‘[It’s an] approach that has worked really well for us in Amsterdam,’ Dijskre explains, noting that sales at the store have been buoyant despite the break with convention. ‘For us, service and personal connection are the most important. We want people to really experience the brand. By not displaying products on racks or shelves first thing as you walk in, we invite more interaction between our team and visitors – it creates room for conversation.’

Inside Extreme Cashmere’s New York store

A new store on New York’s Mercer Street, which opens this month (November 2025), follows this approach, with just a handful of garments on display (and none in the windows, which is typically prime marketing estate in the competitive SoHo neighbourhood). Instead, shoppers will enter a space reminiscent of a library or lobby, where vivid green carpeting – reminiscent of 1970s interiors – meets a bold assemblage of furnishings, shelves of books, flower arrangements, and product concealed in the brand’s signature cotton dust bags.

Designed by Dijskre’s nephew, architect and designer Hidde Dijkstra, the brief was to create a space that recalls a ‘luxurious home’. Set around two rounded high-gloss centrepieces – designed by Hidde and used as display cases or as a cash desk – the rest of the furnishings have a similarly space-age feel, from steel-frame chairs by Milo Baughman (here playfully upholstered in poppy-print fabric) and cloud-like ceiling lights by Molo, to a bright-pink Sabine Marcelis ‘donut’ transported from the Amsterdam office to New York. Other vintage pieces, such as a 1970s Italian coffee table, were sourced from Marché aux Puces in Paris.

‘It all reflects our love for design and the time and care we put into finding just the right pieces from all over the world,’ she says. ‘The design is inspired by our flagship in Amsterdam, where the concept of “home” is central. We’ve carried that same feeling over to New York, but because the space is larger, we were able to play more with layout and spatial design. It’s still not merchandise-forward, just like in Amsterdam, but instead focused on creating a calm, inspiring environment.’

The decision to open the brand’s second permanent New York store came after a series of pop-ups, including on New York’s Upper East Side (the brand also hosted an ephemeral store-cum-café in LA’s Just One Eye concept store, though for now, the East Coast has taken priority). ‘We’ve always loved New York,’ says Dijkstra. ‘Our pop-up on Madison Avenue last year was such a success, and a lot of fun too, so opening a permanent space here felt like the natural next step. We loved being uptown before, but SoHo has a completely different energy. I love that there are people from all walks of life passing through.’

As for her own perfect day in New York, Dijkstra prefers to keep things simple: ‘I love visiting museums, we went to Dia Beacon yesterday, which was amazing, but honestly, I mostly enjoy the everyday things,’ she says. ‘Going grocery shopping, cooking dinner back at the house, just walking around early in the morning... there’s something about this city that makes you feel like you’re part of it right away.’

Extreme Cashmere, 152 Mercer Street, New York, NY 10012, extreme-cashmere.com

In the years since, 16Arlington has become one of London’s most distinctive independent brands, its after-dark sensuality embodied by the it-girls and creatives who clad themselves in its sultry shapes on red carpets and in nightclubs. Never forgetting their first meeting, Capaldo got back in touch with Price just over a year ago, after discovering a vintage gown made by the designer that had belonged to Cavanti. She had sourced the piece to wear as maid of honour at her best friend’s wedding just before passing away (the designer died in 2021, aged just 28). ‘I reached out to Antony and said, “I would love to connect”,’ he says. ‘He emailed me back and said, “Call me tonight at 8pm.” And that was it. That first night, we were on the phone till four in the morning.’

While generations apart, the two designers’ connection makes perfect sense. Both have built careers around ideas of glamour, excess and beauty. A designer’s designer – deeply respected within the industry but less widely known outside it – Price’s career is the stuff of star-strewn legend. He dressed David Bowie and Duran Duran, collaborated closely with Philip Treacy, and became so instrumental to the aesthetic of Roxy Music that he was coined the band’s ‘invisible member’. His unrestrained work anticipated the louche, shoulder-padded, corseted silhouettes that would come to define the 1980s, and today Price stands as one of the era’s great architects of glamour. Decades later, Capaldo’s work at 16Arlington similarly impresses its own ideas of meticulously crafted, nocturnal dressing, with its own community of figures at the heart of its universe, from Adwoa Aboah to Lara Stone.

Yesterday evening (17 November 2025), the pair unveiled the product of their unlikely inter-generational friendship, a special collection they have been working on together over the past 12 months. The intimate one-off display was held within 16Arlington’s Hoxton studio, and was brought to life by 16 personalities in Capaldo’s orbit, including Lily Allen, Aboah and Lila Moss. Unfolding less like a traditional runway and more like a woozy 1970s salon, it was everything one would imagine from the blending of their worlds. Allowing guests to take in the designs up close, their ‘models’ slunk through the room in a sequence of evening gowns cut in midnight black velvet, chiffon, kink-leaning leather, and trompe-l’oeil animalier, rendered with an opulent attention to craft – crystal-encrusted, feather-strewn and exquisitely sculpted to the body. It was, of course, a study of glamour – treating it as more than a feeling, but a force that defies time, beguiles onlookers, and allows the wearer to become their most magnetic self.

The pair started by delving into Price’s archives alongside the help of writer and collector Alexander Fury. Among pleated lamé gowns worn by Paula Yates, Swarovski-covered sculpted busts made for Philip Treacy, and a jacket for Bryan Ferry crafted from women’s underwear, a theme among these treasures was Price’s gift for construction. ‘Something that really stuck out in the process with Antony is the way he references the body,’ says Capaldo. ‘He talks a lot about creating the heavenly body through clothing. If you were to take the linings out of some of these pieces, just seeing the detail and the padding that has gone into the inners of these garments is really incredible – they are like sculptures. To kind of be up close and personal with those pieces was amazing. The fact that they are still here and in perfect condition is a testament to Antony's work.’

When it came to designing the new collection, the process unfolded collaboratively over the months, with silhouettes coming into focus one by one. ‘We really focused on sculpting the body, whether that's with the jackets or the dresses,’ says Capaldo. ‘We have a few coats, which are really incredible because they have dress waist measurements on a piece of outerwear. Antony's really allowed me to go with it in the sense of trusting what I feel is right for today, whilst allowing us to fully explore his penmanship and apply that to the collection. There are pieces of his that I've reinterpreted. There are pieces of mine that he's reinterpreted. I say this with hand on heart, there hasn’t been a single moment we’ve butted heads. It’s been amazing.’

Capaldo knew he wanted to do something special for the show. It's something he’s gained a flair for now, after stepping away from the fashion week calendar in favour of more personal events (for A/W 2025, he hosted a candlelit dinner at Almine Rech gallery, which was transformed for the evening with an exhibition of 1980s-reminiscent studio photographs by Ethan James Green). Last night’s presentation, however, felt personal in a deeper way – not least of all because it was staged in the brand’s own studio, where the team work each day. ‘We wanted this show to be a really intimate affair,’ says Capaldo. ‘For people to be able to see the clothes up close, to experience them in the walls that they were made in. Bringing it into the space adds that level of grit, which is something that's so present in both mine and Antony's work.’

Worn by a cast of characters who have inspired Capaldo personally and creatively, the effect was as intended – a celebration of their shared ideas of beauty, individuality and craft. ‘Both Antony and I have been surrounded by these incredible individuals, people that stand for things and have a voice, who have naturally shaped and inspired our careers,’ says Capaldo. ‘Jerry Hall was somebody that was very close to Antony and his journey. My version of Jerry is somebody like Adwoa. I've really relied on my community and my friends to bring the show together and bring this collection to life.’

It was also, of course, a heartwarming celebration of their friendship – and of fashion as a language powerful enough to bridge generations. ‘I speak to Antony every day and I have for the past year, for hours on end,‘ says Capaldo at the end of our call. ‘He's a wonderful man, so talented, so unapologetically opinionated, who loves nothing more than bringing glamour to life and transforming people through clothes.’ Working on the collection with Price, the designer adds, has been one of the most rewarding efforts of his career. ‘I personally felt Antony never really received his flowers,’ he says. ‘To have been able to witness such a legend at work has probably been one of the most incredible and pivotal moments in my career. It's been really magical.’

This is the central thesis underpinning the Costume Institute’s 2026 spring exhibition ‘Costume Art,’ which will run from 10 May 2026 until 10 January 2027. The landmark annual show, whose prelude is the star-studded Met Gala every first Monday in May, will display garments from the Costume Institute’s collection alongside artefacts and objects from the greater museum as an ode to and exploration of the human body.

‘“Costume Art’ is a celebration of the body in all of its strengths and weaknesses; its resiliencies and continuities; its perfections, Its imperfections, its idiosyncrasies and commonalities; and, above all, its sublime beauty, its wondrous complexity and its glorious and miraculous diversity,’ Bolton said at a press conference this morning.

The exhibition will unfold in several sections, including chapters titled the Naked Body, the Abstract Body, the Aging Body, and the Pregnant Body, in an effort to highlight ‘those that have traditionally been overlooked,’ according to the exhibition press release.

‘Costume Art’ also promises to create surprising conversations across the Met’s collections, which comprise 5,000 years of human history. At the preview, a 16th-century engraving of Adam and Eve by Albrecht Dürer was displayed alongside a 2009 bodysuit by Walter van Beirendonck printed with a full-frontal outline of a naked man (the back reads: Get Natural, Get Naked). A glimmering silver ‘Delphos’ gown designed in 1938 by Mariano Fortuny, meanwhile, towered above a seven-inch terracotta statuette of the goddess Nike from the 5th-Century BCE.

Other works that will be on display include a bustle designed by Charles James (the subject of the Costume Institute’s 2014 exhibition); a bulging gown designed by Rei Kawakubo (the star of the 2017 show); and a delicate tulle dress designed by Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy cinched at the waist with a belt made from bone-like metal pieces.

‘Although we can only show a few pairings today, they demonstrate a wide spectrum of connections that will be featured in the exhibition,’ Bolton said.

Typically, Costume Institute displays have been site-specific, taking over galleries with glittering fanfare (‘Heavenly Bodies,’ the Costume Institute's 2018 presentation, even extended uptown to the Met Cloisters). But ‘Costume Art’ marks a singular milestone: it will inaugurate a brand new, 12,000 sq ft gallery adjacent to the Met’s Great Hall.

