Mis en avant
MAISON MARGIELA ARTISANAL FW25/26
Fashion lives off its moments. And no moment could be greater—or more daunting—than following in the footsteps of Martin Margiela and John Galliano, two of the most adored and influential designers in history. For his first Artisanal collection at Maison Margiela, Glenn Martens did the impossible: he honoured a daunting legacy without being devoured by it.
Presented inside a crumbling venue lined with torn paper—the same building Margiela showed his final collection in back in 2008—Martens’ debut was haunted, in the best possible way. The setting was not just symbolic; it was a direct conversation with the ghosts of the house’s past. But this wasn’t mimicry or costume. It was a reinvention.
Following Galliano and Margiela is historically impossible. One rewrote the rules of fashion through deconstruction and anonymity, the other turned fashion shows into operatic, emotional spectacles. Martens doesn’t have the same performative flair Galliano had, nor does he seem interested in Margiela’s absolute erasure of identity (even if the masks that all models wore might indicate otherwise). Instead, he lets his creativity free. This Artisanal collection was visceral, raw.
As Smashing Pumpkins’ 1994 song Disarm echoed off the paper walls, the first look came down the runway: a domed, clear plastic dress worn over a corset that, backstage, Martens related to blown glass. The same idea was explored in multiple ways in the first section of the collection, manipulated to suggest different shapes.
There were references to his predecessors. He had to pay his respects. The adorned masks that accompanied every look were a Martin Margiela staple, and the twisted corsets that structured most dresses felt like an homage to Galliano. Inspiration wasn’t just drawn from his predecessors but from himself. After all, this isn’t his first outing in the world of couture. For Spring 2022, Jean Paul Gaultier gave Martens the opportunity to make his debut in the category. And, while that particular collection had the purpose of relating to Gaultier’s archive, there were quite a few similarities here. Look number 10, an aged gold, metal-threaded dress that tightens around the torso and blooms in its skirt, seems to be a reinterpretation of a similarly blooming metallic dress.
Prints from 16th-century Flemish and Dutch painters—a reference to the shared nationality of him and the founder of the house he now leads—were peppered throughout the collection. Most spectacularly in look 13, where a satin bodysuit is used as a base for a leather tablier. Embossed with gold leaf, it carefully mimicked historical Flemish wallpapers.
The ostentation of the experience was tempered by radical intervals of casualness. Hoodies and denim (even if hand-painted) were refreshing to see in the lineup, grounding the collection in something recognizably human amid the theatricality. Martens doesn’t just showcase his technical and creative prowess; he reveals a refusal to be constrained by the traditional codes of couture.
The final looks, textural blooms that resembled flowers, offered a sublime crescendo. They spoke directly to the Dutch masters’ obsession with nature morte, but here, the inspiration transcended stillness. The dresses expanded beyond the dimensional limitations of the human form, exploding into sculptural tulle flowers that seemed to consume the body whole.
The designer’s debut was a moment, a special occasion where a creative gets to stretch his wings and show us his world. We’re just glad to be living in it.
Words by Pedro Vasconcelos
BALENCIAGA HAUTE COUTURE FW25/26
After 10 years of ruffling feathers at Balenciaga, Demna went out just like he came in: with a fair share of controversy. For the first time in his decade at the Maison, the Georgian designer came out to thank the crowd. Backstage, he said he owed it to the people. This gratitude punctuated the show—literally, in a soundtrack listing the names of his team, and figuratively, in what he sent down the runway.
A series of structured sets walked out first, starting in a simple iteration, then evolving into jackets and coats with lapels flipped outward. The silhouette—seen in black, red, and polka-dot—is a favourite of the designer, repeated throughout his decade at Balenciaga. Isabelle Huppert followed in an impossibly elegant fitted sweater and pants. The high neck, the bag swinging from Huppert’s arm, the pointy heels: as always, Demna’s parodies are as accurate as they are chic.
His fascination with old-school Hollywood glamour was on full display. Kim Kardashian wore a replica of Elizabeth Taylor’s dress from Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, adorned with the actual diamonds Taylor wore. A tribute to the founder of the Maison came in the form of a houndstooth coat. Many online still like to fantasise about what Cristóbal Balenciaga would have thought of Demna’s tenure. To them, we say: he’s dead. The industry has evolved, the world has changed. It’s possible to appreciate technical artistry and cultural commentary simultaneously.
