Prada men's SS26: A soothing palette in a season of global turmoil

In Milan on Sunday, Prada’s Spring Summer 2026 menswear show delivered a notable pivot, both chromatically and philosophically. Titled A Change of Tone, the collection traded the house’s familiar codes for an air of levity, offering the audience a temporary reprieve from a world increasingly marred by geopolitical unrest.

What emerged on the runway was Prada’s most chromatically expressive menswear collection in recent memory: candy-bright hues, striped athletic trousers, and nonchalant fabrics replaced the more architectural silhouettes and sober palettes that have defined much of the label’s menswear identity.

The clothes suggested a blur between work and leisure, an evolved uniform for a man no longer strictly bound to office hours. Gone was sharp tailoring. In its place: tunic tops, plimsoll shoes, ankle-length trousers that flattered bold socks, and bucket-shaped raffia hats that injected a dose of whimsy without descending into irony.

That sense of ease, even escapism, was deliberate. Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons seemed to be making a broader cultural statement: that fashion need not mirror the severity of the moment to remain relevant. Amid an atmosphere dominated by military aggression, economic instability, and a rising unease in global affairs, this collection suggested softness, not submission, but re-prioritisation.

While the models’ ubiquitous bags hinted at transit and purpose, their relaxed garments implied a collective longing for respite. In menswear, trouser length has long been a proxy for cultural mood, much like skirt hemlines in womenswear. Here, the cropped trousers did not provoke, but rather disarmed, encouraging comfort in a moment of global discomfort.

In a market where fashion must increasingly justify its role beyond aesthetics, Prada’s gesture is significant. It doesn't ignore the world’s chaos, but chooses to temper it. Fashion serves both as a mirror of the times and a means of escape, and at times, softening the message can be its own quiet form of resistance.