Milan Fashion Week: When Function Meets Finesse Anteprima’s Spring/Summer 2026 Collection Reimagines Utility with Elegance

Vivid colour and sleek, sporty lines were signatures of Izumi Ogino's Anteprima collection. Photograph above and cover picture of Dhruv Kapoor SS26 by Jay Zoo for DAM

Anteprima’s Spring/Summer 2026 collection opened at Milan Fashion Week, presenting a measured and deliberate approach to contemporary womenswear. Known for designs that balance elegance with function, the Japanese label delivered a show that underscored its consistency rather than spectacle. Story by Jeanne-Marie Cilento. Photographs by Jay Zoo

Sheer layers and knits 

gave the collection 

a sporty aesthetic.

CREATIVE director of Anteprima, Izumi Ogino, played with contrasts in her new collection: lightweight fabrics given structure, sheer layers tempered by tailoring, and knits designed to appear delicate yet strong. 

Silhouettes were fluid and wearable, intended for real movement, while accessories such as new iterations of the Wirebag reinforced the designer's dual emphasis on utility and refinement. The result was a collection that felt modern without being trend-driven.

Ogino has built Anteprima on these principles since founding the brand in 1993. Five years later, she became the first Japanese female designer to present at Milan Fashion Week, establishing herself in a highly competitive international arena. 

That achievement was more than symbolic; it marked the beginning of a career defined by her ability to merge cultural influences: Japanese craftsmanship and precision with Italian passion and flair.

Over three decades, Ogino has returned to the same core values: utiliatrian design, fine detailing, and an understanding of women’s multifaceted lives. She has often stated that her aim is to create clothes that provide ease, and the SS26 collection reflected this philosophy clearly. These were garments made to fit into daily life while retaining a quiet sense of sophistication.

While Anteprima does not rely on bold theatrics to make its mark, Ogino continues to evolve the label through innovation and cultural engagement. Beyond the runway, she has supported artistic collaborations, aligning the brand with broader conversations around creativity and craft.

This combination of steady identity and thoughtful growth has kept Anteprima relevant on the Milan stage. The SS26 collection was not a departure but a reaffirmation of the label's direction: clothing that emphasizes subtle strength, functionality, and long-term wearability.

In a fashion week filled with dramatic statements, Ogino’s work stood apart by remaining firmly aligned with her founding principles. For the designer, success is not defined by chasing current proclivities, but by refining an aesthetic that continues to resonate with women more than 30 years on.

Scroll down to see more highlights from the Anteprima SS26 collection in Milan 

Milan Fashion Week: Petals, Pastels, and Poise: Luisa Beccaria’s Spring Awakening

The romanticism of Italian designer Luisa Beccaria's diaphanous creations in Milan. Photograph above and cover picture by Jay Zoo for DAM 

The courtyard of Palazzo Bovara set the stage for Luisa Beccaria’s Spring/Summer 2026 collection at Milan Fashion Week, a presentation that captured the essence of awakening and renewal, writes Jeanne-Marie Cilento. Photography by Jay Zoo 

DESIGNED with her daughter Lucilla Bonaccorsi, the new Luisa Beccaria collection. called Soul in Bloom, reflected the mother-and-daughter duo’s continued exploration of femininity through light, movement, and poetic detailing. Softness was a guiding thread, but never at the expense of structure. Dresses unfolded in layers of sheer fabrics, sometimes gauzy and transparent, other times enriched with textured jacquard or moiré, creating a balance between fragility and strength. 

Color played like a painter’s palette, pastel blues and greens dissolving into blush pink, sunlit yellow, and the crispness of white, conveying the impression of a watercolor garden translated into cloth.

The collection embraced both ceremony and everyday elegance. Tailored pieces, such as corsets paired with trousers or cropped jackets worn with skirts, introduced a sharper edge, while airy shirtdresses, and Capri pants broadened the wardrobe’s reach. Evening gowns carried the most romantic charge, with embroidered tulle, diaphanous capes, and glimmers of sequins catching the light as models moved through the courtyard.

Accessories extended the dreamlike mood into practicality: sculptural belts shaped like petals, foldable hats designed for sunlit escapes, and artisanal shoes created in collaboration with Italian craftspeople. Each element reinforced the designers’ emphasis on beauty with purpose.

What distinguished this season was not spectacle but subtle conviction. Beccaria’s vision suggested that clothing can embody hope and gentleness even in turbulent times, serving as a reminder that fashion has the power to nurture as well as adorn.

Romanticism, often overlooked in today’s landscape, felt not nostalgic but quietly radical, reasserting itself as a language of resilience and grace.With Soul in Bloom, Beccaria reaffirmed her signature: clothing as poetry, as refuge, and as a gesture toward harmony. 

Scroll down to see more highlights of the Luisa Beccaria SS26 collection in Milan