Of course, Demna needs no defence; the designer made a career pushing the boundaries, upsetting both critics and the public. The similarly triggering casual wear that came after is proof of it. For a couture collection, showing windbreakers and bomber jackets might be considered sinful, but for Demna, it’s imperative. He made it his mission to bring couture into the real world, beyond the salons in which the collection was shown.
For his final Balenciaga offering, Demna synthesised his entire approach to the French Maison. It wasn’t a Rolodex of his greatest hits, but a summary of his greatest achievement: changing the parameters by which we think of fashion. And even though we admit our love for Demna outright, the fact remains: he has been one of the most influential designers of the last decade. We grieve the end of an era, but are just as excited for the beginning of the next. What will the upcoming decade look like for Demna? For Gucci? For the industry?
Words by Pedro Vasconcelos
CHANEL HAUTE COUTURE FW25/26
It’s easy for fashion to feel thematic. In an industry commanded by the search for novelty, collections can feel like limited-edition capsules rather than narrative expansions. Chanel doesn’t commit such sins. With a savoir-faire that extends well beyond a century, the maison isn’t bound by themes; instead, it pursues a continuous search to interpret its own industry-revolutionising legacy. Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2025/26 is the perfect example. In what was the last collection presented before Matthieu Blazy’s debut in September, the design team presented a look back into the house’s earliest history. Harkening back to its founder’s fascination with the Scottish Moors, rustic elements tamed the extravagance a Couture collection usually implies.
Gabrielle Chanel, the omnipresent muse to the maison she founded, is considered through her earliest mission: to coarsen an otherwise delicate female wardrobe. Male silhouettes were the most explicit executions of the creative mission. Structured jackets and coats were rigid but loose, built to allow for freedom of movement. Tweed hooded jacket-and-short sets had a distinctively military inspiration, brought forward further by leather boots that extended past the shorts’ length.
Compared to the collections the team has presented since Virginie Viard’s departure, this season felt more considered, less whimsical. Dark greens, muted ochres, and dirty whites reigned over the colour palette. The natural inspiration continued in white tweed manipulated to resemble sheepskin, and feathers twisted to imitate wheat ears. The set, too, informed the direction. Made to resemble the Haute Couture salons at 31, rue Cambon, the Grand Palais merged the iconic location with an outdoor feel, combining its decorative elements with a wide, open space.
The collection’s biggest success was in the delicate balance it managed to keep for all 46 looks. Yes, it was masculine and comfortable, but it was elegant and decadent, nonetheless. An embellished, fur-collared cropped jacket was sweet when complemented by a draped silk skirt. A high-collared white coat, even if structured, was gilded by feathered sleeves.
While the excitement is palpable for Blazy’s debut, the stint the design team had in creatively leading all Chanel collections is reaffirming. Beyond the mythology of genius designers, Chanel’s legacy is enough to guarantee its narrative upkeep.
Words by Pedro Vasconcelos
CELINE SPRING26
Debuts are never easy. And Celine, as a maison, feels particularly hard. The past two creative directors—Phoebe Philo and Hedi Slimane—were not only commercially successful, but they also brought the brand into a new creative realm. Michael Rider has extremely large shoes to fill. But it’s not like he’s new to the brand. After a four-year stint at Nicolas Ghesquière’s Balenciaga, the American designer worked as design director for Philo’s Celine before joining Polo Ralph Lauren as creative director. In that sense, this wasn’t a debut at all, but a homecoming.
And while the biography might seem unnecessary, the fact of the matter is, Spring 2026 speaks to all the roads Rider has walked. There’s a deep respect for Philo’s Celine (one he was so intimately intertwined with) in nipped-in tailoring and a thematic proclivity toward scarves. Ghesquière’s influences came through in exaggerated shoulders and vibrant colours on cropped jackets. His own time at Ralph Lauren sowed in an almost comical preppiness. Striped rugby polos swallowed models, extending far beyond their expected limitations. Tight argyle sweaters were painted on the body.
