Mangia bene, ridi spesso, ama molto: of all the events on the annual fashion calendar, the famous Italian adage meaning “eat well, laugh often, love a lot” is never better encapsulated than at Milan’s Menswear Fashion Weeks. The biannual showcase is a week of serious work for brands, buyers, journalists and stylists alike but that doesn’t stop some seriously thoughtful entertaining. After all, in Italy, working hard and enjoying oneself are not mutually exclusive.

Given the show-to-presentation ratio during the city’s menswear weeks, Milanese brands have ample opportunity to flex their hospitality muscles. At the most recent spring/summer 2026 showcase, there were no fewer than 39 presentations compared to only 13 physical runway shows. The key difference? Presentations provide the chance to make an impression for longer than a 10-minute runway outing, letting Italy’s seductive approach to hosting shine.

Tod’s, for example, took over its regular haunt, Piero Portaluppi’s 1930’s masterpiece Villa Necchi Campiglio, and transformed it into the Gommino Club (named after the iconic Tod’s driving shoe). Here, the pattern-cutting demonstrations came with cocktails and generous chunks of parmesan. Meanwhile, at Montblanc’s space, train carriages designed by director Wes Anderson were filled with the brand’s leather goods and guests were invited to take a closer look while sipping fizz cooled with Montblanc-shaped ice cubes.

At Ralph Lauren, a Milanese palazzo was complete with a silver-service cocktail bar, where Ridgway margaritas and Spiga spritzes were shaken up for guests as they mingled their way around the collection. Brunello Cuccinelli did the usual and kept attendees fueled with bowls of its legendary tomato paccheri pasta as they perused the pantsuits on show.

Designers in Paris tend to favour a lighter menu. Glasses of champagne are available at any time of day but the fashion crowd will often be drinking on an empty stomach – or chasing a waiter to grab the last of the miniature caviar canapés. It’s only recently that brands have begun introducing some very welcome dégustation alongside their designs. 

By turning industry events into social soirées, Italy’s menswear veterans offer their guests extra motivation to linger and fully absorb the experience and collections. Invitees have the opportunity to get up close to the clothes, watch them being made, pick the brains of designers and network with industry colleagues – all the while savouring the best of Italian cuisine. Clearly, good nourishment is the way to an editor’s heart – contrary to popular belief, fashion editors love to eat – so this is an approach that’s as efficient as it is effective. More fashion week regulars would do well to embrace it.