The galleries, designed by Brooklyn-based architecture firm Paterson Rich Office, are named for Condé Montrose Nast, the 20th-century publisher whose magazine company publishes Vogue and is the project’s lead donor. By placing the Costume Institute’s galleries quite literally at the museum’s threshold, the Met is further elevating fashion’s profile within its holdings.

As Max Hollein, the Met’s director and CEO, noted, ‘We are expanding our long-standing commitment to collecting and presenting fashion within the context of our vast global collection.’

Composed of womenswear, menswear, accessories and beauty, the Ludovic de Saint Sernin x Zara collection sees the Paris-based designer bring his luxury brand to a wider audience for the first time.

The beauty component is an extensive range of makeup and skincare that equals the impressive quality of the Zara haircare designed by Guido Palau. A moisturiser and skincare tools are designed to create a healthy base for the makeup, which includes a dual-wand mascara, a lightweight but high-coverage foundation, and hydrating lip gloss, for a solid base that can be amplified with metallic colour sticks for eyes and lips. It is a toolkit for a fresh-faced look, one that complements the slinky glamour of the collection’s fashion.

As a designer, de Saint Sernin is best known for his sensual, gender-fluid designs that often feature lace-up and metal eyelet details. For the Zara collection, de Saint Sernin wanted to retain those foundational elements with looks both sensual and easy to wear, transitioning from day to evening, uptown to downtown, subway to limousine.

The brand’s signature metal eyelets are reimagined as polished chrome studs that embellish everything from leather trench coats to minidresses, stacked belts and gloves. While party-ready halterneck tops, mini skirts and body-hugging gowns come in a lightweight metal mesh material. Both the menswear and womenswear features an array of leather and denim trousers and jackets that can be paired with the collection’s fuzzy coats or tank tops woven with glittering thread.

For de Saint Sernin, who used to shop at Zara growing up, the collaboration is a dream come true ‘What we’ve created together is my idea of the perfect wardrobe: pieces crafted with incredible quality that I want to wear, that I want my friends to wear, that I want everyone to wear,’ he says. ‘The most incredible aspect of working on this collection was knowing how universal it would be. Thanks to Zara, people across the world will have the chance to access the Ludovic de Saint Sernin universe.’

zara.com

Indeed, when Barringer and her creative partner Amanda McGowan first met, during orientation at NYU – taking cinema studies and journalism via pre-med, respectively – a bond was initiated almost before either had uttered a word. ‘Our outfits spoke to each other,’ recalls Barringer. A shared visual language was quickly affirmed and the pair soon began collaborating on various projects until 2015, when Women’s History Museum proper was established. ‘If we weren’t both wearing these very expressive things,’ adds McGowan, ‘we probably wouldn’t have connected. It was both a visual marker of “oh, this is what we’re interested in”, and a kinship.’

Speaking to Wallpaper* the day after Halloween, (they didn’t participate, instead heading to Metrograph to watch Juraj Herz’s 1972 gothic drama, Morgiana), the duo has spent the past decade building on that early instinct and refining how they share it with the world, producing garments, sculptures, print and videos, and putting on catwalk shows, setting up a vintage store, curating exhibitions and opening a physical shop space in Chinatown. Their first institutional exhibition, ‘Grisette á l'enfer’ (or ‘Grissett in hell’, so-called after a figure that emerged in France in the 17^th century, representing working class women behind the fashion industry) is on display now at the Amant in Brooklyn, through 15 February 2026.

‘I was shy when I was younger,’ says McGowan, reciting her own sartorial biography, ‘so [clothing] became a way to communicate with people, to express how I felt and not have to say anything.’ Coming of age before the internet’s grip on culture had reached its current fever pitch, both women were drawn to fashion magazines early on, and initially envisioned their practice would lean into the medium. ‘We grew up with computers, but before you had access to so much imagery. Print media was the way to access images of fashion or art,’ offers McGowan. ‘That was a very formative education on fashion and developing our own tastes and visual language.’

The first ‘official’ pieces of Women’s History Museum were produced for an exhibition by the artist Donna Hunaca, a friend and former colleague of Barringer’s, and the experience ultimately shaped their focus on making apparel in an art context. Pulling influences from a disparate range of sources, the 18^th and 19^th centuries are regulars on their mood board, while Vivienne Westwood’s 1984 ‘Hypnos’ collection is an evergreen reference; an interrogation of the more traditional fashion industry is central to everything they do. In practise, this has led to a singular, oftentimes sexy and typically provocative arrangement of working with textiles and adjacent materials, like a bra constructed from birds (‘Animam Agere’), wigs and shoes made from colourful plastic ‘pills’, or high heels stacked on secondary wooden platforms, as well as more conventionally ‘wearable’ pieces that include dresses printed with columns and leggings full of cut outs.

Until 2020, both Barringer and McGowan were working other jobs alongside and in support of Women’s History Museum. During the pandemic, they began receiving PUA, during which time they started the vintage business, which in turn informed how their wider practice has since unfolded. ‘Living in New York City and surviving off of a creative career is pretty difficult,’ shares Barringer. ‘We started selling vintage because we needed a way to make money, then we were able to direct our energies more intentionally.’ Working together – in addition to maintaining a friendship – is something they’ve had to navigate along the way, but McGowan wouldn’t have it any other way. ‘Collaborations aren’t easy, it took time. But working with someone I really respect and admire is exciting. We have this language which makes it fun and interesting, it’s endlessly generative.’

The Amant exhibition follows their first three consecutive fashion shows since joining the official NYFW schedule, and the pair are happy to be embracing a change in tempo, having sat out S/S 2026. ‘Shows are so ephemeral, it’s nice to have something that's going to stand for a long period,’ explains McGowan. In the space, a series of 18th-century mannequins on loan from the Met appear alongside others cast in wax and welded steel, adorned in pieces from past collections featuring old coins, porcupine quills and antique casino chips. ‘We're lucky to show in different contexts – we love the performative aspect of fashion shows, but it's also enriching for people to see the full scope,’ McGowan continues. ‘Everything feels terrible right now, in many ways, but aesthetically, there are lots of soulless things being made. So there’s a significance to creating things that make people happy, giving a reprieve from the world.’

Women’s History Museum: Grisette à l’enfir runs at Amant, Brooklyn until February 15, 2026

womenshistorymuseum.co

Everywhere you look, human hands and mechanical arms coexist in purposeful choreography. As well as mind-blowingly hi-tech machines, there are workers wielding the kinds of tools that shoemakers would have used hundreds of years ago: bread knives are used to trim the jute in one corner, whilst robotic cutters trace laser-sharp outlines across sprawling hides in another.

A tour of Birkenstock‘s Görlitz factory

‘In our production, some steps remain entirely manual, others are half-automated, and a few are fully automated,’ says Markus Baum, Birkenstock’s chief product officer. ‘For certain processes, we’ve even co-developed machines with partners to meet our standards. We introduce innovation where it makes sense, never for its own sake. Progress for us must always serve purpose.’

In Görlitz, we’re a world away from the cobbled streets of the founders’ 18th-century Frankfurt (once an epicentre of shoemaking), but the principles remain the same. Craftsmanship here is a mix of curiosity and continuity; knowing what can change, and what must always stay the same. ‘It’s all about balance,’ Baum adds. Some materials can only be worked on by humans, and some can only be done by machines.

Considering Birkenstocks all still have a handmade element, the scale of production is astonishing. Two football fields’ worth of leather – mostly from European suppliers in Italy and Spain – are cut each day. The brand’s famous cork ‘Fussbett’, or footbed, is still the beating heart of the operation, and even when Birkenstock have collaborated with brands like Dior, Rick Owens and Jil Sander, it’s the one thing that noone is allowed to change. The footbed has become the brand’s literal and philosophical foundation and is perfectly suited to today’s wellness-driven world.

In the factory, the footbeds are baked in steel moulds and emerge hot, pliable and aromatic, like loaves of bread from an oven. Every single one is still made in Germany, a point of pride that underscores the brand’s insistence on authenticity. ‘Birkenstock's shoemaking tradition dates back to 1774, and with that heritage comes a deep understanding of our craft,’ Baum explains.

Though Birkenstock has been around since the 18th century (when Johann Adam Birkenstock first registered as a shoemaker in a small Hessian village near Frankfurt), it’s remarkably contemporary. Laser systems map each hide like a topographical scan, tracing imperfections before slicing out the sandal’s familiar shapes. Though for the more experimental 1774 range, produced in smaller runs, everything is still hand-cut, especially for the Boston clog’s complex patterns or for selecting the softest part of the hide for a front strap.

After nearly 200 years of production, it was the 1960s countercultural wave of Birkenstock-wearing American hippies that made the shoes an iconic symbol of natural living. Since then, a series of high-profile fans have exploded the brand into what we know it as today: Steve Jobs photographed wearing them in 1973; fashion designer Andre Walker in the gladiatorial Athens in 1983; Kate Moss shot wearing them in The Face magazine in 1993.

But somehow Birkenstock is immune to fashion’s usual vagaries. They want it to remain that way. ‘We stay true to our purpose: empowering people to walk as nature intended,’says Baum. ‘A universal idea rooted in the belief that everyone deserves to walk naturally. And that’s timeless. We’ve never been much interested in or were ever defined by trends. We draw from a rich product archive of more than 700 silhouettes and from the cultural capital that comes with it.’

That archive acts as an internal guide and helps the brand navigate hype cycles. And much as they love to dip into the archive, they’re also all about innovating for the future. ‘We’re bringing newness to leather through design and texture and continue to lead the way in pioneering finishes and enhanced wearability,’ Baum says. ‘At the same time, we’re expanding production of our water-ready styles. We innovate wherever it genuinely adds value to the product, function is what drives us.’

Whether it’s with luxury houses or emerging designers, collaborations are approached with the same purpose. ‘Collaboration, for us, is a field of experimentation,’ says Baum. ‘We value the fresh perspective that brand outsiders bring to our products and to our core values of quality, function, and tradition.’

