ss26

Ujoh SS26: Elegance in the Anthropocene

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At Paris Fashion Week, Ujoh showcases a wardrobe for a feverish planet


For its SS26 presentation at Paris Fashion Week, Ujoh reimagined elegance for a world grown warmer.

The Japanese summer has become unforgiving. A climatic reality that now grips cities from Paris to Milan to New York. As the air grows thick and the heat intensifies, the very notion of getting dressed can feel like a burden. Yet Ujoh resists this surrender, proposing instead a summer uniform that is light, ingenious, and elegant. A way to maintain one’s style even as the climate becomes more extreme.

A marine inspiration runs throughout the collection. Sailor collars gain structure, fastenings recall a plastron, and trousers open like sails. The house’s signature layering evolves into a study in breathability, while between skirts and trousers, new hybrid forms emerge from a design process that allows unexpected volumes to blossom.

Ujoh SS26 at Paris Fashion Week


The fabrics embody the essence of summer. Ujoh’s tailoring becomes lighter, realised in airy gabardine, fluid poplin, and cotton and linen blended with rayon to preserve a graceful drape. Mesh and technical textiles are strategically incorporated to create zones of ventilation. Every detail serves daily life. Pieces are easy to care for, practical, and perfectly suited to the pace of urban Japan, without ever yielding to mere informality.

Each piece stands strong on its own by design, yet together they compose the unique harmony that defines Ujoh. A shirt unfolds into a boat neckline; a mesh top is re-conceived as a polo; a scarf-cap reinvents the accessory as a modular object.

The sea returns as a recurring motif. A net-dress reimagines a fishing net as delicate lace, while embroideries sketch the outlines of tropical leaves. Stripes evoke the classic seaside elegance of Italian lidos and retro swimwear. Against the skin, silver jewellery—cuffs, bangles, rings—captures the shimmer of water, echoing the simple, soothing joys of summer.

The collection’s palette remains rooted in the urban landscape: a sober trilogy of black, white, and beige that is radically Japanese and unbroken by the heat. Within this framework, Ujoh inscribes a singular note: a distinctive blue, poised between a lilac-grey and a deep navy, which serves as the signature hue for the collection.

Final thoughts


What emerges from this sober palette and thoughtful construction is nothing less than a blueprint for elegance in the Anthropocene. This collection rejects the false choice between style and practicality. Instead, Ujoh SS26 sketches a summer that is both resilient and joyful, where lightness means not surrender but vitality. Clothing that breathes, adapts, and elevates the everyday. True to its DNA, the house offers a silhouette that is fully dressed, deeply elegant, and universally relevant for the world we now inhabit.

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The discipline of legacy: Creativity in respect of the maisons

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Paris Fashion Week SS26 & creative respect: How the best designers serve the maison’s legacy


The discipline of legacy is the defining quality of a true designer—a quiet antidote to the chaos of the modern fashion system. Amidst the clamour for hype and popularity, a standard that often feels paramount today, this discipline remains the bedrock of enduring design.

This principle is most critically tested within the hallowed halls of historical fashion houses. Here, the designer’s role transforms from sole creator to interpreter; their success is measured not by the strength of their individual voice alone, but by their ability to channel the maison’s soul. The true test is bringing a fresh perspective while honoring the foundational codes and essence of the house. It is a rejection of the notion that a creative directorship is a platform to treat the heritage of a maison as a mere canvas for one’s own brand. Read it—for one’s own ego.

When this creative respect meets artistry—when a designer truly serves the legacy they have been entrusted with—something remarkable happens. The work transcends a seasonal statement. It becomes a continuation of a story. And in that delicate balance, we don’t just see clothes; we feel the enduring enthusiasm for fashion itself.

Paris Fashion Week SS26: The discipline of legacy


Tom Ford: On a dark, smoky runway, Haider Ackermann presented a masterclass in nocturne sensuality. This was a striking lesson in sexiness mood, a masterful fusion of his own stark elegance with Tom Ford’s established codes of luxury and seduction. He proved his ability to evolve the brand while staying true to its core DNA of desire and glamour. (See the collection here.)

