
By Giulia Piceni. Photographs courtesy of Pitti Immagine Uomo.
What happens when, instead of concealing, darkness brings attention to the invisible—our ideas? During the 107th edition of Pitti Immagine Uomo, the AW 2025 collection by MM6, a brand rooted in the Maison Margiela legacy, took centre stage. Founded in 1997, MM6 has recently ventured into menswear, launching this line just three years ago.
The Giardino dell’Orticoltura, a venue designed to capture sunlight and retain warmth for plants, was transformed into a setting of deep cold tones, creating an atmosphere suspended between a nightclub and a perilous street. The brand drew heavily from the heritage of its Paris-based parent company, presenting a nocturnal promenade that unmistakably references the iconic Haute Couture show held last year.







The runway featured male archetypes that blended the worlds of clubbers, rockers, bikers and dandies. The faceless, anonymous MM6 team, embracing the mystery that has become Martin Margiela’s signature, used light and shadow to create a nuanced representation of menswear to life, embracing its darker facets as well. Keep reading to uncover all the shadows of the show!
MM6 Maison Margiela in black and White: The Key to Start-out the References
Oh, what a hell of a show / But what I want to know: / What exactly do you do for an encore, yeah? / ‘Cause this is hardcore.
The show featured a suspended runway around the perimeter of the planthouse, accompanied by the sounds of This Is Hardcore by Pulp—a song that narrates a night of passion intertwined with fame, a groupie-like atmosphere, and a sense of self-realisation. This captivating experience unfolded within the Tepidarium Giacomo Roster in Florence. The venue was enveloped in darkness, taking on a decadent tone, with its liberty-style white structure subtly nodding to the signature candour that has made Margiela, the parent brand, unmistakably iconic.
The setting not only served as a nod to heritage but also appeared as a direct reference to Maison Martin Margiela’s Fall 2006 Pitti Uomo show, held at the 1940s Teatro Puccini. Under the creative direction of Sebastien Meunier, that show orchestrated a dramatic ‘white-out,’ transforming the city of Florence into a blank canvas for Maison Margiela’s creativity. In this context, the choice of the Tepidarium carried significant symbolism, evoking Margiela’s rich archive while offering a fresh perspective.
While the parent brand’s 2006 show focused entirely on white, MM6 chose to distance itself by adopting the colour at the opposite end of the spectrum. This shift felt like a deliberate counterpoint, asserting MM6’s individuality while still paying homage to its heritage.
How MM6 Merged Rock, Jazz, and Masculine Elegance
The AW 2025 collection featured lurex garments, denim ensembles with irregular washes, and a decidedly dishevelled-chic aesthetic. This styling paid homage to the iconic trumpet player, multi-instrumentalist, and composer Miles Davis, exploring various masculine archetypes with effortless sophistication.












However, the true stars of the runway were the lights and shadows, along with the captivating interplay they created. At times, the lights glowed in warm orange tones, shifted to vivid chemical green, and finally settled on a stark, industrial white—Margiela’s signature colour. These dynamic illuminations highlighted the unique characteristics of the garments, transitioning from fabrics with a liquid-like quality to glittering turtlenecks that shimmered under the spotlight.



A photograph of Miles Davis draped in a fur coat and hidden behind oversized black sunglasses, with a cigarette poised between his lips, served as both inspiration and a narrative thread for the collection. His style brought an energetic yet sensual vitality to the thirty rock-couture silhouettes presented on the runway, which were glamorous and minimalist at the same time.
The creative team contextualised the inspiration from jazz, recognising the visceral connection that it shares with fashion. According to the creative team, the collection aimed to redefine menswear codes, incorporating details like utility-high gloves with built-in pockets, which found new life in this interpretation, becoming night-out essentials.





Additionally, accessories like mono-lens glasses drew connections between the past and the present of the Margiela heritage, specifically referencing the silver tape that adorned models during the Margiela show in 2006 at Pitti Uomo. That design also paid tribute to Inge Grognard’s makeup for the SS 1993 Black Show, as well as Margiela’s first-ever sunglasses, the Incognito Visor, introduced for SS08, creating a full circle of internal stylistic references.





Moreover, the show stood out for its precise references, thoughtfully tailored to the Florentine context. Notably, it paid homage to the atmosphere of Venus in Fur, nodding to Botticelli’s iconic painting, The Birth of Venus. The collection also incorporated elements of rocker lifestyles and subcultures that defined Florence’s cultural peak in the 1980s.
What Did the Show Say About Menswear?
The collection delivered garments that, while highly wearable, achieved a balance of grandeur and extravagance. Textures played a crucial role in crafting menswear that could radiate strength and sophistication while keeping the garments wearable.



In evaluating the runway show, it is evident that we are presented with an extremely appealing and highly marketable product that fulfils its purpose: to sell. MM6 has established itself as a brand with a strong identity rooted in the legacy of its parent house, Maison Margiela, yet capable of carving its own unique path. It confidently explores contemporary fashion, crafting its own definition of menswear. While this reflection on menswear may not represent a paradigm shift or a fully avant-garde runway, it was nevertheless an engaging show.