The 2025 Milan Autumn/Winter Fashion Week challenges traditional aesthetics with a rebellious spirit. From Prada’s daring wild brows defying conventions, Diesel’s rebellious graffiti-inspired makeup, to AVAVAV’s striking ‘death’ mud makeup, major brands are redefining contemporary beauty standards through avant-garde and bold makeup interpretations. This season showcases innovative beauty techniques that break away from tradition!
Prada
Prada 2025 Fall/Winter Womenswear Collection, themed “Raw Glamour,” explores the diversity of contemporary femininity. Models showcase tousled “just-woke-up” hairstyles, unkempt bushy brows, and barely-there natural makeup, perfectly embodying the concept of “Raw Glamour.”
The makeup artist skillfully applied a lightweight, sheer base to let the skin glow with a natural radiance. Eyebrows were left untouched in their natural state, emphasizing their unique shape. The hairstylist took a bolder approach, challenging traditional aesthetics by crafting a deliberately tousled and effortless look, as if capturing the raw beauty of every woman’s morning appearance. This striking contrast beautifully encapsulates Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons’ redefinition of modern femininity: a harmony where wildness and elegance coexist, and where messiness unveils a distinct charm.
Antonio Marras
Antonio Marras, the mastermind who flawlessly merges art and fashion, draws inspiration this season from the 1892 opera “La Bella d’Alghero.” The makeup team made a bold statement by adorning models’ lips with striking red gold leaf, layering it over soft, red-tinted lips to create a lavish and dimensional effect. The fragmented red gold leaf is applied to the center of the lips, shimmering with opulent radiance as the models move down the runway. Paired with a clean base and natural brows, the gilded red lips become the focal point, exuding a unique elegance infused with an artistic touch. This perfectly aligns with the brand’s timeless romantic aesthetic.
Diesel
In tune with the giant graffiti installation on the runway, Diesel’s beauty looks this season also embrace elements of street art. Makeup artist Inge Grognard crafted neon-hued eye makeup, reminiscent of spray paint strokes, while some models even showcased graffiti-inspired designs directly painted onto their faces. Paired with metallic highlights, the look exuded a rebellious and unapologetically youthful vibe. Hairstyles featured messy braids and irregular dye patterns, echoing the brand’s street-style aesthetics and perfectly capturing Glenn Martens’ vision of contemporary youth culture.
AVAVAV
This season, AVAVAV takes on the theme of death, transforming models into undead figures as if they’ve just emerged from their graves. Their faces are adorned with earthy-toned makeup, paired with realistic scar-effect designs, delivering a striking visual impact that evokes the eerie aesthetic of rising from the dead. The hairstyles echo this vibe, appearing wet and disheveled, with some even streaked with dirt. This highly experimental makeup design successfully transforms the theme of death into a breathtaking artistic expression.
Blumarine
Newly appointed Creative Director David Koma debuted his first fashion show with the theme “Romanticism in Darkness,” seamlessly blending his signature feminine designs with the brand’s iconic visual symbols, breathing new life into Blumarine. Makeup artist Patrick Glatthaar created striking looks for the models using cobalt blue eyeshadow, blending it from the crease to the temples and adding a touch of shimmer on the inner corners for an enchanting, luxurious effect. The result? Bold and avant-garde yet undeniably elegant!
Versace
The “vampire lips” makeup look crafted by Pat McGrath for Versace became the standout highlight of the season. Inspired by the supermodel era of the ’90s, the deep purple, glossy lips exude a texture reminiscent of freshly tasted blood. Paired with subtly metallic smoky eyes, the look radiates intense drama. The hairstyle features sleek, glossy straight hair, emphasizing the focus on the makeup. The base makeup maintains a matte finish, creating a cool, luxurious visual effect that perfectly aligns with Donatella Versace’s interpretation of the modern woman.
Moschino
Creative Director Adrian Appiolaza infuses Moschino with a playful 90s retro aesthetic. The models’ makeup highlights rounded eyeliner and soft peachy blush, creating a sweet vintage vibe. The hairstyling focuses on luscious volume, with the flipped-out Bob becoming a standout look on the runway, exuding a glamorous yet fun atmosphere. For the lips, a velvety rose hue was chosen, aligning with the brand’s signature cheeky style. The overall makeup strikes a balance between nostalgic charm and modern sophistication.
Bally
Bally’s latest collection, titled “Leistung Aufführung,” delves into the boundaries between art and performance. The makeup team boldly adorned models’ faces with silver foil, paired with a high-shine base, creating a strikingly futuristic aesthetic. Hairstyles featured relaxed long hair, exuding an effortlessly natural vibe that allowed the silver-foil makeup to take center stage. Experimental designs like all-black smoky eye makeup and geometric cut eyeliner further showcased the brand’s pursuit of innovation and breaking boundaries, offering a fresh perspective on traditional beauty concepts.