Despite all the references Rider designed with—and the undeniable pressure a designer feels knowing that every single keyboard critic will be typing faster than they can think—what was most remarkable was the collection’s sense of whimsy. Maximalist necklaces turned a tangled jewellery nightmare into the chicest accessory. In a belted leather jacket, a simple charm bracelet took over the whole arm, jiggling down the runway in a metallic cacophony. Elsewhere, a thick fringed dress is remarkable in its structure and becomes increasingly more interesting upon closer inspection, revealing it’s entirely made up of Celine tags.
Accessories were an undeniable high point. Flat monogrammed totes felt fresh, while a reimagined Luggage Tote had our teenage hearts fluttering. Slouchy bags in soft yellow, structured minis in snakeskin, structured vanity cases carried on the wrist: Rider speaks a language we can understand.
Scarves—long a Philo signature and a maison code, not unlike the ever-popular Triomphe symbol—punctuated the collection. Whether draped under the lapel of structured coats, bunched at the collar, or gathered around the neck, Rider shows he understands that, beyond clothes and accessories, he must sell a way of dressing. Here, it’s uncomplicated, it’s fun, it’s chic, and, most important of all, it’s aspirational. Spring 2026 was a success not only because Rider knows what he’s doing, but because he knows where he’s going.
Words by Pedro Vasconcelos
KIKO KOSTADINOV SS26
For his Spring/Summer 2026 show, Kiko Kostadinov projected a day in the life. Whose life? The question is left open-ended, but it serves as a catalyst for a collection that idealises a covetable kind of slow living, projecting the day of a worker on an island from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. The full day mandates the show, each passing look corresponding to a time of day. But Spring/Summer 2026 isn’t a chronological documentation; rather, it’s a character study.
The Kiko man’s day starts off as so many others do: with pyjamas. Kostadinov presents three options inspired by Bulgarian military motifs—naturally. Slowly, the brand’s idiosyncratic take on workwear begins to emerge. Twisted paisley-printed jackets and unusually zipped trousers define the day’s late morning. As lunchtime arrives, so does the material and technical experimentation. A short-sleeved boiler suit is interrupted by a zipped pattern panel that diagonally disrupts the garment in half. Patterned twill sets find pleats and pockets in unexpected places.
Tailoring emerges around late afternoon. Kostadinov’s take on it is easy, light, even, on his characteristic intellect. Here, jackets fall organically on the body, clinging to it with little resistance. Two rows of buttons are sewn diagonally. A darted, collarless jacket is paired with similarly patterned loose shorts—easy. Geometrically embroidered light shirts, piped trench coats, wide belts, ripped trousers reveal a strange patterned panel underneath: Kostadinov resounds his codes with each passing minute. A blue-stitched leather jacket is paired with the brand’s latest iteration of their longstanding collab with ASICS, here in the shape of tabi sneakers with electric blue soles.
Kostadinov’s take on menswear remains supreme. His technical skill and cerebral approach are matched only by his lack of pretension. These are day-to-day, or rather, hour-to-hour, clothes.
Words by Pedro Vasconcelos
KARTIK RESEARCH SS26
“This is the Euro Champions of fashion, who wouldn’t want to compete?” Backstage, Kartik Kumra nonchalantly gave us the breakdown of what he describes as a dream. Showing for the first time in a runway show format on the official schedule, the Indian designer understands the moment as a milestone—the first of many in the past year. After opening a store on NYC’s Lower East Side, Kumra not only has his Parisian catwalk debut but also uses it to introduce womenswear.
In the show notes, Kumra described his inspiration, or, maybe more accurately, how he found it. Instead of thinking of the people who wore his clothes, he thought of those who make them. He recalls different moments: the way a seamstress looped a necklace through the buttonholes of a shirt, the way a piece of fabric transformed with particularity in mind. Kumra describes the ease with which those who make clothes for a living can manipulate them. In an age where India is cited as the source of inspiration by non-Indian designers almost every season, Kumra reclaimed its workforce as an aesthetic reference.
This ease is seen throughout the collection. Collared leather jackets are layered on top of open shirts. Linen sets tuck in at the waist with the pull of a string. Jeans gain new life through textured patches. Shiny embroideries don’t feel laboured; instead, almost natural in linen overshirts. Despite how new it is to Kumra’s language, womenswear is perfectly integrated into his vision. The first look: a top horizontally draped across the shoulders, tightening at the waist.