At the end of the factory line, a pair of Arizonas sits cooling on a steel rack – cork still warm, straps neatly pressed into place. Soon they’ll travel across continents, almost identical to those made centuries ago, but entirely new. That’s Birkenstock’s soft power: a shoe that’s barely changed, but still somehow feels like the future.

birkenstock.com

The Wallpaper* guide to party dressing

The dress appears as part of our ode to dressing up in the December 2025 issue of Wallpaper* – a guide to entertaining in style this festive season – envisaged by photographer Dham Srifuengfung and Wallpaper* fashion and creative director Jason Hughes. This year, they embraced the dignified and debonair, selecting looks which saw designers twist aristocratic codes in contemporary fashion – from Jonathan Anderson’s first menswear collection for Dior, which featured oversized bowties and riffs on the morning suit, to classic Chanel tweeds, fronds of Gucci feathers and louche pyjamas courtesy of Burberry.

Largely in monochrome black, with flashes of white and gold – a surefire palette for eveningtime soirées – this is the Wallpaper* guide to how to dress for a decadent party season ahead.

Hunt out texture

The festive season is a time for embellishment and decoration, from tassels and sequins to fronds of feathers (to avoid erring towards the gaudy, we recommend that adornment is monochrome, and preferably black or white). This Dries Van Noten coat, decorated with delicate fringing evocative of ostrich feathers, is the perfect example – enough of a sartorial statement that you can keep it on once indoors.

Volumes should be dramatic

Like embellishment, this is the season when silhouettes can be exaggerated and dramatic. Make an entrance in this Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarrello gown – its dropped waistline and crinoline-effect skirt inspired by John Singer Sargent’s seductive and mysterious ‘Madame X’ – or select equally oversized silhouettes by way of faux fur or shearling, billowing feathers, or millefeuille layers of tulle.

Embrace the bow tie

A subversion of formalwear was at the heart of Jonathan Anderson’s debut menswear collection for Dior, from ceremonial military jackets to the bow tie, which appeared oversized and purposely skewiff. The latter also featured in his first womenswear collection for the house, cementing it as an accessory of the S/S 2026 season – expect it to be everywhere come next summer. Get ahead with a bow tie of your own: all the better when worn without the typical tuxedo.

Stick to black and white

In a season of sensory stimulation, a sartorial rule or two can help simplify the process of getting ready (particularly when playing host). We suggest restraining yourself to black and white when dressing for a soirée: there are few more elegant combinations, particularly when embraced in a multitude of textures and finishes – leave the typical festive hues of red and green to your guests.

Wear your pyjamas

The louche elegance of the pyjama has seduced designers in recent seasons, with iterations of sleepwear staple appearing on runways from Prada to Dolce & Gabbana. A set in silk makes for an intriguing alternative to more stuffy formalwear – case in point, this pair in piped-edge silk by Burberry. The best part? You can go straight from party to bed.

Lace is for celebration

Dolce & Gabbana has long reigned supreme when it comes to the little black party dress – this version (on left) comes in a glamorous melange of feathers and lace. The latter is a perennial material of the season, one long synonymous with celebration – from Christening to wedding gowns, or the intimacy of lingerie. As such, it strikes between the sweet and the sensual: the perfect balance when it comes to festive eveningwear.

Trust in tweed

Tweed might be synonymous with the great outdoors – the fabric was originally prized for its hardy, weather-resistant quality – though the house of Chanel has transformed it into a symbol of elegance with its seminal tweed two-set (Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel first introduced the style in 1924). This season, iterations came in black tweed – whether elongated into an overcoat or transformed into a gown.

Say it with feathers

Embrace the outré and say it with feathers this party season: after all, there are few more dramatic sartorial statements. This all-over feather coat by Gucci makes for a theatrical entrance, though more subtle fronds of feathers on cuffs and hems can be equally arresting.

Cocoon yourself in shearling

Faux fur and shearling – the latter cleverly manipulated to look like fur – were all over the men’s and womenswear runways for A/W 2025, speaking to an elemental desire for protection against the elements. But fur also comes with connotations of glamour: case in point, this shearling overcoat by Rabanne, complete with fluffy hanging ‘tails’ and gobstopper buttons.

A version of this article appears in the December 2025 Entertaining Issue of Wallpaper* , available in print on newsstands, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News + from 6 November. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

Models: Precious at Story, Rohan and Harvey at Premier, Clara Wakonigg at Present, Lily Nova at Milk, Felix Cheong Macleod, Theodor Pal and Scarlett at Supa, Mani Adjaye at Next, Summer and Juju at Storm. Casting: Hien Le. Hair: Masa Fujita at Of Substance Agency using R + Co. Make-up: Faye Bluff at Of Substance Agency using Clé de Peau. Manicure: Abena Robinson at Agency 41 using Essie. Photography assistants: Pablo Gallegos, Sam Girdler, Oran Eggerton. Fashion assistants: Charlotte Ghesquiere, Meg Bundy, Claire McKinstry. Hair assistants: Chikako, Miyuji Sato, Kei Koshigoe. Make-up assistants: Natasha Tereshko, Francesca Quagliatti. Production assistants: Archie Thomson, Ady Huq, Indy Davy. Manicure assistant: Hayley Evans-Smith. Photographed on location at the ICA, London.

The house’s newly reopened store on London’s New Bond Street is equally tactile, beginning with its street-level façade, which is rendered in crisp travertine marble and granite. Inside, the focus is on warmth and touch: Loro Piana says they want to evoke a ‘home away from home’ in the inviting collage of materials – from rich oak panels to silk-covered walls and accents of woven straw and brass, while upholstery comes in the house’s signature understated shades of beige, deep blue and burgundy. Ridged Carabottino wood display cases add further layers of textural interest, while other furnishings include cocooning armchairs, glass cabinets and silk carpeting adorned with abstract motifs (lighting, say the house, is ‘soft’).

Stretching across a single expansive floor (the renovated space takes over the former Rimowa store next door), visitors to the store will enter through a main accessories room, where open vitrine-like cabinets are based on those which would have historically been found in early Loro Piana stores. Adjoining rooms feature menswear and accessories, while a room for VICs is designed for privacy, evoking the cocoon-like intimacy of a walk-in wardrobe (adding to the mood of exclusivity, a series of one-off products will be on display only in this VIC room).

To coincide with the store’s reopening, Loro Piana will stage two installations: the first in the Bond Street space, titled ‘Master of Fibres’, and the second at London’s Royal Academy of Arts, ’Fragments of an Exhibition’. Drafting British curator and exhibition-maker Judith Clark once again, they act as a sequel of sorts to ‘If You Know, You Know: Loro Piana’s Quest for Excellence’, which was held at Shanghai’s Museum of Art Pudong earlier this year.

‘When I was looking in the archive, there was always a sort of double message; there was one that was not only of lightness, because of course the fabric is light, but light-heartedness and so lightness felt key,’ Clark told Wallpaper* at the exhibition’s opening, which was conceived to celebrate Loro Piana’s centenary year. ‘Then there was something about the striving for the lightness and the quest that came with it. Everything came with a superlative, but not in a grandiose way, [rather] in a literary and poetic way. It felt like a kind of allegorical tale and that stuck with me.’

As such, the installation at the Royal Academy of Arts features ‘fragments’ of the Shanghai exhibition, with a series of objects representing the various thematic ‘rooms’ of ‘If You Know, You Know’ – from a number of looks chosen to represent Loro Piana’s superlative savoir-faire, to a transporting film that traverses the plains of Inner Mongolia, Loro Piana’s Italian factory, and Clark’s own London studio. To provide the soundtrack, a bamboo flute scored by Chinese composer Guo Wenjing, which reflects the journey of cashmere, from meandering goats to the ‘rhythmic’ thud of knitting machines. A to-scale model of Loro Piana’s factory in Quarona, Piedmont – the spiritual home of the house – sits in the centre of the Weston room space.

Meanwhile in the store, cashmere takes centre stage: at its entranceway, a display of raw cashmere invites guests’ touch, while a variety of historical objects – sourced by Clark on a trip to the house’s Archivio Storico in Varallo, Piedmont – include a rare sample book from 1926, two years after Loro Piana was founded. ‘The historic display puts the current collections in a new light,’ says Clark, who has forged a line from present day to the house’s beginnings. ‘[We have] traced the savoir faire that is brought to every garment back to the earliest sample book.’

Loro Piana, 153 New Bond Street, W1S 2TD

loropiana.com

For this consummate sartorialist, ordinary won’t cut it. Style, to them, is an extension of design – they think in form and material rather than trends or logos. Our fashion gift guide curates objects that speak their language: pieces defined by structure, innovation and craftsmanship. The look is clean, the lines considered, and the luxury understated. These are gifts for those who see fashion not as dressing up, but as design made wearable.

For design-led gifts and aesthetically-inclined stocking fillers, take a look at our other gift guides.

Wallpaper's fashion gift guide: curated pieces for design-minded dressers

Fashion gifts for women

Fashion gifts for men

Now, Boum presents Roum, the latest chapter in the studio’s eleven-year history. ‘From immersive spaces to fine objects’, reads an introduction to what is going to become a new permanent branch of the practice, designed by Moller and dedicated to elevating the act of gathering.

From Boum to Roum: elevated and refined objects

While Studio Boum's practice spans architectural design, set design and furniture, the team has occasionally worked on smaller objects as part of their work. 'Over time, these explorations became more regular and felt like the foundation of something more enduring,' explains Moller. 'Our work at Boum has always been about shaping how people feel when they come together. The experience does not always begin with the room as a whole, it can begin with the smallest points of contact.'

The debut collection is crafted in England and includes silver-plated candleholders and vases whose sinuous shapes are both reductive and sculptural.

'Roum lets us continue to push design at [a small] scale,' continues Moller. 'It is the same approach, brought even closer to the hand. The aim is to create objects that support real-life gatherings with care and consideration.'

The collection is inspired and takes its name from Mayfair House, the studio's London HQ, set within a 1950s Brutalist building that stands out among neighbouring Victorian, Edwardian and Georgian architecture.

'That dialogue between modernity and history is something we are naturally drawn to,' comments Moller. 'We wanted to work with English silverware as a time-honoured craft, but explore forms that feel quiet and modern in spirit. The collection was designed as a family of objects that work together across different scales of gathering, from a single stem vase to a pedestal centrepiece. Silver plate gives the pieces a soft depth, offering a different quality to chrome or polished stainless steel.'