Issey Miyake: Movement has always been the core of Miyake’s work, and the SS26 collection redefined the very concept of dressing with clothes that come alive. Fabrics breathe, transform, and adapt to the body in a continuous metamorphosis. This is fashion as an act of love for movement—a fundamental code brilliantly respected by the designing team.
(View the full show here.)

Givenchy: Sarah Burton delivered a spectacular vision of femininity. The collection was a study in contrasts: brilliant, powerful tailoring infused with a poetic and sensual spirit. Here is a female designer dressing women—appreciating, respecting, and empowering them, all while honoring the maison’s codes. (Watch the show here.)

Balenciaga: The beauty, the elegance, the mastery. This was a return to the fundamental principles of the house. Thank you, Pierpaolo Piccioli, for restoring Balenciaga to its legacy of sublime craftsmanship. Piccioli loves women; he celebrates rather than mortifies them, bringing beauty and dignity back to the forefront. (The horror show is over, at least for Balenciaga.)
(Revisit the collection here.)

Chloé: Chemena Kamali earns a “brava” for decisively evolving the brand beyond its hobo phase. She skillfully repurposed the maison’s heritage codes—florals, delicate drapes, and a soft, romantic spirit—to trace a new, refined path for Chloé’s femininity. (Watch the presentation here.)

Final thoughts


At its heart, fashion is beauty. Fashion is a dream.
So, what becomes clear is that the discipline of legacy is not a constraint, but a catalyst. It is practised by a discerning few—the designers who truly understand their role. Those who see their role not as a platform for their ego, but as a sacred trust. They are the skilled interpreters who understand that their true creativity is revealed through a dialogue with the maison’s history.

Their work proves that fashion, at its best, is the marriage of beauty and meaning. It is a shared dream. And when corporate strategy has the wisdom to empower these masters of their craft, it proves that fashion’s most stunning creations are those that honour a past while boldly shaping its future.

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Fashion weeks are mirrors: Notes on Milano Fashion Week SS26

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Creativity and new directions in a time of uncertainty


Fashion weeks are mirrors. They don’t just display clothes—they reflect the tensions, aspirations, and anxieties of our times. This Spring/Summer 26 season in Milan, themes of escape, utility, and transformation emerged, reflecting an industry grappling with its role.

And so, following our examination of these overarching tensions at Milano Fashion Week SS26, we now share some notes on the collections that defined the season. 

The collections: A spectrum of responses


Diesel: Glenn Martens moved beyond the traditional catwalk, staging a scavenger hunt across the city with looks hidden in giant plastic eggs. This playful, decentralised show challenged the conventional fashion week format.

Jil Sander: Simone Bellotti’s debut focused on 90s minimalism. A remarkably clean choice that showcased the body through cuts inspired by Lucio Fontana. Indeed, the house described it as “a balance between classicism and modernity.”

Marras: The show was a poetic journey interweaving literature, art, and fashion. Inspired by a Sardinian sojourn imagined for the Bloomsbury Group, models paraded among salt flats with books tucked inside. The collection, in soft, whispered colours, featured lines that were either flowing and fluid, or androgynous and structured, shaping a universe that blended cultures.

Fendi: The collection emphasised leggerezza (lightness), colour, and an essentiality that embraced both the feminine and the masculine. It stood out as a conceptual and material dialogue, particularly in pieces woven from multiple colours, showcasing exceptional craftsmanship and technical skill.

Prada: Offered a proposition for dressing in uncertain times with an accent on colours. Can vintage be modern? The answer was a masterclass in layering volumes and colours into contemporary uniforms. The collection was described as a “response to uncertainty—clothes that can transform, change and adapt,” granting the wearer “autonomy” and designed with “meaning and utility” for surviving the modern world.

Moschino: Creative director Adrian Appiolaza asked, “What if value doesn’t come from cost but from really going deep into creative ideas?” Inspired by Arte Povera and the brand’s native irony, the collection found preciousness in humble materials like jute, championing reuse, recycling, and upcycling.

Dolce & Gabbana: As the cast of The Devil Wears Prada entered the show, the line between reality and cinema blurred. The knowing giggles shared between Anna Wintour and Miranda Priestley (Meryl Streep) were a noteworthy moment. But we wondered why an entire collection focused on pyjamas, which isn’t even a new concept. 

