The first and only fashion show held at San Siro History of the Italy '90 opening ceremony

The opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games will be the last gala event to be hosted at San Siro before being demolished. The stated goal of AC Milan and Inter is in fact to build a new venue in time for the 2032 European Championship, which Italy is organising together with Turkey. To make it possible, work on the new stadium will very likely begin in 2027. With the demolition only memories will remain of iconic moments: the derbies, the European nights, the Champions League finals and also the only other major ceremony hosted by San Siro — the one for the opening of the 1990 FIFA World Cup. On that day San Siro for a moment shed its football-stadium clothes and turned into an enormous open-air catwalk.

The ceremony, entirely focused on exporting Made in Italy to the eyes of the world, opened with a performance by Edoardo Bennato and Gianna Nannini who performed Notti Magiche — the Italian version of the original To Be Number One by Giorgio Moroder — which became an everlasting hit still mentioned today when Italy's national team takes part in international events. After the performance, the focus turned to fashion. Models from all over the world walked down two catwalks built along the touchlines before heading towards the centre of the pitch. They were divided into four groups, each representing one of the four continents present at the event. In turn, the continents' costumes were created by four Italian brands.

From the runway to the football pitch

The first to walk was Valentino, who for North and South America created a collection distinguished by his unmistakable red. At first there were short dresses with exposed shoulders, a bow at the waist and at chest height a fringe pattern borrowed from cowboy jackets. Everything was paired with knee-high boots, a western hat or a sombrero and alternatively a headband with a feather to evoke Native Americans. Behind them came more complex compositions with evening dresses paired with skirts or silk capes. The collection representing Africa was curated by Missoni: black garments over which colorful geometric patterns developed using rectangles or more angular shapes. A look clearly inspired by tribal motifs completed with Kente hats, chokers and earrings together with turbans or other elegant headpieces.

Yellow was instead the color chosen by Mila Schön to characterize the collection dedicated to Asia, probably the richest in terms of aesthetic variety and productions mixing different shades. Straw-yellow tunics accompanied by turbans and veils, woven hats of Indian inspiration, floral tops, two-piece silver outfits, gold fabric headpieces, evening gowns with a faded effect. The last to walk was Ferré with a collection created for Europe using various shades of green: sleeveless dresses with a see-through effect in which horizontal bands break the transparent fabric, suits with blouses or very soft-shaped knitwear, one-piece swimsuits sometimes low-cut and other times closed paired with very light veils, elegant ensembles with slits, skirts with papier-mâché effect.

When football crosses paths with fashion

Four brands joined forces to create an iconic moment that can be considered one of the earliest intersections between the worlds of fashion and sport. And if today this interconnection, which we take for granted, is mainly tied to sportswear or casual lines, in 1990 the first step was taken by high fashion.

The involvement of Valentino, Mila Schön, Missoni and Gianfranco Ferré was decisive in creating an iconic show inside a football stadium on the occasion of the most followed and anticipated event by fans. An extension of Milan Fashion Week into a territory still virgin of fashion crossovers such as early '90s football, both Italian and world. Even today that opening ceremony, which concluded with a live performance from La Scala of the Va, Pensiero conducted by Maestro Riccardo Muti, is considered a masterpiece. The perfect mix of class, elegance and style. Just like San Siro's architecture.

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