As the Great Portland Collection launches this month, the team are already at work on the next instalment of the Roum experience: titled Bigli, it will be a collection to celebrate ‘Milanese elegance and precision’. The studio opened an outpost in the city this year, and, Moller explains, this collection is an opportunity to explore 'Italian craftsmanship in dialogue with twentieth century design. We are working with artisans whose approach to glass and metal has been shaped over generations, and we are looking to the lineage of Italian lighting and object design.'

He points out that Italian design has been an enduring influence on his work as a creative: 'A Tizio lamp [by Richard Sapper for Artemide] was a gift from my father when I was young, there are Atollo lamps [by Vico Magistretti for Oluce] in the studio, and Il Conico [kettle by Aldo Rossi for Alessi] sits in the kitchen. These Italian forms have stayed with me throughout my life. The intention is to create lighting that feels sculptural, warm and familiar, and continues to support the act of bringing people together.'

The best luxury gyms in London

Pillar Wellbeing

57 Whitehall, London SW1A 2BX

Pillar Wellbeing, the luxury health club located in Raffles at The OWO, is a full end-to-end wellbeing service provider, with a philosophy built on three pillars: movement, nourishment and recovery. From the moment you enter, the interior is calming and refined. The hallway opens up to an elegant foyer where staff greet you and show you to the changing rooms. These are fully equipped with all post-gym and -swim necessities (including decompression boots for speedy leg recovery). There’s a reformer Pilates studio, overlooking the 20m pool below. The gym, also with a view of the pool, is equipped with Technogym machines, and there is an area for cardio, lifting weights and plyometric movements. Resident personal trainer Matteo Massaini can guide you through a bespoke workout that is fun, while efficiently focused on your goals, from mobility to strength and endurance.

Pillar Wellbeing membership costs £6,250 per year plus a £2,000 joining fee, raffles.com

Surrenne and Tracey Anderson Studio

Located in The Emory hotel, Surrenne is a health club, wellness space and spa. The mirror-wrapped gym features equipment from Technogym, Woodway, Peloton and Hydrow, among others, while the Surrenne Studio, next door, is a space for a wide variety of classes. Centring the latter is a large screen that can be used for on-demand virtual classes – you might fancy being led through Yin Tibetan bowl meditation from a Japanese garden, or a yoga flow from the Agafay desert in Morocco. Recovery is at the heart of Surrenne. Perhaps wind down with a facial crafted by Dr Macrene Alexiades, sweat out toxins in speciality steam rooms, or get rid of delayed onset muscle soreness with Hypervolt massage machines. What sets Surrenne apart, though, is its Tracy Anderson Method classes. Taking place in a specially heated room with a springboard floor, workouts following the LA fitness guru’s principles are designed to balance, strengthen, and transform body and mind.

Individual membership rate £10,000 (plus £5,000 joining fee) surrenne.com

V

Berkeley Square House, London W1J 6BR

V is a health club in Mayfair built on five pillars: the physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual aspects of wellbeing. Focusing on these elements, the thinking goes, will help you achieve your fitness goals, create a sustainable routine, and keep your mind healthy too. Gym equipment includes Technogym, Watson, Rogue, and Therabody. There are also Pure Strength hip thrust and deadlift machines for targeted strength training for lower-body days, along with Watson’s stainless-steel dumbbells. Classes include a variety of yoga flows, and mat and reformer pilates. V also operates its own running club. The 5km runs, led by Naomi Heffernan, a Nike Trainer, performance coach, and 4x Hyrox World Championship competitor, go through Mayfair and Green Park – fun, social and a chance to refine your running technique. For recovery, choose from sweating out toxins in the sauna, jumping into an ice bath, or perhaps the Therabody Lounger, combining zero-gravity reclining and multisensory sound vibration therapy for total relaxation.

Membership is £250 per month and subject to a £200 joining fee, v-london.co.uk

The Lanesborough Club and Spa

2 Lanesborough Place, London, SW1X 7TA

Nestled in Hyde Park Corner is The Lanesborough Club and Spa. From an almost-hidden entrance, you head down a swirling staircase to get to the facilities. As you enter, the hallway is reminiscent of a home rather than a club, which adds an element of exclusivity and intimacy. There's a Technogym-equipped gym, as well as various fitness classes. These are offered for small groups (no more than four participants per class), and there are around 40 classes per week to choose from, including yoga, reformer Pilates, boxing, HIIT, TRX and conditioning, and circuits. Afterwards, freshen up in the sparkling gold changing room, created in partnership with design studio 1508 London, and enjoy a meal at the adjoining restaurant, which includes a menu of juices and low-calorie, high-energy options – perfect post-workout.

Membership starts from £6,000 per year, lanesboroughclubandspa.com

Studio Fix

42-44 Kensington High St, London W8 4PD

Located on Kensington High Street, Studio Fix is a class-only gym. Inside, the space is split into three studios. Studio 1 is a calming space enveloped by mirrors and a large window letting in natural light; it resembles a dance studio and is perfect for restorative yoga or a barre class, for example. Studio 2 is all red lights and moody atmosphere. This space offers high-intensity, low-impact Lagree Megaformer classes (a spring-based workout machine, similar to reformer pilates). HIIT and boxing classes are available in Studio 3, a vibrant, blue-lit area with lots of room to throw a mean left hook. Studio Fix also has spaces for wheelchair users in its adaptive boxing class. Note that the gym provides boxing gloves, but you need to bring your own hand wraps or gel wraps, and to take part in the barre class or Lagree Megaformer, grip socks are compulsory (all are for sale in the gym's shop).

Memberships start at £25 for one class up to £600 for 20 classes studiofix.co.uk

Equinox

99 Kensington High Street London W8 5SA;
Bishopsgate 8 Clerk's Place London EC3A 8AQ;
E by Equinox at 12 St James's Street, London SW1A 1ER

If you prefer self-guided training, then Equinox is a fitness fanatic’s playground. America’s leading high-end health club chain came to the UK in 2012, first opening on Kensington High Street, followed by an outpost in Bishopsgate. Its Kensington location boasts an art deco design with a marble lounge area, and changing rooms stocked with complimentary Kiehl’s products. The open-plan training floor is housed under a large skylight, drawing in natural light – a refreshing touch in comparison to many basement gyms, with their artificial lighting and nightclub energy. Accompanying the gym are three studio spaces: for yoga, boxing, and cycling, with a variety of classes on offer. There are also options for personal training. Both the Kensington and Bishopsgate locations are home to full-service spas and juice bars. To up the luxury further, St James’s E by Equinox offers a focus on one-to-one fitness. Of course, the gym is stocked with elite equipment not only for your workout but also for recovery, including a cryotherapy chamber, a regeneration room and a compression therapy area.

Memberships range from £185 to £400 a month www.equinox.com

BXR

Marylebone location: Chiltern Street, London W1U 5QY
City location: 22 Bishopsgate – Floor 25, London EC2N 4BQ

BXR opened in 2017 in Marylebone with much endorsement from boxer Anthony Joshua and a membership committee that includes record producer Mark Ronson, hotelier André Balazs, model and actress Sara Sampaio, and boxer Eddie Hear. The club’s principles are rooted in boxing and BXR offers a luxurious take on a garage gym, combining functional space with elite-grade equipment in an edgy, industrial setting. Large tyres, sled runs and climbing ropes are perfect for functional fitness to complement plyometric or calisthenic training. A designated boxing studio includes benches, weights and punchbags. The changing facilities are stocked with Malin + Goetz products, and you can rent a permanent locker. After a workout , relax at the café and lounge and choose from pre- and post-workout menus. BXR is also home to BXR Lab and Clinic, which offers access to a cold water plunge, an infrared sauna, as well as management plans such as clinical rehabilitation, physical therapy, nutrition and specialised strength and conditioning.

Membership starts from £1,800 per year or £180 per month, bxrlondon.com

KX and KXU

KX: 151 Draycott Avenue, Chelsea, London SW3 3AL
KXU:241 Pavilion Road, London SW1X 0BP

Pronounced ‘kicks’, KX is a private members’ health club in the heart of Chelsea, founded in 2002 and offering a holistic approach to health, fitness, nutrition, and wellbeing. It is opulently designed and features a club room, a restaurant and a juice bar. Classes range from Pilates and barre to dance and cardio conditioning. KX is all about creating long-term lifestyle changes rather than a quick fix. In 2017, KX launched its sister venue KXU, located two minutes from Sloane Square station. The pay-as-you-go boutique gym has three sleek studios with a focus on functional fitness, HIIT and strength training, with a designated Hyrox area with a 10m track, sleds, official Hyrox weight plates and kettlebells, along with wall balls and slam balls. The gym also offers yoga, barre and cycle classes. It doesn’t have to be all hard work, as there is also a medi-spa and a nutrition bar at which to enjoy a fresh smoothie or post-workout meal.

Membership starts from from £615 per month plus joining fees, visit kxlife.co.uk; KXU membership is £340 per year, visit kxu.co.uk

Blok

Shoreditch: Principal Place, EC2A 3BL or Clapton: The Tram Depot, E5 8BQ

While Blok is not a luxury gym by any usual measures (you can even pay as you go), we've included it in our round-up for its flexibility and the freedom this affords users (a cool east London crowd). Founded in 2016 by Max Oppenheim and Ed Stanbury, Blok was designed to step away from the ‘hustle’ and ‘gains’ culture of a typical gym, with a design that is the antithesis of a big-mirrored, dimly lit club. With two studios, one in Clapton and another in Shoreditch, a stone's throw from Liverpool Street station, Blok’s principle is to encourage a fitness routine you can sustain. At the Shoreditch location, the reception includes a drinks bar, and a refrigerator stocked with healthy meals and snacks for a post-workout refuel. The changing rooms are equipped with the basics (toiletries, hair dryers and straighteners). Blok is a class-only gym, and there are more than 20 options to choose from, spanning yoga, Pilates, boxing, and barre. In the Clapton studio – an industrial-style space beneath railway arches – Blok now also offers ‘Hot and Cold’, a sauna and cold water therapy to help aid recovery, regulate your nervous system and reduce inflammation.