Bottega Veneta: Under the new creative direction of Louise Trotter, the brand saw a strong debut. She worked masterfully with volumes and three-dimensional textures intrinsic to the brand, developing a rich and sophisticated minimalism.

Versace: Now part of the Prada Group, Dario Vitale debuted with a Miu Miu-ish touch. Colours and a mix of prints, bold and flirty tailoring for a modern 80s-inspired Versace.

Final thoughts: Fashion weeks are mirrors


In conclusion, we take these notes on the Milano Fashion Week SS26 partly for ourselves — to trace the currents shaping the industry and what we might expect next. And yes, we intentionally skipped Demna’s Gucci, because we simply don’t get the point.

Italy’s heritage of craftsmanship, design, and quality remains a source of immense pride. Yet, fashion cannot be considered in isolation. In fact, the central issue is not any single brand or show; it is systemic. It is capitalism — a pattern repeating across industries worldwide. But why does everyone ignore it?

Fashion weeks are mirrors. The SS26 season proves that creativity is not dead — it’s restless, searching, sometimes playful, sometimes profound. Yet behind the spectacle, fashion continues to wrestle with questions of value, responsibility, and purpose. Until those deeper contradictions are addressed, each season will remain both a dazzling act of imagination and a stark reminder of the system that contains it.

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Aesthetics and anxieties at Milano Fashion Week SS26

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The fashion week unfolds between creative visions, the rising cost of luxury, and a crisis of relevance


Dedicated to one of its founding figures, Giorgio Armani, Milano Fashion Week SS26 opened in a climate of stark contrasts: aesthetics and creative visions on one side, mounting industry anxieties on the other. This tension was formalised on 24 September. The Camera Moda gathered Italy’s top fashion executives at Casa Cipriani to defend the future of Made in Italy. Figures including Luigi Maramotti (Max Mara), Renzo Rosso (OTB), Remo Ruffini (Moncler), Alfonso Dolce (Dolce & Gabbana), Gildo Zegna, and Lorenzo Bertelli (Prada) joined Carlo Capasa, the institution’s president, to advocate for safeguarding the national value chain through creativity, sustainability, and stricter regulation.

While the debuts at Gucci, Jil Sander, Bottega Veneta, and Versace generated excitement, this edition also encapsulates the heritage of Italian fashion alongside its most pressing challenges.

The atmosphere is vibrant, with buyers searching for direction and designers striving to deliver it. Yet beneath the surface, unease is palpable. Deep economic instability, no clear plan B for Trump tariffs, sit alongside the persistent shadow of labour exploitation, with high-profile investigations still haunting several luxury houses. 

“We have an immense know-how that goes back a long way and we want to defend what our predecessors built,” Gildo Zegna stressed, pointing to the need for production control in volatile markets. Renzo Rosso, meanwhile, reiterated OTB’s pillars of “creativity, sustainability, and technology.” He warned that without creativity, “a product is nothing more than an object.”

But there is also tension in the narrative. Industry leaders call for optimism, even warning that “negativity impacts store traffic,” as Rosso put it. At the same time, Lorenzo Bertelli identified inequality as the greatest threat to the sector. Luigi Maramotti’s observed that “the consumer is confused” in a world where Europe’s sustainability efforts are undermined by divergent standards elsewhere.

The contradictions cut deep. Carlo Capasa defended the industry against accusations of widespread illegality. He cited Istat figures that suggest around 2–3% of production involves irregular labour. Still, he acknowledged the need of a new legislation to regulate and protect the supply chain. That is “the basis for saving the industry.”

And yet, a striking admission lingers. A while back, Miuccia Prada said:

“Fashion is for when you do not have problems. The moment someone has a health problem or there is a war, fashion is certainly not relevant.”

That perspective clashes with the industry’s insistence on optimism as a survival strategy. In a world marked by war in Ukraine and genocide in Gaza, fashion’s plea to “stay positive” risks sounding disconnected.  And with this background, whether NY, London, Milano, or Paris, we are all on the same boat.

The shows go on, between aesthetics and anxieties. But the fundamental question remains: what is fashion’s responsibility in the face of a crisis of relevance, inequality, and value acknowledged by its own leaders?

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SS26 London Fashion Week: The high-low fashion line collapses

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Is London still a bastion of creative rebellion, or a stage for fast fashion exploitation?


