LVMH Prize Semifinalist Francesco Murano Debuts at Milan Fashion Week

The charm of classical arts has always been a fundamental part of the vision of Italian designer Francesco Murano, since the conception of his namesake brand in 2021. This was translated into a reflection on purity of absolute shapes such as the circle, a representation of beauty perfection. Murano was also interested in harmony between opposites, studying movement and its interaction with the body. Friedrich Nietzsche's idea of rationality, Apollonian, and the irrational passion, defined as Dionysian, have always been a sort of philosophical guide for Murano; his way of conceiving fashion.

During Milan Fashion Week, the designer held his first show, in the cozy Fondazione Sozzani, presenting his fall 2025 collectsion, called Aequus Libra. These two latin terms are the roots of the word equilibrium, one of Murano’s starting points this new season. He focussed on the proportions of different parts of the garments, because sometimes—as he put it, showing the collectsion in his studio a few days ahead of the show—the perfect balance is obtained by giving the right weight to single components. Thus asymmetry became a tool to express harmony, where, for example, a single sleeve re-proportioned the whole silhouette.

The young designer combined volumes almost like a sculptor. Therefore his moulage technique—which consists of draping fabric directly on the mannequin—was used to create soft movement through dresses and tops with straight central necklines. They made a strong contrast with sartorial pieces such as extremely fitted jackets, in wool or leather, and pants.

For the draped pieces, the variety of jerseys chosen—light, shiny or in a transparent chiffon effect—let Murano explore sophistication through monochrome looks in full black, white, mahogany, and lead gray. Thus, the long leather coats created contrasts with the sheer shirts, while the suits were sculptural and relaxed at the same time.