At Milan Fashion Week, Prada unveiled its Fall/Winter 2026 menswear collection under the title “Before and Next.” The presentation examined evolution without erasure, as new ideas emerged through deliberate engagement with past forms. Rather than rejecting tradition, the collection framed progress as cumulative, positioning design as an “archaeology of thought.” Consequently, elongated and precise silhouettes emphasized posture and attitude, while familiar menswear codes were reworked through a sustained questioning of convention.
Materials, motifs, and silhouette strategy
Key garments included high-buttoning topcoats and trench coats layered with colorful utility capes. In parallel, quilted down jackets rendered in rumpled brown leather introduced texture and weight. Notably, collaged prints juxtaposed references from antiquity and the Renaissance, creating layered visual narratives. As a result, Roman-inspired motifs and intentionally displaced proportions generated a sense of curiosity. Meanwhile, the extended cuts heightened awareness of the human form, reinforcing the collection’s focus on presence and duration. Throughout, the palette and material choices conveyed wear, memory, and continuity, aligning remembrance with respect rather than nostalgia.
Spatial context and presentation logic
The show took place in the Deposito of the Fondazione Prada, which was reimagined as a transitional environment between private and public space. Accordingly, the setting revealed elements typically kept hidden, framing interior traces within an open arena for interaction. This spatial approach echoed the collection’s broader message, where openness replaced finality and exposure supported connection. In this way, the presentation linked physical space and garment design into a unified statement on continuity and change.