For Spring/Summer 2026, Kumra officiated a wedding between what his brand has been up to this point and all it can become. The designer behind Kartik Research showed a glimpse into a bright future.
Words by Pedro Vasconcelos
CRAIG GREEN SS26
There is a trend happening amongst designers this season: a return to youth, to simpler times. The collective reaction is natural. In a time when everything is becoming more and more complex, youth is idolised as the answer—the last safe point. Craig Green’s interpretation is slightly different. Here, it isn’t necessarily youth that is edified, but an induced return to its innocence. Inspired by The Beatles’ journey into psychedelics, Green projected a push towards something deliberately positive. The creative source was perhaps no more evident than in the glowing eyes that accompanied every look.
In what was his first collection in almost precisely a year—last time in his studio in London—Spring/Summer 2026 began as an elaboration of where he left off last time we saw him. Seemingly randomly panelled and buttoned shirts had an almost military feel. Slowly, flowers started blooming, as if to signal the beginning of the euphoric trip. They first appeared in intricately knit sweaters and eventually expanded into maximalist prints on shirts. Mouthwatering, fur-hooded, armless parkas followed. Our personal favourite of the show.
A sequence of Green’s previous hits came towards the middle of the show. His evergreen collaboration with Fred Perry explored a simpler, more innocent take on youth. Striped polos came with matching skirts, creating geometric shapes on the body. Ankle-length colourful parkas were extraordinary, and the floral belted looks that followed seemed like a much-anticipated sequel to the Spring 2025 belt corsets.
The collection closed with its most emblematic looks: ‘60s bedsheet-inspired, multilayered floral explosions. It felt like a climax. As models walked barefoot on the yellow sand, we felt a similar peak. Oh, how we missed Green’s trips!
Words by Pedro Vasconcelos
JACQUEMUS SS26
Simon Porte Jacquemus is all grown up. With the Le Paysan (translating to The Farmer) show for his eponymous label, the French designer delivered one of his most elegant offerings to date.
Staged at the L’Orangerie du Château de Versailles, the show took its inspiration from the farming culture of the South of France. Growing up surrounded by sprawling fields and farms, Jacquemus created a love letter to his childhood environment. Our favourite reference came in the form of headscarves tied in the back with a nonchalant knot. Traditionally used as a pragmatic way to protect from the scorching sun, the designer elevated the headpieces into a poetic and sophisticated nod to his upbringing. The headpieces matched billowy off-the-shoulder sun dresses, white pantsuits, and the very final look in the show – a beige gown with a dramatic train that was contrasted with the model’s bare feet.
The palette remained classically Jacquemus, with crisp white, lemon yellow, pale blue, black and cream leading the charge. Experimentations came in the form of the silhouettes – from full-bodied skirts to layered pleated dresses. Sharp cigarette trousers and see-through chiffon gowns were decorated with tassels dangling with each movement. The oversized lapels of jackets doubled as pockets, creating a cocoon shape.
As for menswear, the designer presented a line-up of incredibly desirable and attractive propositions. A deep navy tunic sat on top of a wide skirt in white and striped trousers. Blazers were cinched in the waist and paired with shorts past the knee and mules tied around the ankle with a ribbon. A black suit was juxtaposed with a bag resembling a wooden case with plants.
A love letter to his family’s background, the collection was an incredibly touching display right from the start when a boy (symbolising young Simon) opened the monumental door to begin the show. During the finale, once the models reached the bottom of the staircase, the designer ran down towards his family members in the audience, holding back the tears. In an industry that is way too often preoccupied with appearing mysteriously unmoved, the show was a welcome exhibit of raw emotion.
Words by Martin Onufrowicz
LGN LOUIS GABRIEL NOUCHI SS26
Putting together a show is a matter of love, time, and patience. It’s not only a continuous process, but it’s an expensive one. Louis Gabriel Nouchi dared to dream what he could do with all that commitment. And so, his Spring/Summer 2026 presentation was born. On an extremely sweaty day in Paris, Nouchi directed us to the legendary (and air-conditioned) Club Silencio, the nightlife Parisian institution founded by David Lynch. Inside, popcorn and champagne in hand, we were shown a two-and-a-half-minute animated movie that brought Nouchi’s sensual masculinity into a literal different realm.
