Milan Fashion Week AW25 delivered a showcase of effortless Italian sophistication and cutting-edge global style with international guests. The streets were lined with attendees blending luxury with playfulness—think impeccably tailored outerwear, bold pops of color, and accessories that tied entire looks together. Milan has always been a city that values refinement, and this season proved that personal style is just as compelling as what graces the runways.
As a London-based fashion photographer, Milan Fashion Week had a containing, distinctly different energy. While London thrives on experimental, boundary-pushing street style, Milan offers a masterclass in polished, considered fashion. It’s a different visual language, and one that I love capturing through my lens.
I travelled to Milan to shoot for Dance Wax: a trend-setting music and fashion publication. I went along with a group of other close friends and fellow photographers. For all of us, it was our first time at Milan Fashion Week.
When I first shot street style at London Fashion Week SS25 (sharing my best of LFW SS25 women’s street style and best of LFW SS25 men’s street style), it pushed me to approach strangers and make connections. Using a 28mm lens, it allowed for intimate portraits that brought a perspective different than the lenses used by most other photographers there.
I applied the same approach for London Fashion Week AW25, now shooting for Dance Wax, and I continued to get results I was excited about for both my best of London AW25 men’s street style and best of London AW25 women’s street style releases.
However, shooting Milan Fashion Week brought a completely different challenge – one that I didn’t expect.
With London, I felt I was part of fashion week. I left with incredible relationships that eventually became close friends and ongoing photography clients. On the other hand, in Milan, I felt I was merely a spectator.
Hoards of celebrity followers, clout chases, and paparazzi style photographers starkly contrasted the easygoing and friendly atmosphere of London. Large metal gates separated those photographing the events and the well-dressed who loved to photograph. I had to think differently about how I could create images from the other photographers I was cordoned next to. The last thing I want to do is get the same images as everyone else.
My 28mm pancake lens took a backseat for this street style photography trip. I equipped my familiar 24-70mm f/2.8 lens to enable me to zoom in and out while still standing in the very small surface area I could keep my feet when amongst the crowds. With the 28mm, it forces me to move around and get close; however, this time around I had to work with standing still – something I always tried to avoid.
My street photography style has always been to seek out candid scenes: those in motion, in action, and with emotive expression. While London Fashion Week was my foray into street portraits, where I had the opportunity to pose, my Milan Fashion Week work went back to my roots. I wrote a guide about mastering street photography with candid scenes, and these were techniques I was grateful to fall back on.
Being new to the world of Fashion Weeks, I quickly understood Paris is only a supersized version of Milan too. On the other hand, fellow photographers shared Berlin and Copenhagen were much like London and are destinations I plan to attend for the 2026 season.
With all that said, the following images are some of my favourite street style scenes from Milan Fashion Week of both men’s wear and women’s wear.
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