The SS26 London Fashion Week has concluded, with its expanded schedule seeking a renaissance yet exposing a contradiction within the industry. While houses such as Burberry, Simone Rocha, and Erdem reaffirmed their creative authority, the prominent platform given to H&M raised a pressing question: how does this align with London’s professed commitment to sustainability? The line between luxury and fast fashion has not just blurred—it has collapsed.

SS26 London Fashion Week: Creative highlights


At Burberry, Daniel Lee recomposed British heritage with a rockstar edge. The collection was a tribute to swinging London—Mod-inspired short hemlines, slim suits, and leather boots, all set to a Black Sabbath soundtrack. A tribute to Ozzy Osbourne that delighted us fans. (Watch the show here).
Lee commented, “Musicians have always had incredible style, and together with fashion they form a really strong culture.” That was certainly true in the past. Today, rock stars don’t have personal style but stylists. And they’re paid to wear branded clothes—but that’s a topic for another post.

Simone Rocha offered a breath of fresh air with a feminine, childlike, and whimsical collection where lightness and an ethereal mood prevailed. Her designs reminded us why London has long been a laboratory for creative experimentation. (See the looks here).
Meanwhile, Erdem explored “overlapping identities,” blurring the lines between history and imagination in a masterful display of narrative craftsmanship. (Watch the show here).

Yet, this creative reaffirmation was juxtaposed with the event’s strategic inclusion of H&M. The Swedish fast-fashion giant hosted an immersive showcase, leveraging the city’s youthful energy. Its presence was no anomaly but a calculated move that speaks volumes about the event’s current priorities.

The logic behind H&M’s platform


Laura Weir, the new CEO of the British Fashion Council and a former Vogue fashion editor, has described the task of restoring London’s fashion status as “herculean.” After Brexit, Covid, economic instability, and wars, her effort is understandable. But if the goal is to strengthen London’s global standing, is giving H&M such a prominent role really a meaningful long-term choice?

For H&M, a place on the LFW schedule is the ultimate PR coup. It borrows prestige and “cool factor” to reposition itself from a seller of cheap basics to a legitimate trend-maker, helping to justify its premium collaborations and designer partnerships.

From the organisers’ perspective, the logic is equally clear: LFW is, after all, a business. Burberry generates press, but the British Fashion Council needs revenue. H&M’s substantial investment helps subsidise smaller, emerging designers—the lifeblood of London’s reputation for innovation. Furthermore, an H&M presentation can attract celebrities and mega-influencers who might not attend a smaller, avant-garde show. (Sadness of contemporary fashion, as it sounds.) This generates massive social media buzz and media coverage that amplify the event’s visibility.

When blurring lines becomes a blurred vision


The lines between luxury fashion and fast fashion are no longer merely blurred—they are actively erasing each other.

Luxury has adopted the pace of fast fashion: pre-collections, cruise collections, and countless “drops.” They need to constantly feed the content and sales machine. They also court influencers and celebrities in a way that mirrors mass-market marketing.

Fast fashion seeks the cultural capital of luxury: H&M hires former luxury designers, produces “premium” lines, and runs high-production-value campaigns to emulate a luxury feel.

London Fashion Week has always celebrated eclecticism and experimentation. London has historically been the birthplace of street style co-opted by high fashion (punk, mod, etc.). It’s where Vivienne Westwood sold clothes in a shop called SEX. But there is a world of difference between elevating grassroots rebellion and platforming a corporate fast fashion giant. 

The critical question is: what is the cost of this “inclusive” curation? By including H&M, is LFW nurturing creativity or legitimising a business model built on overconsumption? This move directly challenges the halo of exclusivity and creativity—and most importantly, the ecological values London claims to champion. 

Final thoughts


The rock energy of Burberry and the H&M presentation are two sides of the same coin in today’s fashion industry. SS26 London Fashion Week is not merely observing the collapse of the high-low divide; it is actively curating and capitalising on it.

The danger is that the marketing power of fast-fashion players may drown out emerging voices, turning what should be a celebration of creativity into a marketing convention. True London “street” DNA is anti-establishment and authentic. Aligning with corporate fast fashion is the opposite—it’s the ultimate embrace of the establishment.

By giving H&M a platform, London Fashion Week may not just be selling tickets — it may be selling its soul.

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