Speaking of the project, Nouchi shared a fact not many knew: before entering fashion school, he had been accepted into an animation program and was set on attending before radically changing his path. A self-proclaimed nerd, Nouchi’s decision to turn his show into a movie speaks to multiple layers of intention. Firstly, the French animation industry is booming—this was produced by the popular Milli Studio. In close collaboration with the team, Nouchi produced a movie that is entirely hand-drawn. Backstage, the designer emphasised the importance of the art form in the age of AI.
It’s great to see him turn the corner. As the general public’s perception of artificial intelligence shifts rapidly, it’s surprising to see so many designers still treat it as a novelty. That seems to be Nouchi’s greatest strength: he’s deeply in tune with what his audience believes in. One of the first (and now, seemingly last) to consistently cast his collections on different body types, Nouchi remains uncompromising in his values. Not to worry, the movie included differently shaped and sized androids. In The Replicant, Nouchi shows a collection that is, like always, inspired by a novel. This time it’s Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? The collection adopts a cheekier name: Do Androids Dream of Wet Desires? Considering the title, it’s only appropriate that the film opens with Nouchi’s iconic cut-out underwear. Inside: a glowing robot ass.
The movie features all the brand’s usual suspects. Long coats with structured shoulders punctuate the entire runtime. Micro leather shorts, power shoulders, latex ties — once again, Nouchi blends the formal with the kinky. Deep neckline polos walk the line. So do the tightly tailored shorts. In merging fantasy with form, and eroticism with emotion, Nouchi reminds us that fashion doesn’t always need a runway. Sometimes, all it takes is a dark room.
Words by Pedro Vasconcelos
COMME DES GARÇONS HOMME PLUS SS26
Last season, Rei Kawakubo imagined the horrors of being on the frontline of a war for soldiers who are unwilling yet forced to fight. A direct reaction to the global context, Spring/Summer 2026 spawns from the same narrative. Now, instead of finding inspiration in the despair of its sufferers, Kawakubo projects the hope for a leader who will enact change.
Authority here is made a synonym of tailoring. Appropriately named Not Suits, But Suits, the collection is riddled with, well, suits that aren’t suits at all. Deconstructed and reconstructed to the edge of abstraction, the silhouettes evoke uniform without submission, structure without rigidity. The first section brought five patterned non-suits. The loud prints in bright colours distracted the eye, tricking us into believing what we saw were suits. A closer inspection revealed zippered legs, panniered hips, and draped backs.
The approach was carried on in black suits with white shirts. Here, jackets extended beyond the knees, as if weighted by gravity. Zippers in trousers revealed amalgamations of ruffles blooming through the side seams. Bombers and knit capes broke up the non-suits, only for them to return in jackets with protruding lapels in contrasting coloured jersey.
All looks were styled with oversized baseball caps, their brims extending far beyond the models’ heads. Their hair, long, thick braided wigs that, on most, reached at least the waist, rendered the models faceless, anonymous. Kawakubo’s vision of power is not rooted in hierarchy, but in individuality.
Words by Pedro Vasconcelos
WILLY CHAVARRIA SS26
Willy Chavarria’s creative nucleus has always spun around the idea of America. Not as it’s been so tediously explored in the past—reliant on a hero fantasy that grows more and more distant from reality by the day—but as a country that breathes cultural diversity. As the political climate in the United States grows darker, Chavarria’s mission grows more urgent.
The show blurred the lines between performance, activism, and fashion. The invitations were presented as deportation papers, the same kind thousands of Americans and legal residents receive every day under Trump’s authoritarian-like command.
The show opened with a stirring performance. Thirty-five men dressed in white T-shirts entered the venue one by one, leaning along the runway. As they got to their place, they kneeled, hands behind their backs. In partnership with the ACLU, the opening was a call to action on the current human rights violations ongoing in Salvadoran prisons, where the justice system has ceased to exist in the way we know it, prosecuting and convicting people with no judicial process.
The peculiarity of what Chavarria does is that his brand’s political existence isn’t a side mission; it’s its core. Beyond the performance that opened the show (and that left many in the audience teary-eyed), his message is woven through his design language beautifully. The colour palette itself, which without context reads as joyful, was inspired by the uniforms of factory workers around the world. Light pinks, bright reds, and cold greens are all contextualised in a social and cultural reality, appearing throughout the collection in Chavarria’s signature tailoring, with oversized proportions and sharp, pointy edges.