Pay as you go available; three-month SuperCharge90 membership starts at £95 for the first month, including 10 classes; £110 per month for the next two months, bloklondon.com

Third Space

Locations are all over London

Finally, there is Third Space, perhaps London’s most renowned luxury gym. With sites across the capital – Soho, Canary Wharf, Mayfair, Marylebone, Islington, Moorgate, Tower Bridge, Battersea, Wimbledon and the City (with another opening soon in Paddington) – there’s no excuse to skip a workout. The locations offer an abundance of equipment to avoid overcrowding even at peak times, from treadmills and cardio equipment to strength-training machines, along with climbing walls, cycling studios, and swimming pools. To take your athletic performance to the next level, Third Space has a ‘Performance Lab’ offering a variety of assessments, from endurance tests to body composition, and even sweat analysis.

Membership starts from £210 per month, thirdspace.london

That shared ethos is being celebrated today with the reveal of the iPhone Pocket, a clever wearable accessory from Apple and Issey Miyake. Made from a single 3D-knit sleeve, the stretchy pleated pouch is a playful way to carry your iPhone, AirPods, keys, chewing gum and other everyday essentials without the need for a bulky bag.

The limited-edition release, available in select markets online and in stores on Friday (14 November 2025), is a stylish new companion to Apple products. Depending on what length you choose, the iPhone Pocket can be worn over the shoulder, looped over a tote or simply hand-carried.

‘The way that people wear their products has been changing,’ Apple’s industrial design leader Molly Anderson tells Wallpaper*. ‘Your choice of phone and choice of accessories is a reflection of your style more and more.’

Anderson and her team had long been admirers of the Issey Miyake brand and had spent time in its Tokyo studio to better understand its philosophy and ways of making. The Issey Miyake team, too, paid visits to Apple Park in Cupertino, California. ‘There wasn't really an intention to make anything at all. We were just interested to speak to each other and see what was inspiring,’ Anderson says.

Invariably, though, a formal collaboration felt right. The iPhone Pocket grew out of a very simple question, according to Yoshiyuki Miyamae, designer of A-POC Able Issey Miyake: How can you wear an iPhone? ‘The iPhone is now present in almost every moment of our everyday life…We thought about how to make its presence more joyful and creative,’ Miyamae wrote in an email.

For its design, Miyamae and his team implemented a continuation of a pioneering concept that Issey Miyake introduced in 1998 – APOC (‘a piece of cloth’), in which garments are produced from a unified piece of 3D-knit fabric. Similarly, the iPhone Pocket relies on the APOC philosophy and resembles a long tube sock, with a slit in its middle. The simple design, though, belies the amount of R&D and experimentation required to get it just right. Everything, from the vibrant colour palette (the iPhone pocket will be available in eight hues) to the elegant translucent paper packaging, was considered.

Still, fun is part and parcel (pun intended) to the new product. As its user fills their iPhone Pocket, it will bulge, like a boa constrictor after lunch. ‘We were really charmed by this idea that it’s not only creating a shape which reveals its content, but it also allows people to peek in and see their phone screen,’ Anderson says.

Miyamae thinks the iPhone Pocket anticipates our relationship with technology in the future. ‘As we move forward, the tools and devices surrounding us will more than likely evolve towards a style that is more personal and sensory, into devices that can be easily worn,’ he said.

It’s also a way to connect both companies’ pasts with the present. ‘If Miyake had known about this project, I think he would have been delighted and said, "here begins a new possibility,”’ Miyamae added.

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‘Dante is our Lakeland terrier,’ Laura explained downstairs in the rust-carpeted, steel-walled flagship store, which sits below the office where the show took place. Around her, guests, artists, and musicians like Steve Lacy and Celeste mill around with glasses of natural wine and shortbread biscuits shaped like dog treats, while Kostadinov chats to friends cradling the furry four-year-old dog in his arms.

Kiko Kostadinov host one-off show in the brand’s London HQ

‘He’s kind of like our mascot,’ she continued. ‘He’s from the north of England, the Lake District, so we played on ideas of the countryside. We also thought about the textures that he likes and how they could materialise in a wardrobe. It’s really fun and light-hearted, and I feel like all the designers in the studio really connected to the collection.’

Opening the doors to Kiko Kostadinov’s gleaming new multistorey headquarters, the show marked something of a homecoming for the Bulgarian designer and Australian twin sisters. Kostadinov launched his technically experimental namesake brand in London in 2016 after graduating from Central Saint Martins, bringing the Fannings into the fold to head up its womenswear offering in 2018. The trio have channelled their creative energy into other cities in the years since, becoming anticipated fixtures of the Paris Fashion Week calendar while opening two retail spaces in Tokyo and Los Angeles. As Kiko Kostadinov prepares to mark ten years in 2026, the brand is now putting down roots in the city where it all began.

To celebrate the occasion, the designers presented mens- and womenswear together for the first time on Friday evening. As a glitchy techno score pulsed through the office space, an unconventional cast of characters appeared in looks that explored eccentric British countryside dress, twisting heritage shapes and fabrics through the brand’s unmistakably off-kilter codes. Taking the rolling landscapes of their canine muse as a starting point, men wore dog-walker uniforms shuffled up with formalwear, mixing sturdy cardigans, corduroy blousons, and tailoring cut in Japanese tweed. Debuting denim and twill pieces from a new collaboration with Levi’s, the looks, said the brand, captured the joy of mixing the practical with the refined.

Their women, meanwhile, were clad in figure-hugging looks that riffed on ideas of British formalism in other ways. Striking a balance of awkward sensuality, riding suits came with leather patch detailing, jacquard tops clung to the body in soft cashmere, and slip dresses appeared in elegant double-faced wools. The affirming presence of Dante appeared throughout, from tufted-knit materials inspired by terrier fur to his four-legged figure cast in brooches and pins, a set of which were left on seats for guests to take home. Made by their studio, shown in their studio, it was a clever and original collection from the heart, celebrating everything the three designers have achieved as they open the doors to the brand’s new home.

Like many good things, the building where they are able to make this new start came to them by a stroke of timing. ‘The landlord of our old space sold the building, so we had three months to find something else,’ says Fanning. ‘We were fortunate enough to find this place. We came together and really thought about what it could be, how we could bring our work to people in a way that we felt more connected.’

As such, the store is designed to ‘pervert’ the classic retail experience, blending exclusive releases with an evolving exhibition space and surreal fittings by long-time collaborator Ryan Trecartin, who also worked on the Tokyo and LA stores. This time, a frenetic 2016 film by Trecartin and Lizzie Fitch, Stunt Tank, inspired pontoon-boat furniture and snaking chrome safety railings, while footage from the work plays in store for the opening this weekend.

While the brand is known for its intellectually charged collections, and the new HQ will no doubt offer more breathing room for its subversive ideas, the warm, human energy in the room last night was a reminder of the people, collaborators – and pets – behind it all. As Fanning states, they hope it will serve as a space to share their work in more personal ways. ‘We want to view it as a hybrid place, where we do events, have exhibitions, and customer appointments,’ she says. ‘We'll see the shape that it takes, but it’s exciting to meet the people who wear the clothes, to have that direct interaction with the customer. It makes everything feel more real.’

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For the half-decade that has followed, the Active Jacket has remained in production, appearing in various forms, including a 1997 version by Carhartt WIP, the Europe-based sub-brand which takes Carhartt’s heavy-duty silhouettes and reimagines them in lighter, more refined fabrications and fits (albeit retaining the sturdy, utilitarian feel of the originals). It is this version, the ‘OG Active Jacket’, which has since become ubiquitous, appearing in canvas, stone-washed denim, leather and sweater jersey iterations, and worn by everyone from skaters and style-conscious urbanites to off-duty Hollywood stars.

On Thursday evening (6 November 2025), Carhartt WIP took over the Herzog & de Meuron-designed Tanks in London’s Tate Modern – the converted subterranean oil tanks of the former power plant which now houses the contemporary art institution – with a celebratory installation, created in collaboration with Thomas Subreville’s ‘post-disciplinary’ practice ILL-STUDIO. Taking the idea of excavation at its heart, the project was titled ‘Sedimental Works’ – a reference to the idea of sifting through the layers of the Active Jacket’s history (an accompanying book of the same name will also be released).

As such, the quarry-like mise-en-scène – complete with hulking columns of ‘rock’ which interplayed with the existing concrete architecture – evoked a site in mid-excavation, with Subreville and his team exploring the idea that associations can accumulate around a garment over time. ‘I was interested in how a functional object can become a cultural register, something that transcends its function and begins to absorb its own afterlife,’ Subreville explains to Wallpaper*, saying that the project has been a natural extension of his interrogation of ideas of ‘objecthood, context, and perception’ in his work so far.

‘From the beginning, I wanted to avoid nostalgia,’ he continues. ‘The idea was not to celebrate a product but to look at the jacket as an open document of personal identity and collective symbolism, a fixed form in a constantly shifting world.’ As such, the ‘forward-minded retrospective’ instead took a more fragmentary form, with sound, video and a series of live performances unfolding across the evening, including a set from Copenhagen-based singer-songwriter Erika de Casier.

The Tanks, which were opened to the public in 2012 after an extensive renovation, felt like an apt setting for the ‘spatial geography’ of the installation, says Subreville, who wanted to echo the space’s austerity. ‘They already feel like an excavation, a space carved out of time, both archaeological and contemporary. There is a strong resonance between the industrial past of Tate Modern and the origin of the Active Jacket. Both were born from utility, and later absorbed into culture as symbols.’ The goal, he continues, is to ‘not to tell people what to see, but to let them excavate their own associations’.

Of his own associations with the Active Jacket – which, alongside the collared ’Detroit’ jacket and the carpenter pant, remains one of Carhartt WIP’s most lucrative exports – Subreville thinks it represents ‘a kind of shared uniform’, regardless of ’age, gender, or background’. ‘Everyone has their own version of it, whether literal or symbolic, a piece that gathers traces of work, weather, culture, and time,’ he says. ‘Whether you are a 55-year-old worker or a 16-year-old teenager, it becomes what you need it to be. It is not about design; it is about context.’

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It feels apt, then, that the eponymous designer is lending his hand to another neighbourhood institution this festive season, conceiving the decorations for the Royal Opera House as it enters its busy Christmas programme (home to both Britain’s Royal Ballet and Royal Opera, the coming months will see productions of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, Handel’s Ariodante and Puccini’s Turandot).

