Max Mara’s autumn/winter 2025 show was inspired by the Brontë sisters and all about the ‘untamed heroine’ – sleek, self-assured and elegant. The Italian heritage brand blended its signature tailoring and polish with a touch of neo-gothic chic, as silhouettes were fitted through the body, cinched at the waist and full at the hem. We saw modern trousers with soft pleats at the knee and a broad waistband, neatly tailored jackets, utilitarian parkas, capes and generous enveloping clutch coats.

Hair was perfectly undone: gentle waves, natural with a hint of wildness but with a polished finish. The standout looks were the bob styles, which often varied in length, but the most impactful was the blunt, wavy, jawline bob.

Tod’s autumn/winter 2025 collection celebrated craftsmanship and quality, and was brought to life through the artistic performance of Nelly Agassi, who created an exclusive installation: a sculptural dress made from recycled leather fragments, which was worn by model Carla Bruni, who was holding a needle – the symbol of craftsmanship and savoir faire.

The collection was all about strength, personality, elegance and charisma with sophisticated garments and accessories and a big focus on outerwear with elongated, streamlined and refined silhouettes in double-layer cashmere, leather and suede. Hair was sleek and glossy with bob styles either pushed back or parted centrally, but always with a neat, blunt finish.

As always, the dialogue between masculine and feminine defined the aesthetic direction of Emporio Armani’s autumn/winter 2025 show. The collection was designed for a free and instinctive woman, with clothes that embraced a playful spirit but with the brand’s signature sharp silhouettes. There were plenty of rich textures, including washed wools, silk jacquards and velvet in a mellow palette of neutrals, dusty blues, reds and greens – alongside black. Eveningwear looks took in voluminous coats, short trapeze dresses, cropped bomber jackets, velvet cargo trousers, flat shoes, berets and belts. Hair was more traditionally elegant here, parted to the side with some gentle volume and sweeping fringes. 

Halley Brisker, Olaplex’s global ambassador, noted: “Milan will always be, in my opinion, the city of the blowout. Milanese hair is big, bold and bouncy and this extends even to shorter styles like the bob. Maybe even a flick out to complement the round brush finish.”

The trend continued at Gucci, where natural hair looks were embraced for their distinctive sense of Italian style, characterized by ‘sprezzatura’ – the perfectly imperfect, a studied effortlessness. Blunt, sleek, jawline bobs were the perfect partner to looks that referenced the retro and the modern day, reaffirming the beloved bob’s versatility.

Images: Max Mara; Tod’s; Emporio Armani; Gucci