Womenswear was particularly strong this season, a fact Chavarria confessed backstage was due to the growth of his team. With Rebecca Mendoza as head of design, Chavarria begins speaking a different womenswear language. Oversized trench coats don’t swallow the body, they amplify it. Short-sleeved shirts and pencil skirts define the silhouette, tucking the waist ever so slightly in. His omnipresent Adidas collaboration lightened the collection midway through, giving us a taste of the ever-desirable Willy boys.
Chavarria continues to redefine not only American fashion. In his hands, the runway becomes about more than clothes. It’s an altar for appreciation and retaliation.
Words by Pedro Vasconcelos
CAMPERLAB SS26
Achilles Ion Gabriel is a creative force. In recent years, the designer has revived Camperlab, taking it from an experimental offshoot of the renowned Camper shoe brand into a full-fledged fashion label. In the process, he managed to debut an eponymous label too, expanding his vision further into the luxury market. He keeps pushing onwards. Now, under his leadership, Camperlab has just debuted at Paris Fashion Week. Spring/Summer 2026 marks a series of new beginnings: not only has the brand presented a complete clothing collection for the first time, but it’s also changed its logo and monogram.
The show was held in a car park on a blistering Paris day. Heat aside, inside, the venue resembled an impossible-to-get-in nightclub: smoke machines, flashing green lights, and even a black-box bar. This wasn’t the quirky Camperlab we’ve gotten used to; this was an intentional and planned shift for the brand.
That shift continued upstairs, where the actual show took place. The opening look, a denim suit with a twisted houndstooth pattern, was quickly followed by a shrunken shirt, folding in all the deliberately “wrong” places. This concept recurred throughout the show, appearing in deconstructed and tightly cropped cardigans.
The footwear was, predictably, incredible. As the previous primary focus of the brand, it still anchored the collection. Spiky sneakers were inventive, while square-toe, knee-length cowboy boots were nothing short of breathtaking. But it’s no longer just about the shoes. With clothing now in full force, Gabriel moves Camperlab forward. We’re ready to follow.
Words by Pedro Vasconcelos
KENZO SS26
For its SS26 menswear collection, Kenzo went to the heart and soul of Parisian dining culture. The show took place at Maxim’s, one of the most iconic and historic restaurants in the capital. The collection was inspired by the art of going out, the style of clubbing, and the spirit of summer love.
Through a bold and eclectic fusion of streetwear, the collection gives off a punk-aristocrat vibe with playful silhouettes, unexpected fabric choices, and vivid colour contrasts. From flowy silk and sheer pieces to padded bomber jackets and kimono-style robes, the offering emphasises shape and movement. Slouchy, oversized silhouettes, layered styling, and fun graphic elements showcase the brand’s artistic prowess. Accessories like chains and bows add flair and a visually exciting element to each look.
One of the pieces that stood out was the jacket with gold braiding referencing 18th/19th-century military uniforms. Sharply tailored, it was given a modern twist through youthful styling. The animal prints and cartoon prints created visual disruption within Maxim’s luxurious Belle Époque interior, characterised by ornate mirrors, stained glass, and velvet, building a juxtaposition between the bourgeois feeling of the space and the contemporary, artistic, and progressive approach to clothing by creative director Nigo.
The collection is expressive and serves as a reminder that fashion is personal, performative, and artistic. With this show, Kenzo showcases its creative edge, attention to detail, strong constructions, and a not-so-serious approach to fashion.
Words by Carolina Benjumea
MARINE SERRE SS26
The typical eclecticism of Marine Serre took another turn this season. The collection, titled The Source, is a return to the essential—a highlight of the humans behind every garment and the care put into each production. “This season, we are not showing. We are building,” said the designer.
Known for blending aesthetics, textures, and styles, this time the brand created yet another bold showcase where unexpected fabrications, playful pieces, and contrasting elements formed a collection that, somehow, made sense. Merging elements of early-2000s nostalgia, clubwear, and high-fashion avant-garde, the label maintained its signature aesthetics mixed with classical items for the everyday.
