Miu Miu FW26 Review
Creative Nonfiction · Fashion Writing · Narrative Voice · Cultural Analysis · Trend Awareness
For this assignment, I wrote a 1000-word review suitable for publication. The topic was free rein; it must have occurred within the last three months and be tied to something culturally relevant.
I chose to review the Miu Miu Fall/Winter 2026 collection, written for the pop-culture publication, i-D.
This piece received a grade of 92.5% and has been published on my personal Substack.
“I am obsessed with the smallness of the body — the contrast between ourselves and the vastness that surrounds us.” — Miuccia Prada.
Alessandro Viero / Gorunway.com
Existentialism has hit the runway. Miu Miu is thoughtfully reserved in its latest collection, which taps into an unassuming sensuality. The brand adored for its playful rebellion is swapping play for poise, grounding itself through a new angle of introspection. In Miuccia’s words, “an ownership and agency of your own body, your own self and value” — where meaning is derived through reflection and self-trust. Once merely referred to as the little sister of Prada, Miu Miu has made a name for itself through its understated charm. Since launching in 1993, Miuccia Prada has consistently reimagined femininity — thriving in the unusual and the awkward.
Alessandro Viero / Gorunway.com
Alessandro Viero / Gorunway.com
Alessandro Viero / Gorunway.com
The highly anticipated Fall/Winter ‘26 collection brought Paris Fashion Week down to earth. On the last day, the Palais d’Iéna was transformed into a woody sanctuary for “Mindful Intimacy”. A runway of rugged, trampled grass with floral-adorned, soaring wallpaper in commanding red – quite the grounding labyrinth for the Miu Miu girl this season. Navigating her winding mind, she’s on her own path of exploration. Naturally, she’s the blueprint of the current zeitgeist, to be “disgustingly well-educated”, ‘niche’ and unsolvable. Or is she a clever response? An articulation of this captivating intellectual? Regardless, Miu Miu is widely recognized as “that girl”, cool and cultured without trying too hard. This collection feels smart on purpose.
Miuccia, inspired by “the small human body in the vastness of the world,” intellectualizes fashion for the self-assured. A low-lying palette of muted, deep and earthy tones, staple suiting greys and a reappearing rich burgundy paint a mysterious inner world. At first glance, this show is understated, without a defining piece or moment for virality — like that of the micro miniskirt craze from the brand’s Spring 2022 collection. Perhaps now it’s smarter to be subtly anti-trend. Arguably, off-kilter is the new charismatic, and the brand’s prestigious reputation allows it to passively benefit from this subconscious power play, even if unintended. The cool girl isn’t trying to be cool; she just is. Miuccia’s ability to resonate deeply with contemporary culture is both fascinating and on-brand. Her designs communicate an identity of thoughtful discernment and sincere self-efficacy. What appears effortlessly thrown together is meticulously considered; it’s an unadulterated interplay through subtleties and nuance. Fashion is irrefutably tied to social class, identity and the ego; not just anyone can pull off a furry trapper hat, pink-tinted shades, and a quarter-sleeved, short-suit dress. But that’s the appeal, and if you know, you know.
Alessandro Viero / Gorunway.com
The looks have range, from purposefully understyled to statement-making, each compelling in its own right. A simple bias-cut navy slip dress, fashioned with a bow, is paired with cherry mules and oversized 70s frames, complete with undone bangs. The models are real people — with personalities! Tattoos on display, individual identities are highlighted in an approach that appears carefree and ravishingly thoughtless, presumably too busy thinking about more important things, while somehow reaping the social benefits that come with being curated. Here, the body is not a commodity. While nothing is groundbreaking, it’s softly strong and true. In the modern spectacle of consumerism amongst a homogenised market, the apparatus is now detained for further questioning. Miu Miu is uniquely positioned to benefit and abstain from consumer-driven trends, choosing to dip in selectively, reaffirming its exclusive appeal. It’s no surprise to see unconventional models, with actress and icon of the 90s, Chloë Sevigny, returning to the runway. Her relaxed demeanour aligned with her look, a black mini-dress and leather jacket ensemble fading into an ombre fur. Fashion muses were not only present on the catwalk, with a fitting front row of it-girls, Lola Tung, Alexa Chung, and Daisy-Edgar-Jones, further representing this favoured enigmatic archetype. Shying away from unnecessary approval or praise, a hint of self-indulgence is a byproduct of this audience’s admiration.
Alessandro Viero / Gorunway.com
Alessandro Viero / Gorunway.com
Alessandro Viero / Gorunway.com
Notably, personality-defining accessories are eye-catching and well-suited for a generation yearning to stand out. Embellished and sparkling trapper hats are paired with tailored peplum suiting, and 1920s-inspired sheath dresses that hit the upper thigh in classic Miu Miu fashion. From vintage silhouettes, luxe fur coats, to modern penny-lane puffer coats and current-day cropped nylon jackets, this collection flirts with a broad audience. A modern lens revitalizes the past, living in time rather than looking back at it. The varied footwear supporting the final steps in these uniforms of presence — loud silver sneakers, chic leather clogs and unexpected bedazzled slides. Softly protective boots, gloves and collars act like armour, shielding the wearer as they oscillate between confidence and uncertainty. Mastering a balance between detached self-awareness and delusional confidence is the brand’s secret weapon. It’s rare to find both, yet the shining appliqués and diamanté belts sparkle in plain sight. Sets of lived-in leather, wrinkled in browns, black and vintage mustard yellows feel calm yet indomitable. These jackets appear as if they have been forgotten at the bottom of a wardrobe for years, each crease a proof of life. Sporting minimal makeup and messily pushed back hair with zigzag headbands, in distinct 90s fashion, a callback to a life before algorithms controlled our self-perception — or told us what “archetype of pretty” we are, and if our clothing matched our “colour season”. Perfection is tiring, but profitable, yet Miu Miu flaunts the opposite. Authenticity is easier to preach than present in a time where curation is rewarded. This show performed it gracefully.
Miuccia has seemingly mastered what it means to be an individual, elevating effortlessness into an art form. She once made the statement, “Prada is who she is, Miu Miu is who she aspires to be”, so it’s a question to consider whether the brand is purely aspirational. Mindful Intimacy floats somewhere in the middle, rich in interiority with articulate self-awareness. This collection acknowledges the intimacy in knowing who you are, while inhabiting the world as an uncontrolled garden not to be feared. It is refreshing not to be wowed by something until further speculation, sometimes it’s even preferred. The payoff comes later when meaning is woven deeper than tangible threads. Whether the collection is a pure or fabricated representation of individualism at its core is perhaps beside the point. Personality cannot be manufactured. Miu Miu thrives in all its idiosyncrasies, an amalgamation of aspiration and curation.