home.

“As a designer you feel the vibrations in the world. Living in New York City and traveling around the world, you feel the vibrations, and if you are sensitive to that, you develop an ear or a feel for the clothes that you think you’re going to do the next season,” said Ralph Lauren in a pre-show social media campaign.

At Emporio Armani, the brand hosted an in-store parade of Team Italia’s Olympic uniforms, furthering the connection between high fashion and athletic competition. The event drew crowds eager to see how Italian style would be represented on the world stage.

Meanwhile, Prada’s co-creative directors Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons explored men’s headwear with origami-like foldable hats that could be flattened and snapped onto outerwear. Their collection featured modular men’s capes designed to layer over coats and jackets, dress shirts with T-shirt necklines buttoned down the back, and exaggeratedly long cuffs protruding from jacket sleeves.

The ultra-slim silhouette of Prada’s base layer car coats generated significant buzz, though Miuccia Prada remained unapologetic about the avant-garde proportions, simply stating, “That’s fashion.” She acknowledged the industry’s inherent tensions: “Talking about intellectual honesty, we are working for a brand that sells expensive clothes to possibly rich people, and so you have to deal with beauty, elegance, to understand what is believable.”

Legacy and sustainability emerged as key themes throughout the week. Zegna creative director Alessandro Sartori emphasized creating enduring pieces rather than fleeting fashion trends. “Our customers are collectors, and not just fashionistas,” Sartori explained. “I want people to collect pieces like watches.”

To underscore this commitment to longevity, Zegna displayed a nearly century-old jacket made with the company’s own fabrics behind glass. The family-run business controls approximately 60% of its supply chain, providing unique stability at a time when other Italian brands face supply chain controversies.

Simon Cracker, a 15-year-old brand specializing in upcycled fashion, represented the authentic voice of sustainability on Milan’s runways. The label’s commitment to repurposing existing materials stands in contrast to the broader industry’s often superficial approach to environmental issues.

Men’s jewelry continued its rise to prominence, with several designers showcasing statement accessories. Dolce & Gabbana’s evening looks featured dramatic lapel jewels, from large floral pins to ornate gold brooches embedded with watches and elegant chains. Giorgio Armani incorporated subtle lapel pins, while Prada fastened its exaggerated sleeves with gemstone cufflinks and completed looks with mismatched sculptural earrings.

Questions of diversity and inclusion remained at the forefront of industry conversations. Ghanaian designer Victor Hart made his Milan runway debut with support from the Afrofashion Association, presenting a powerful collection of denim looks incorporating industrial belting and street influences.

While Milan experienced increased diversity following the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, progress has slowed in recent years. Designers like Stella Jean and Edward Buchanan, along with the Afrofashion Association’s Michelle Ngonmo, continue advocating for meaningful change. Yet challenges persist, as evidenced by social media criticism of Dolce & Gabbana’s all-white runway casting, which French TikToker Elias Medini described as “fifty shades of white” and influencer Hanan Besovic called “diabolical” for 2026.

As Milan Fashion Week concludes, it leaves the industry reflecting on both the creative excitement of Olympic inspiration and the ongoing work needed to address its most pressing structural issues.