Bold colours like scarlet red, turquoise, pink, and black dominate the palette, balanced by earth tones and denim blues. Clean lines and sharp edges create depth and dynamism across looks, while classic pieces provide a timeless balance. Some elements are extra feminine, such as the bodycon dresses, the elegant see-through fabrics, and the asymmetrical draping, while menswear includes sharp but playful shirting and Western-style pieces.
For this season, the brand highlighted its attention to craftsmanship with ornate beadwork and embellishments, while still keeping the edge characteristic of Marine Serre. That subversive allure and confident camp has given the label a youthful and trash-glam aesthetic, subverting the values of traditional high fashion in Paris.
The overall collection celebrated a daring silhouette—bold, clean, and classically provocative in both menswear and womenswear. The looks were wearable with an artistic edge, appealing to those who still like to experiment with clothing and challenge the new, debunking the dream of the ‘clean girl look’ and blurring the lines between clubwear, artwear, and streetwear.
Words by Carolina Benjumea
DIOR MEN SS26
We are so back! After much anticipation, Jonathan Anderson presented his debut menswear collection at the helm of Dior for Spring/Summer 2026. Spoiler alert: it was a triumph.
As the eclectic audience patiently waited for the show to begin – among them Dior superstar ambassador Rihanna and ASAP Rocky, Sabrina Carpenter, indie queen Ethel Cain, as well as a line-up of some of Anderson’s favourite boys like Josh O’Connor, Drew Starkey, or Sam Nivola (dressed in the new Dior fineries before they even hit the runway) – the first look appeared, showcasing the designer’s take on one of the brand’s most iconic pieces, the Bar jacket. Constructed out of speckled wool in dark green and featuring a black lapel, the ultra-chic piece was juxtaposed with one of the collection’s defining garments – a pair of cream hyper-sized cargo shorts with folds of fabric on each side. Throughout the show, the shorts reemerged in khaki green and pink – worn with a blue V-neck or a classic green checked shirt.
Another statement piece was the morning jacket in velvet, worn with a pair of rolled-up washed jeans. The most beguiling outerwear proposition came in the form of a knitted cape, tied with an extra-long and thin black ribbon, sitting on top of an intricately embroidered vest. Anderson’s Dior evokes the attitude of aristocratic nonchalance, combining precious garments with everyday staples like distressed denim or chinos. The vibrant colour palette made us think of French preppy characters from the mid-to-late 2000s – think Louis Garrel in Christophe Honoré’s Love Songs from 2007.
As he has shown us time and time again during his Loewe tenure, Anderson is a master of creating instantly recognisable and striking accessories. For his first round at Dior, the designer generously served us with a ton of options already – from reconsidering Maria Grazia Chiuri’s bestseller Book Tote by decorating it with vintage covers of classic novels like Dracula or Bonjour Tristesse, to establishing a sure contender for the accessory of the season: a high neck collar sitting on top of a bare chest.
Words by Martin Onufrowicz
IM MEN SS26
Inspired by the 20th-century ceramic artist Shoji Kamoda, Issey Miyake Men presented a playful collection. Kamoda, famous for pushing the boundaries of tradition in his medium, often introducing unexpected forms and finishes, is the perfect ally to a brand that so often does the same within the fashion industry. Spring/Summer 2026 was as clear a testament to that ethos as any other Issey Miyake show. Before the models even emerged, dancers wearing Kamoda-inspired patterns waved around bolts of similarly adorned fabric, the stage already alive with movement and transformation.
As the dancers settled in front of a backdrop of aligned patterned sheets, the first look stepped onto the runway. A hint of what was to come, it embraced the amorphous, layering a poncho-like head covering over a matching top and bottoms. It was silhouette as gesture, textile as sculpture. Textured looks soon disrupted the sea of motifs, creating quiet ripples in the form of waved, neutral sleeveless tops.
The collection was light but not in the escapist way most of this season’s offerings have leaned. If the prevailing theme of Spring/Summer 2026 is a kind of fashionable avoidance—a wardrobe designed for summer vacations from reality—IM Men offers something different. This wasn’t about escape. It was about response. Here, lightness isn’t an absence of weight, but a recalibration of it.
