Prada Invites “A Change of Tone” in Menswear for SS26
Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons trade power dressing for poetic silhouettes and elemental ease at Milan Fashion Week.
Summary
- Prada held its SS26 menswear show at Deposito of Fondazione Prada during Milan Fashion Week
- Titled “A Change of Tone,” the collection shifts from power dressing to a softer, introspective tone
- Bold color contrasts and eclectic styling permeated the range
At Milan Fashion Week, Prada unveiled its Spring/Summer 2026 menswear collection with a quiet yet radical shift in tone. Titled “A Change of Tone,” the show marked a deliberate move away from overt power dressing toward something more introspective and elemental. Held at the Deposito of Fondazione Prada, the raw, unadorned space — with its concrete floors, exposed beams and ambient sounds of birds and cowbells — set the stage for a collection rooted in calm, clarity and a sense of natural ease.
Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons presented a wardrobe that dismantled traditional codes of masculinity through subtle disruption. Crisp white shirts were paired with high-cut shorts that blurred the line between swimwear and underwear. Meanwhile, tracksuits are layered beneath the likes of trench coats and blazers with rolled sleeves — an embodiment of the show’s “non-conformist harmonies.” The result was styling that felt spontaneous and free, drawing from poetic references like “lover’s lake” and “the last swim”—imaginary moments shaped by impulse and emotion.
Color played a pivotal role in softening the collection’s message. Tailored silhouettes retained corporate structure in greys, navy and monochrome tones, but were punctuated with jolts of bold hues like cobalt blue, red, green, yellow and violet, which injected a summery vibrancy. Elsewhere, muted shades like butter yellow, blush pink and mint introduced a gentle contrast. Combined with tactile materials and playful accents such as raffia hats shaped like inverted flowerpots and boat shoes worn with tall socks, the collection felt both grounded and dreamlike — as if suspended between land, air and sun.
Ultimately, Prada’s SS26 menswear collection favored suggestion over spectacle. It proposed garments not as statements, but as open-ended expressions that are meant to be worn, reshaped and lived in.