Paul Smith’s festive takeover of London’s Royal Opera House

Revealed today (6 November 2025), the ‘festive takeover’ centres around a vast 18ft-tall Christmas tree erected in the Paul Hamlyn Hall, the building’s light-filled conservatory on Drury Lane (originally built in 1859 as a flower market-cum-eveningtime dance hall, it was renovated and re-erected in 1996). Thematically, Smith said he was intrigued by the idea of ‘going behind the curtain’ – as such, the tree features backstage ephemera, from ropes, tassels and swathes of green velvet, to props sourced from the Opera House’s archives (look closely and you will spot fans, musical instruments and candelabras).

‘I have had many memorable moments at the Royal Opera House, but most special was my recent visit to the props department,’ Smith tells Wallpaper*. ‘It’s incredible how much artistry goes into each production – it is very similar to my own runway shows. I love the vibrant energy of the “backstage” and being able to celebrate the craft behind the curtain in the tree design was important to me.’

The Nottinghamshire-born designer has also added some decorations of his own: namely, a series of baubles in his ‘Signature Stripe’, a longtime motif of the label. Elsewhere, a series of miniature figures of skiers and ice skaters can be glimpsed when up close (a kind of festive Where’s Wally?), while baskets of baubles and step ladders give the appearance that the tree remains in the process of being decorated.

Smith’s takeover continues on the Davies Terrace, where a series of Christmas trees appear to be bursting out of crates, like those used to store the Opera House’s props. Here, they are lined with Signature Stripe fabric, while a series of handwritten messages from the designer decorate the terrace space – ‘the hope is to fill onlookers with festive joy,’ he says.

The project marks the first such takeover at the Opera House, a testament to the popularity of guest-designed Christmas trees across the British capital – perhaps most memorably at Claridge’s hotel, where fashion designers from John Galliano to Karl Lagerfeld have designed the lobby tree for the past two decades. Last year, it was the turn of Smith, who unveiled a playful Christmas tree that aimed to bring the ‘countryside in the centre of London’ and included a menagerie of wooden animals (Burberry’s Daniel Lee will design this year’s tree; the results will be revealed later this month).

‘As with all my collaborative projects, I wanted to make sure that there are shared values between both partners and with the Royal Opera House, there are just so many,’ says Smith. ‘Besides being neighbours for nearly 50 years, we are both committed supporters of the arts. I really wanted to highlight this appreciation for craftsmanship in the tree design – you can find nods to various Royal Opera House productions combined with my own objects of curiosity.’

Paul Smith’s festive takeover of the Royal Opera House will be on view until January 5, 2025.

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The inspiration for the series came during a particularly ferocious blizzard that battered Norway in January 2025. The library had organised a screening of the 2012 ARTE documentary Antifashion, and as the wind and snow whipped around the capital, people emerged from the whiteout to see the film. ‘It was a dramatic moment,’ recalled the ILFR’s founding director, Elise By Olsen, during a recent visit to the library. ‘We wanted to develop that idea further. We understood that screenings were quite popular for our audience.’

At the first event of the new series, over 140 people packed into the theatre for the 2019 documentary Martin Margiela: In His Own Words, accompanied by a post-screening discussion with the film’s director, Reiner Holzemer, and producer, Aminata Sambe. ‘Not everyone could get in, so we had to do a second screening,’ Olsen told Wallpaper*. ‘It was a big luxury problem.’ A month later, the poet Arve Kleiva introduced Notebook on Cities and Clothes, Wim Wenders’ experimental 1989 doc on Japanese fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto.

The film series is more than just a monthly meeting point for Oslo’s cinephiles and fashion obsessives; it’s also a major step toward expanding the influence of the project Olsen has spearheaded for the last five years. ‘An institution today doesn't need to be so physically bound to our headquarters,’ she said. ‘I like to say that a very small part of what we do is collecting and archiving, and a very big part of what we do is mediating and making the objects come to life.’ It’s a modest proclamation, given the countless hours that she and the team of librarians and guest researchers have poured into establishing and cataloguing the vast archive of materials, which dates back to the 1970s.

The ILFR began not in the Norwegian capital, but in the one-bedroom New York City apartment of Olsen’s mentor, the late cultural theorist Steven Mark Klein. Olsen and Klein were born nearly five decades and a continent apart, but the pair bonded over a love of fashion and print. Olsen became the youngest-ever editor-in-chief of a print publication when she launched her Recens at 13, and went on to produce ten issues of the fashion criticism publication Wallet – culminating in a Gucci-designed box set to send off the magazine in high style. Klein, meanwhile, was a Brooklyn-born hospitality brand consultant and fashion industry gadfly who had been collecting decades' worth of magazines, fashion show invites and other printed material for decades. ‘Steven saw the parallel between promotional fashion ephemera and the tradition of the artist book very early. That's become a blueprint for my work with the library,’ Olsen explains.

After being offered the collection in 2019, it took three years for Klein’s two tons of printed matter to find its home in the historic Station Master’s Building in front of Oslo’s sprawling new National Museum. Since opening its physical space – after first launching as an online database in 2020 – the ILFR has become an integral resource. ‘We’ve had the design team of Balenciaga, Burberry, [and] Norwegian fashion brands coming to do research and inspirational trips. We’ve had industry people and the regular person next door,’ Olsen said. The archive has ballooned to encompass several thousand items, thanks to donations by a mix of private sponors and fashion brands like Acne Studios, Comme des Garçons, Maison Margiela, Jil Sander, and Gucci.

As I sat with Olsen drinking coffee, boxes of Margiela ephemera stacked next to me, three guest researchers sat around a table methodically cataloguing over 200,000 film slides donated by former Swiss trend forecaster Sonja Hugentobler, documenting Paris, Milan, and London Fashion Weeks from 1992 to 2004. ‘There are a lot of very beautiful discoveries. I even found a photo of Martin Margiela’s face in there when I went through it,’ Olsen remarked. It wasn’t an easy ‘yes’ for the ILFR; its collecting mandate usually excludes photo archives (along with VHS and DVD recordings of fashion shows) because the skeleton staff simply doesn’t have the capacity to catalogue it all.

‘The two other people on the core team and I have been working pro bono for five years. It’s not sustainable,’ Olsen said, referring to the head of communications, Else Skålvoll Thorenfeldt, and design director Morteza Vaseghi. ‘I’ll be honest. I’m often overwhelmed and pessimistic, but this space makes me very happy. I get a lot of energy from being around this material,’ she continued, adding with a laugh: ‘I’m hoping one day a brand will sponsor a sabbatical year for me so I can actually sit and read, because I have not had the time since opening the library to just flip through things.’

Running the library has (to put it into fashion terms) meant wearing ‘many, many different hats’ for Olsen. ‘There are some big challenges and some small, daily challenges. The big one is that we’re going to need more space within the next five years,’ she says, hinting at ‘some absolutely amazing donations coming this fall’ that will require more shelves. The team has also been busy applying for grants beyond the project-based public cultural funding they receive, which would secure longer-term operational funding. While these logistical issues loom, the more immediate goal is to complete the film series and develop additional programming that exists both within and outside their physical space.

The library has recently hosted, in collaboration with the National Museum of Norway, a conversation on fashion criticism with Francesca Granata, the Parsons School of Design’s associate professor of Fashion Studies, and the ‘Most Beautiful Swiss Books’ exhibition, showcasing 20 of the most visually outstanding Swiss books published in 2024. Next on the docket is a screening of Frederick Wiseman’s 1982 doc, The Store, paired with a panel discussion between Fredi Fischli & Niels Olsen, the curator duo behind the 2021 book Retail Apocalypse, followed by Veruschka - Poetry of a Woman, fashion photographer Franco Rubartelli’s rarely screened 1971 film on the mononymous European supermodel.

Although the slate of films has skewed toward deep dives, and the series is limited to those who happen to be in the Norwegian capital, this focused approach to excavating fashion history suits Olsen’s slow approach to building an audience. It also, in a way, rebuffs the larger industry trend of ‘nostalgia fever’ that has seen designers at major brands mine the house archives and reissue bygone pieces, from the Chloé Paddington bag to the Alexander McQueen skull scarf.

Fashion is looking backwards, but while many of these revivals feel like cash grabs catered to Gen Z’s ‘vintage Y2K’ obsession, the ILFR’s focus is on more than just showing new audiences some old-fashioned films. ‘The library is a jumping-off point and springboard,’ Olsen noted. ‘It’s a very cliché thing to say, but I think we definitely use the past in order to look forward and to create something that we feel is better for the future.’

The goal is that for every new person introduced to the library through public programming, a new perspective will sprout and, with it, ‘we can have some new answers to big questions that we’ve been grappling with for a very long time’. Olsen recognises that a library of fashion ephemera in Norway might seem niche, but fashion transcends the industry it's part of. ‘Everyone puts on clothes every day. [Clothing] is such a big part of our identity and our collective history, and it’s a great tool for societal criticism. There's a whole spectrum to be explored,’ Olsen muses. ‘We have a lot of plans moving forward that will explore the intersection between fashion and sound, and we have book launches, poetry readings, and stuff that doesn’t have an obvious fashion connection. But then again, what is fashion? It’s everything.’

International Library of Fashion Research, Brynjulf Bulls plass 2, 0250 Oslo, Norway. For opening times, visit the IFRL’s website below.

fashionresearchlibrary.com

It is this steadfastness that has ensured that Margaret Howell has stayed in business for 55 years – a near-unprecedented run for an independent British fashion label, and a testament to her cross-generational appeal (indeed, the addition of sub-label MHL, founded in 2004, introduced a younger customer to the brand). For her 50th anniversary, she released a short film in collaboration with Emily Richardson; for her 55th, she is looking back into her archive to reissue two vintage designs.

Margaret Howell celebrates 55 years with two reissued silk scarves

Specifically, the silk foulard, an accessory which has long been a part of the Margaret Howell roster. ‘I have always been drawn to the quality and detail of scarves – they are simple yet expressive, and a subtle way to add character and detail to an outfit,’ says the designer, who is reissuing two silk scarves to mark the anniversary. One is a style inspired by a vintage piece that Howell discovered in 1969, just before she started the label, the other features a polka dot design which has run through her collections.

Hand-rolled at their edges, the foulards were screen-printed by Italian manufacturer Mantero, Howell’s longstanding silk supplier. Over the years, Howell has developed deep-rooted links with Italy: last year, as part of Pitti Uomo, she celebrated ten years of her store in Florence by paying homage to her Italian suppliers and manufacturers. ‘I have always chosen to work with specialist manufacturers and weavers,’ she said at the time. ‘Italy has an innate understanding of make and quality that is unique to our industry.’

