In a season of creative director debuts and anniversaries, it might have been tricky for smaller brands and emerging labels to carve out some space in the Milan Fashion Week schedule and grab the attention of the social crowd. Luckily, a trifecta of young designers who staged their first runway shows last season and returned to the format now to prove they weren’t one-trick ponies are succeeding in their own ways.
If in less that 24 hours 2025 LVMH Prize Francesco Murano seduced with his fluid and languid sensuality and Institution by Galib Gassanoff charmed with crafty couture-like creations, Giuseppe Di Morabito reclaimed his dominance in all things glamorous and glitzy.
His spring 2026 collection was not for the faint of heart. The Italian designer, whose namesake brand secured the financial backing of Style Capital in 2023, celebrated a return to craft in his own, daring language made of crystal galore, statuesque bustiers and draping, pearls, lace and feathery embellishments.
He titled the collection “Act II – The Fall of Icarus,” as he said he intends shows as chapters focusing on storytelling, performance and special attire. As he plans to stage shows only once a year going forward, for this one he looked at the myth of Icarus to evoke a return to inventiveness through artisanal work.
Under a ring of light encircling a suspended dancer – an immediate reference to the season’s inspiration – models strutted wearing resin corsets molded over the body and adorned with porcelain roses; armor-like metal bustiers, and great oversize tailoring and outerwear sprinkled with pearls. An all-over pearl-encrusted theme was also recurrent – defining draped minidresses, bras, pants and even laced-up boots and pumps – while a series of mermaid-like feminine frocks was crafted with a fabrication Di Morabito developed by soaking sheer stockings in a saline solution for two days.
Yet nothing could compare to the immediate impact of his crystal-embellished pieces, both in the case of daywear staples such as trench coats and roomy pants elevated for special occasions or the barely-there crochet and macramé dresses and tunics fit more for the silver screen than real life.
And that’s what impressed most about Di Morabito: his commitment to his vision and the lucidity of the target he’s addressing. These were clothes that blatantly aimed to extend the list of celebrities who wear the brand and who already include the likes of Selena Gomez, Sabrina Carpenter, Kylie Jenner and FKA Twigs. Dua Lipa’s stylist Lorenzo Posocco was among those sitting front row, so one of these looks might take flight and land on her stage soon, too.