A ‘Heated Rivalry’ runway debut and Olympics fever at Milan Men’s Fashion Week

When not walking the runway for Dsquared2, 'Heated Rivalry' star Hudson Williams sat front row at the Giorgio Armani show on January 19. (Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images via CNN Newsource)

The skies may have clouded over during the Fall-Winter 2026 season of Milan Men’s Fashion Week, but for many in the city, spirits were high – lifted by excitement surrounding the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games taking place this year in Milan and Cortina.

With three weeks before the games begin, anticipation is building across Italy – particularly in Milan, which is awash with celebrations at every turn. See the Olympics megastore in the city’s main square, Piazza Duomo, the arty windows of upscale department store La Rinascente dedicated to the sporting event, or the dedicated exhibition on winter sports at the historic Sforzesco Castle.

In luxury fashion, the buzz has been embraced by Ralph Lauren, which is outfitting Team USA and staged a dedicated menswear show – its first in two decades – in the Italian city. Meanwhile, Emporio Armani hosted a mini show in its boutique, showcasing its EA7 capsule collection inspired by the uniforms for Team Italia, for whom it is the official outfitter. An equally large buzz was generated by Dsquared2, which this season returned to the catwalk with a ski-inspired collection that was modeled by “Heated Rivalry” star Hudson Williams (who also later attended the Giorgio Armani show).

The week’s cheer comes amid a thinning schedule, as brands from Bottega Veneta to Jil Sander continue to opt instead for co-ed men’s and women’s shows in February. Elsewhere, creative director changes at Gucci and Fendi led two heavyweight names to sit out this men’s fashion week.

And as the event drew to a close, news broke that the Italian fashion industry has lost another pioneer: Valentino Garavani, who has died at 93. With his strict haute couture training and romantic Italian aesthetic, the designer established himself as a titan of glamour – and continues to influence designers today.

Here’s what CNN saw throughout the week:

By Kati Chitrakorn