Alongside the reissues, there will be a special display of archival silk scarves – traversing the 55 years of Margaret Howell – at the brand’s Wigmore Street store (it follows last month’s exhibition of works by British weaver Peter Collingwood, which coincided with Frieze Week). It will be accompanied by an exhibition text by Penny Martin, the editor-in-chief of The Gentlewoman.

The in-store display will run from 7 November – 21 November at Margaret Howell, 34 Wigmore Street, Marylebone, London W1U 2RS. The scarves will be available in store and on Margaret Howell’s website.

Lipa worked with the Augustinus Bader brand for over three years to develop her own line of ‘everyday essentials’, the core products she could use on the road or at home to maintain her skin health. These products comprise the new DUA Balancing Cream Cleanser, Supercharged Glow Complex, and Renewal Cream, all formulated with TFC5, a new version of the brand’s signature TFC8 complex.

As any beauty enthusiast reading this already knows, TFC8 was born out of Professor Augustinus Bader’s medical-grade cream for burn victims, developed to heal skin by ‘triggering’ stem cells to repair the damaged area. The translation of that technology into commercial skincare is the key to Augustinus Bader products’ transformative anti-ageing properties and the reason behind their overwhelming success (the brand became a billion-dollar business within just four years of launching).

For DUA, the Augustinus Bader team reworked the same repairing properties with a reduced signalling intensity, making TFC5 better suited to skin between the ages of 18 and 35, an audience younger than the brand’s typical market. That TFC5 complex is combined with biomimetic peptides, moisture-enhancing proteins, and protective antioxidants to protect skin from ageing and extend the appearance of youth, while also addressing problems of younger skin, such as blemishes, acne scars, oiliness and pigmentation.

The DUA products

First up in the routine is a cream-to-foam cleanser designed, in Lipa’s words, ‘to work hard but still feel gentle on my skin’. In addition to the TFC5 for enhancing elasticity, the cleanser is formulated with a unique prebiotic blend to support a healthy skin microbiome and reduce blemishes, as well as algae extract to control oil, a biolipid complex to lock in moisture, and tsubaki oil to remove make-up and impurities. In short, this silky cleanser offers a deep cleanse you can instantly feel, without any drying.

The next step is the Glow Complex, Lipa’s favourite product in the range, which she uses to ‘instantly revive my skin – even after long days or late nights’. The vitamin-rich complex is designed to brighten and smooth skin from the first use, while also providing long-term pigment reduction and anti-ageing benefits. It is formulated with a gentle marine bio-retinol to reduce wrinkles without causing sun-sensitivity; Vitamin B3 to help refine pores; and ectoin to protect skin from environmental stressors and improve moisture retention. These ingredients, combined with the TFC5, make for a product that is particularly good at reducing post-acne marks and dark spots. And it is so instantly brightening that Lipa even sometimes puts it on top of her make-up as a subtle highlighter.

Finally, there is the Renewal Cream, Lipa’s own interpretation of ‘The Cream’ that shot Augustinus Bader to stardom a few years ago. A multi-tasking daily moisturiser, it offers rich hydration with a lightweight feel. In addition to the TFC5 it is formulated with a pre- and post-biotic blend that reduces redness, as well as an amino-acid complex to rebalance skin and help prevent blemishes.

It’s a clever collaboration for both Dua Lipa and Augustinus Bader, opening the latter to a younger demographic that is ever-more interested in skin health, while also offering an alternative form of preventative ageing to increasingly popular ‘baby botox’ or similar treatments. As for Lipa, it allowed her to ‘not start from 0’, and instead work with a skincare line she used for years and knew could deliver the results she was looking for. The result is a high-impact, low-maintenance skincare collection that promises to win over fans of Lipa as well as Augustinus Bader in equal measure.

duabyab.com

It goes some way to explain the proliferation of bedwear on the runway for A/W 2025, most notably at Prada, where the house’s men’s and womenswear collections both featured pyjamas as a proposition for the everyday (at the men’s show, pyjama sets were shrunken in size and worn with cowboy boots – as if on an early morning or late night wander – while for women, night shirts were stuffed into the waistbands of skirts). They appeared as part of collections that explored the idea of sartorial freedom: ‘within feminine beauty, when you think of its archetypes, there is lots of restriction of the body – here, it is free,’ said co-creative director Raf Simons of the womenswear collection, where the pyjamas’ relaxed proportions were symbolic of this liberated mood.

10 of the best pyjama shirts to take you from bed to street

Though despite their synonymy with relaxation, there is also an innate elegance to classic pyjamas, particularly the shirt – after all, it is a button-up you wear to bed, often rendered in silk, satin or cotton poplin, and cut with a louche, evening-time silhouette that is not unlike traditional formalwear. Dolce & Gabbana’s men’s and women’s collections for S/S 2026 mined this mood – pyjamas were reimagined with smatterings of crystal embellishment or twisting floral embroidery (lingerie-inspired gowns and vertiginous heels presented an even more glamorous counterpoint)

Here, as selected by the Wallpaper* style team, are ten of the best pyjama shirts – good enough to wear out of the bedroom and onto the street.

Wed Studio’s pieces are not for the mainstream bride. Favoured by creatives and women with headstrong personal style, their design language centres on exquisitely beautiful shapes offset by the unexpected, whether it's the drama of lustrously draped satin cascading from a waist-cinching corset or a surprise keyhole detail at the hip of a liquid silk gown. Six years and countless weddings later, it’s a formula that has seen the pair – who first met at Central Saint Martins in 2011 – grow Wed Studio from ready-to-wear beginnings in 2019 into the coveted bridal atelier it is today.

Over this time, the brand’s cult status has rippled beyond London’s creative circles, attracting fashion-discerning brides from around the world, with many flying thousands of miles to ensure they get married in a Wed Studio gown. ‘I think our bride is just very confident in their choice, they know what they want,’ says Phillips. ‘They travel from all over the world, they come here alone, they try on a piece and they’re like, “Yeah.” To me that kind of epitomises our modern bride. Some of them don't even need to try on more than one dress.’

In keeping with its niche offering, the duo have developed a unique working ethos over the past few years too. Wed only releases one collection a year, a seasonless series of designs which, once released, are available to order indefinitely. ‘Unless we feel like the style has evolved in another style, we don’t discontinue looks,’ says Phillips. ‘We actually still sell styles from our first collection and they're very popular. It makes sense because brides look for a dress for such a long time, often years. We're also more on the niche side of bridal, so it can take time for someone to grow the confidence to feel like they could wear it.

Released with a dreamlike series of campaign images shot by Agnes Lloyd-Platt, their 2026 collection is, the pair say, their most creatively ambitious yet. Taking inspiration from the spiralling forms of English-German sculptor Tony Cragg and the fuzzy nostalgia of a wedding photo discovered in Trinh’s family photo album, the collection explores the idea that materials are able to hold emotions. ‘Last season, we established commercially what Wed was about,’ Phillips says. ‘This season, we asked ourselves, how do we emphasise our creative handwriting? How do we really put ourselves as designers into these dresses?’

Tuning into how they were feeling in the studio every day, a spectrum of the designers’ emotions began to appear in the gowns themselves. Their personal handwriting quite literally became a motif, with pensively scribbled notes inspiring graphic lines wrapped around the body, while the flutter of a veil played with during a fitting led to a delicate handkerchief tulle dress trimmed with French floral lace. One of the most impressive pieces, a collage of crinoline bows zig-zagged across a flattering asymmetrical gown, was born from a heated flash of frustration. ‘We were kind of pissed off that day,’ says Trinh. ‘We had all these little motifs we’d made, and this corset that was cut to pieces. We just built on it in five minutes and were like, “Oh, wow, this is the dress”.’

While the pair have never wavered from their off-kilter perspective, this collection feels like a particularly defining statement, a reflection of how far they’ve come and where they want to take Wed Studio next. That focus is perhaps most visible in a exquisitely-crafted sheer gowns that play with the idea of turning garments inside out, revealing the delicate inner workings usually seen only by the bride, such as the boning of a corset or the meticulously hand-tacked stitch of a lining. Beautiful and exposing, both for the wearer and the designers, these pieces reveal the immense craft behind Wed Studio’s work. ‘You also can't hide because everything is shown,’ says Trinh. ‘Before, only the bride got to see those special elements inside a dress,’ Phillips adds. ‘We liked the idea that the guests could see it too. The work becomes almost like an embellishment.’

This collection, the pair say, was an act of balancing the shapes and codes they know their women will love – and that will sell – and allowing themselves the freedom to explore new ideas. Happily, the more avant-garde pieces they have gambled on have been received well. Pointing their laptop camera towards a sculptural showpiece standing in the studio, their proudest effort this season is the ‘Reba’ dress, a gown bursting with flower-like crinoline hemlines. ‘That dress is special because everyone in the studio has a part in making it,’ says Trinh. ‘I think it kind of takes us into this realm where we're wanting to head, which is more experimental, mature designs,’ adds Phillips. ‘Each year we almost gingerly tread towards it, but actually the response to this dress has been really positive. People expect us to experiment, which is a nice position to be in.’

While most designers make clothes people wear everyday, others for special occasions, Wed Studio exclusively deals in the most important day of many people’s lives. It lends their work both a gratifying sense of purpose and pressure, with the preparation, decisions and toil behind each gown seeing the designers get to know their customer far more intimately than other fashion brands would be able to. ‘It is pressure, but I love seeing the pictures afterwards, the moment when they're with their family,’ says Trinh. ‘When they message us and they say they had the best time and they felt great. That’s really nice, because when you're working in ready to wear, someone buys the thing and you never really get feedback.’

