Milan celebrates artisanal tradition, craftsmanship with Dhruv Kapoor

A return to basics on Milan’s catwalks. On the second day of the womenswear ready-to-wear shows, designers seemed intent on returning to fundamentals, fusing age-old craftsmanship and textile traditions with a decidedly contemporary vision. This shift crosses borders: for Spring/Summer 2026, several houses were heading the same way, reviving crafts such as embroidery, passementerie and textile finishing, among others. As demonstrated, among others, by the collections of Italian Antonio Marras and Indian Dhruv Kapoor.

Dhruv Kapoor continues to move upmarket. Although denim remains in the form of baggy trousers and oversized jackets, often embellished, the designer is gradually moving away from the streetwear that marked his early success, in favour of more sophisticated creations with a contemporary design. For the Spring/Summer 2026 season, he returned to his roots, starting from the staples of the Indian wardrobe: the knitted vest, the mid-length flared skirt, boxer shorts, the waistcoat and the quintessential tunic-style shirt, which he reworked with a more cosmopolitan, chic sensibility.

These undergarments were reimagined with new cuts and refined details, ready to step into the spotlight. They weaved together tradition and modernity. Boxer shorts expanded into draped maxi shorts. The waistcoat extended into a strappy mini dress and also became a sleeveless jacket, while skirts flared into corolla or balloon shapes, or fall straight with back slits, embroidered with colourful or shimmering flowers, paired with dark, fitted jackets. Embroidery and prints drew on Indian checked patterns and Jaipur blue pottery.

The shirt was the centrepiece of the collection, realised in myriad constructions. It appeared as a loose top with a pointed collar but no buttons. It flares and billows like a parachute, transforming into a decidedly chic mini dress. It was cut in airy seersucker into blouson-style tops. Worn as a long shirt, it was adorned with Indian motifs embroidered on one side. Green, pink, blue, and red — the colours burst forth. For a more ethnic touch, the models trod the sienna-coloured sand catwalk barefoot, their feet tattooed with henna.

From Indian earth to the salt of Sardinia’s salt flats is but a step—one Antonio Marras took on Wednesday, September 24. For the catwalk, a long white expanse was dotted with pyramid-shaped mounds where harvested salt is piled, strewn with old books. It was this enigmatic setting that the couturier chose to present his new collection. A collection for women and men, in which he transposed to his native Sardinia the Bloomsbury literary circle, which brought together English writers and intellectuals at the beginning of the 20th century, including Virginia Woolf.

The cry of seagulls and the sound of waves welcomed the first models, perched on vertiginous platform sandals, in long romantic outfits in tones of mauve, lilac and pink. Ethereal 1920s-style flounced dresses sprinkled with tiny embroidered flowers, satin sheath dresses, tulle princess crinolines, not to mention draped cocktail dresses adorned with black roses or large gouache-painted blooms.

These Belle Epoque silhouettes were reworked in patchworks of assorted fabrics, enriched with appliqués, ribbons, embroidery and lace—sometimes in a deluge of floral prints, tapestry-effect fabrics or regimental stripes. Long dresses with trains, retro tweed suits, satin pyjama sets with matching dressing gowns and mid-length gored skirts mingle with elements of traditional Sardinian costume, notably the inclusion of richly decorated rigid bustiers.

The hyper-feminine spirit of the wardrobe is counterbalanced by a masculine vein with a series of superb trouser suits cut from checked wools and other traditionally masculine fabrics. Here, high-waisted, pleated trousers were paired with a fitted jacket. Further on, they swept out into generous flares. Elsewhere, cropped trousers were worn with a jacket whose sleeves had been radically shortened, the fabric replaced by tulle.