Words by Pedro Vasconcelos
DRIES VAN NOTEN SS26
There’s nothing quite like a Dries Van Noten boy. The attitude he projects, eclectic but intellectual, is unmistakable. It’s no surprise, really. Van Noten’s very first runway was a menswear show. He’s always taken the category seriously, always a top contender come January and June. Now, his chosen successor, Julian Klausner, is picking up the mantle. In his debut menswear show, he delivered what we’re preemptively, but emphatically, calling one of the best collections of the season.
As soon as the first look stepped out, a popped-collar trench coat styled with red socks and matching shoes, the barren venue was transformed. Lou Reed’s voice reverberating between the concrete pillars accompanied a journey into Klausner’s vision for the brand. Like the womenswear shown the season prior, the new creative director’s strength lies in both preserving and advancing the legacy Van Noten defined over more than three decades. The beginning of the show quickly dived into athleisure with the airs of an off-duty ballet dancer: colourful biker shorts combined with tailored sleeveless tops and printed cropped trench coats.
Naturally, patterns punctuated the collection, as they always do. Brightly hued stripes gave way to wallpaper-like florals. These bloomed on everything from carefully sequined vests to sarongs that at times complemented pants, and at others, completely replaced them. There’s a joyful, sexy playfulness in Klausner’s design language. Structured yet light blazers were capped off with the aforementioned sarongs, as if haphazardly tied around the waist. At other times, the same formal jackets were tucked into grey sweatpants. Micro shorts (a Spring/Summer 2026 staple) appeared in idiosyncratic patterns. Accessories were plentiful and outstanding: piped suede oversized bags, bright pink satin sneakers, seashell necklaces.
In what’s only Klausner’s second season, the future doesn’t just seem bright. It feels right. And if this collection is any indication, he’s not just continuing Van Noten’s legacy; he’s confidently expanding it. There’s a new kind of Dries boy on the runway. He’s not just smart or cultured – he’s hot.
Words by Pedro Vasconcelos
RICK OWENS SS26
The mandatory stop at Palais de Tokyo during Paris Fashion Week served as a reminder of fashion’s power and the intensity of its message. Debuting his exhibition Temple of Love at Palais Galliera in Paris, Rick Owens delivered yet another spectacle filled with reflections on beauty, aesthetics, and theatricality.
Each season, Owens explores fashion through a concept, turning his shows into a kind of ritual. Central to his events is smoke, which typically creates a dramatic, almost solemn atmosphere. But this time, it was water that served as the catalyst for the showcase. Models descended the stairs to find themselves in the middle of a fountain—water became the runway, a living prompt to display the clothing. Some immersed themselves in the water in what felt like a rebirth ceremony.
Titled Temple, the collection was an exploration of chaos, life, and desire. It spoke of evolution, yet captured the very essence of the human experience. Owens’ vision—fearless as ever—speaks to the rebellion of being humanly flawed.
In typical Rick Owens fashion, the pieces were raw, black, body-hugging, and erotic—imbued with a post-apocalyptic edge, with leather dominating the collection. Topless models walked down the runway, while structured capes added a sense of grandeur. Cut-outs, towering platforms, and deconstructed silhouettes formed part of the repertoire, all unmistakably rooted in the brand’s DNA.
More than clothing, fabrics, or construction, Rick Owens invites us to reflect on the world around us, the world that surrounds fashion and our relationship to it. His shows are events that make you think, and this one was about rebirth and apocalypse—a liturgical showcase infused with fantasy and emotional depth.
Words by Carolina Benjumea
AMI SS26
The AMI Spring/Summer ‘26 show was a neighbourhood affair. Showcased around the bronze statue of Louis XIV at La Place des Victoires to Ravel’s Boléro, the collection celebrated the heart of the brand – after all, the house’s HQ was just a couple of steps away. Design-wise, AMI’s creator Alexandre Mattiussi focused on exploring the forms of his garments, keeping the palette to nine colours: light yellow, sand, grey, green, white, black and blue among them. The clothes and design details were blown up to oversized proportions. The blazer/coat hybrids were constructed with extended sleeves and worn on top of shirts with XXL cuffs peeking out, while supersized buckles in suede and satin adorned skirts and trousers, creating a striking and recognisable accent for the season. Roomy shirt jackets reached the same length as boxer shorts contrasted with them – a look which we’re sure to replicate come next spring!
Words by Martin Onufrowicz
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