Events open to everyone during Milan Fashion Week

176 dates in total. 67 fashion shows, 62 physical and 5 digital. 76 presentations and 33 accompanying events, plus projects, exhibitions and dates you shouldn't miss. These are just some of the numbers of Milan Fashion Week, which will animate the cathedral city from 19 to 25 September, filling it with models, designers, buyers, journalists, insiders and onlookers ready for anything, so as not to miss a single second of what will happen on the catwalks and off them. On the other hand, the highlights of this fashion week dedicated to SS24 promise to be particularly interesting: from #Gucciancora, the debut of Sabato De Sarno as Gucci creative director, to the first runway show of The Attico and AVAVAV; from the return of Fiorucci to Milan with a renewed team led by CEO Alessandro Pisani and creative director Francesca Murri, to the runway show event celebrating Moschino's 40th anniversary; from the debut of Simone Bellotti for Bally to the new era of Tom Ford with Peter Hawkings. In short, anyone in the Lombardy capital over the next 7 days will inevitably be catapulted into a universe of cool outfits, celebrities arriving in the front rows, full taxis, exclusive parties and sky-high FOMO. Two possible reactions: Look for alternatives and what you can do in Milan this week if you don't go to Fashion Week or attend the public events that make you feel part of the fashion crew. That's right, although most of the fashion shows and dates are reserved for insiders, there are many events in the city that are also open to the public to catch up on what's happening in the fashion world. Below you will find a list.

Diesel fashion show open to the public

Like last season, Diesel is the most democratic brand at MFW. Glenn Martens is reintroducing the open-to-the-public runway show format for the Spring/Summer 2024 season, allowing students and industry fans to get an up-close look at his latest creations by registering online at the Diesel website from 6 September. Those who didn't get tickets this way for the event at Scalo Farini at the end of the first day of fashion shows on Wednesday 20 September at 9pm (while stocks last) can alternatively watch the live stream on the brand's digital channels.

Stream the fashion shows live

It may not be as exciting as sitting in the front row or standing in the back row to catch a glimpse of the models striding down the catwalk between the heads, but there is a way to watch the Milan Fashion Week shows in September 2023 even if you're not part of the inner circle of insiders: streaming. All scheduled shows will be streamed live on the National Chamber of Italian Fashion website. They will also be shown in the city on large screens set up in the Milan Cathedral and Via Dante 17.

The free talks at the Triennale 

What changes is the fashion industry facing? To find out, from 19 to 21 September at the Triennale there will be Fashion Issues Talks, a series of three free meetings where Cathy Horyn, journalist and fashion editor of The New York Magazine and The Cut, will be in conversation with some of the industry's leading lights. On 20 September, the audience will meet Pierre-Alexis Dumas, artistic director of Hermès, while on 21 September, a video interview with Balenciaga creative director Demna Gvasalia will be broadcast. Also on Thursday 21 September, there will be a free screening of the film The Summer of Joe, Liz and Richard by Sergio Naitza, followed by a conversation with the director.

Fashion Hub

An appointment you shouldn't miss throughout fashion week? The Fashion Hub at Palazzo Giureconsulti, which is open to the public from 9:30am to 7pm for the duration of the event from 20 to 25 September. Here, not only will the scheduled fashion shows be broadcast on a big screen, but visitors can also take part in talks, special projects and exhibitions that "shine a spotlight on experimentation, craftsmanship, innovation, education, inclusion and sustainability".

Le mostre della MFW

There are not only fashion shows and exclusive parties, but also many exhibitions. Among the most interesting exhibitions that breathe MFW's atmosphere is Kelly Morphose, an Hermès retrospective on view from 13 to 23 September on the second floor of the house's Via Montenapoleone boutique, which reinterprets the iconic Kelly bag in a jewel-like key. Also worth mentioning is the exhibition Art in Denim: The Value of Craft between Design and Sustainability, curated by Love therapy, Elio Fiorucci's label. It takes place from 19 to 22 September at Chiosco Faravelli in Piazza della Repubblica, where four denim artworks by as many Milanese artists and artisans await you. Also on the programme is the Furla Series - Suzanne Jackson. Somethings in the World, the fifth edition of the project in collaboration between the Fondazione Furla and GAM - Galleria d'Arte Moderna di Milano, which presents the works of the American artist and will be on show until 17 December. At Armani/Silos, the exhibition Guy Bourdin: Storyteller, a tribute to the French photographer's work, can be visited, while Gallerie d'Italia is showing Through Her Eyes: Timeless Strength by British photographer Max Vadukul and Other Size Gallery Light and Shadow by fashion photographer Stefano Babic.