When it comes to getting the attention of paparazzi at fashion week, colors and prints are the safest bet to ensure their lens is on you. However, this season monochromatic black has unexpectedly taken over the streets of Milan.

That is in contrast to the spring 2025 runways, where chipper pastels have reined supreme. The trend, which first appeared in New York and carried through to London, is now washing over the Italian collections from No. 21 to Prada. It is a sign of optimism on behalf of the designers, but those seated in their front rows appear to be skewing toward a much darker mood.

And while attending a fashion show has been likened in the past to attending a ceremony of religious significance, make no mistake about it —their looks are far from drab funerary-attire.

Outside Marni, for example, one showgoer bared her midriff in a black bra top and flared skirt, accented by a pair of furry shoes, while another styled her black bubble-hem halter dress with leopard boots and a creative half-updo. 

All-black tailoring, an Italian speciality, was also given a directional twist, just see the guy wearing a lean topcoat over ankle-length pants to show off his ultra-flat ballet-slippers, the men’s shoe-of-choice at present. Others swapped out collared shirts for black scoop-neck tank tops, dressing down their otherwise formal suits.

Elsewhere, women updated their black suits and little black dresses with handbags. At Fendi, the house’s signature Peekaboo bag was spotted in black with two lollipop charms, a collaboration between the brand and Chupa Chups that debuted last fall. 

They lent a bit of whimsy to her all-black look, but the neutral above-all is meant for practicality, something this photographer clad in a black denim jumpsuit clearly knows something about. It’s an ideal one-and-done piece for navigating Milan’s narrow streets to get the perfect shot.

Here, WWD’s “They Are Wearing” vertical tracks the best head-to-toe black street style looks seen at Milan Fashion Week.