Pushing the boundaries of bridalwear a bit further each year, Wed Studio continues to carve out a completely unique space – not only for themselves as designers, but for a growing community of women who have trusted them to bring out their most expressive, authentic selves on the day they tie the knot. They are aware of exactly how special a thing that is. ‘It’s so rewarding that now, we can be more creative than we've ever been,’ Trinh says. ‘Being able to make what we want is a privilege.’

wed-studio.com

It comes at a meaningful time for Kurkdjian, who this year celebrates thirty years since the launch of his first commercial perfume, ‘Le Mâle’ by Jean Paul Gaultier, which he created at only 24 years old and quickly became an international best-seller that is credited with revolutionising men's fragrance. From then on, Kurkdjian has continued to prove that he is one of the most innovative noses to ever work in perfumery, with a resume that includes collaborations with renowned artists, musicians and chefs, as well as huge commercial hits–Dior’s 'L'Or de J'adore,' 'Narciso Rodriguez for Her,' and, of course, one of the most popular perfumes in recent history 'Baccarat Rouge 540' which Kurkdjian released under his own brand (he is also the creative director at Parfums Christian Dior).

Perfume, Sculpture of the Invisible celebrates the full-range of his artistic output, with a focus on his collaborations with other creatives and olfactory experiments. Visitors to Palais de Tokyo can expect to find gloves scented using 18th-century techniques and a fragrance called Sillage de la Reine (In the Wake of the Queen), which recomposes a perfume in the style of Marie-Antoinette according to the formulation rules of her time. On display is also a recreation of L’Or bleu (Blue Gold), a scented, drinkable water developed in partnership with the artist Yann Toma and ‘V-Scent,’ a device designed by Francis Kurkdjian to diffuse digital fragrances through a virtual reality headset.

One of the most memorable moments in the exhibition is a video and installation on The Smell of Money, Kurkdjian’s 1999 collaboration with the artist Sophie Calle for which he designed a fragrance inspired by a well-worn dollar bill that was both ‘attractive and repulsive.’ As well as an immersive recreation of Kurkdjian’s 2008 exhibition The King is Dancing, for which he filled the Ballroom Grove at Versailles with 600 double-wick candles scented with a powdery fragrance of violets with the aim of recreating the atmosphere at one of the Sun King’s lavish balls. The exhibition also culminates in an immersive installation inspired by Baccarat Rouge 540 for which Kurkdjian collaborated with the artist Elias Crespin, the world’s most starred female chef Anne-Sophie Pic, the composer David Chalmin and pianists Katia and Marielle Labèque to create an experience that activates all five senses.

These are just a few of the many projects that make up the Perfume, Sculpture of the Invisible, the result of which is a fascinating documentation of the history of perfumery as well as a revealing exploration of what forms the industry might take in the future. For Kurkdjian, going through the exhibition and viewing decades of work in one space was an emotional, and revelatory, experience.

‘Jérôme Neutres, the curator of this exhibition, forced me to step back and observe my own creative process from a distance,’ Kurkdjian writes over email. ‘It is not something I have done before. I realised that, over the years, I’ve been sculpting emotion, memory, and silence – not just perfume. It reminded me that what I create isn’t only about fragrance, but about presence and absence, about how we connect to the world and to ourselves through invisible traces.’

‘In a way, the exhibition made me more aware of the artistic dimension of my practice, beyond the craft – and it opened up new questions, which is always the beginning of something exciting.’

It is in this spirit that Tanju and Skewis embark on their most ambitious project yet: a collaboration with sportswear behemoth Nike on a multi-use London hub, which the pair hope will conjure the same energy of communal gathering as the Southbank once did for them. ‘We had an idea of creating a large space for the community that would be about skateboarding and sport, and a space you could generally hang out in,’ says Tanju of Manor Place, named after the south London street on which it sits. ‘We want [it] to be something positive for London – a city that has given us so much – and we’re really excited to give something back.’

Inside Palace and Nike’s new community hub, Manor Place

The pair are no stranger to collaboration: Palace, which was founded as a skatewear label in 2009, has been defined by an eclectic roster of creative partnerships, spanning everything from Polo Ralph Lauren, Arc’teryx and Crocs to Stella Artois, Gucci, even Wedgwood (in true irreverent style, they created a fine bone-china tea set emblazoned with the Palace logo, polka dots, and bright red strawberries). These collaborations are a reflection of their own idiosyncratic approach to dressing and collecting. ‘I’m always looking for something weird,’ Tanju, who is also Palace’s creative director, told Wallpaper* in 2024. ‘I think as long as I follow what I like, then I’m never really worried, because that’s the way I’ve always worked, following my intuition.’

Nike, though, was the holy grail of collaboration for the pair. ‘Dreams can come true,’ they posted on Instagram last week when they teased the partnership, which alongside the Manor Place project includes a capsule collection that riffs on classic footballing attire, including a play on Nike’s T90 trainers (Palace’s version, which intertwines the brand’s own Fergus Purcell-designed Tri-Ferg symbol and the Nike Swoosh, is aptly named the ‘P90’). Alongside skateboarding, football is another source of nostalgia for Skewis and Tanju: the latter’s father was a semi-professional footballer back in Turkey, and matches were always on TV in his South London home. An accompanying campaign, released today, sees the collection worn by Wayne Rooney alongside skateboarder Guy Mariano and rapper Giggs.

Though it is Manor Place which is at the centre of the collaboration: built in 1895 as a swimming bath, the building would later become synonymous with boxing, holding its first fight in 1908 and later becoming a hangout for the likes of the Kray twins (Tanju’s grandfather was also a regular at the boxing gym). Falling into disrepair, the major architectural project undertaken by Palace and Nike sees the main room cleverly reimagined as a skatepark-cum-football pitch, the latter revealed by a floor which rises to the ceiling in a Transformers-like act of theatrics. The two zones are called  ‘The Park’ and ‘The Cage’ respectively, the former featuring ramps, ledges and benches evocative of London skate spots Southbank, Stockwell and the now destroyed Victoria benches, while the latter will host three-on-three football leagues and local competitions.

Elsewhere, ‘The Residency’ will offer studio spaces for emerging creatives in a series of nine-month residencies, while ‘The Front Room’ will be a rolling exhibition space, largely dedicated to the residents' work (it will also serve as a retail space, as well as hosting a program of talks, events and screenings). ‘Lev and I wanted to try and create something new, something that’s really community-based. That’s a word that is often bandied about without any real meaning behind it,’ says Skewis. ‘I want Manor Place to be somewhere safe and friendly where people can skate, play football and discover new things – all just down the road from where Palace was founded.

The space was conceived alongside London-based design studio JAM, founded by Dan Waterstone, formerly of Sergison Bates Architects, alongside Joe Halligan and Adam Willis, who are co-founders of the Turner Prize-winning Assemble. ‘This was our first collaboration with either of the brands,’ Halligan tells Wallpaper*. ‘Palace had recently taken on the building, and together with Nike developed a vision for what it could become. They were looking for an architect to help them interpret and realise this. We were drawn to the brief straight away, and the chance to rework a civic structure and return it to public use – particularly one in London. The programme was remarkable: a fully funded public project, free to use, that genuinely gives something back to the community. It felt like everyone involved was invested in making that happen.’

Their approach to the heritage building, which is listed, was ‘inventive rather than cautious’, he says, embracing much of the existing architecture – from tiled walls and patinated concrete floors, to more recent air conditioning systems which are left exposed. Small details interplay the building’s various eras: stained-glass lanterns on the front of the building are playfully reworked to integrate the ‘Palace P’ while a mosaic floor at the entranceway features the Nike swoosh. ‘They are things that twist heritage slightly, making it part of something new,’ says Halligan.

At the centre of the project was this idea of transformation: ‘that a skatepark becomes an underground football pitch was wild but also fundamental,’ he continues. ‘Similarly, The Residency studios have a direct relationship to the Front Room project space – work is made in one and then shown in the other. We liked that sense of movement and adaptability, that things shift from one thing to another. Historically, the building was where people came to wash, swim or meet friends, and it’s important that, despite the functions shifting, the building still provides that active social role.’

33 Manor Place, London SE17 3BD will open this evening (31 October 2025) for a preview party, before opening to the public on November 11, 2025.

The P90 collection will be available globally today at palaceskateboards.com and Palace stores. P90 footwear will also be available via SNKRS in selected locations.

I’ve run 10 marathons (and counting) in the last decade and I know first-hand the ability of running apparel to make or break a workout – not to mention the all-important finish-line photo. To help you perfect your kit, we’ve curated a list of the most stylish brands in the world, ones that prioritise performance without cramping your style. If you want the unconventional, check out indie brands like Bandit and Satisfy; for a classic collegiate look, Tracksmith’s the label for you; or – if it’s product innovation you seek – opt for a mega brand, like Adidas or Nike.

A quick word on footwear – not all feet are created equal, therefore the much-hyped super shoe that your running buddy swears by may be your one-way ticket to shinsplint hell. That’s why, before committing to a trainer, pop by a speciality running store to have your foot measured and your gait analysed (most will have a treadmill or short runway to observe your unique stride; also check if they offer a ‘try before you buy’ program). But no matter what you wind up choosing, be it footwear, apparel or accessories, these running brands offer options that will keep you feeling good and looking fresh for the long run.

The best running brands in the world

Adidas

From the legendary American sprinter Jesse Owens to the Ethiopian marathon powerhouse Tigist Assefa, many of history's fastest runners wear Adidas. The German company, like its American rival Nike, has set the highest standards in research and development. To wit: Adidas caused a sensation in the running world in 2023 when it debuted a $500 super shoe, the Adizero Adios Pro Evo. Even if you’re not looking to smash a world record, the company offers a wide range of footwear catered to your run, from grippy trail shoes to trainers suited to your park jog. There’s offerings for the fashion-conscious runner, too, whether you opt for a classic three-stripe short, or something stylish from Stella McCartney’s ongoing partnership with the brand.

Available from adidas.co.uk

Asics

Asics has been innovating in long-distance footwear ever since its researchers released a shoe aimed at preventing blisters back in 1960. While we can’t guarantee your feet will be entirely intact after that 20-mile training run, we can say that legions of runners swear by Asics trainers (including marathon legend Deena Kastor). Many of Asics’ most popular models, including the Gel-Kayano and Gel-Nimbus, even come in extra-wide sizes, meaning you’ll be able to find the fit for you. Also, be sure to scope out Asics apparel; its Lite-Show reflective coating ensures you’ll be visible on the roads with styling that will turn heads.

Available from asics.com

Bandit

Go on – hit the road in New York City and see if you can’t spot a runner decked out in a Bandit fit. The brand, founded in Brooklyn in 2020, aims, above all, to serve the running community, be it through its stylish apparel, races (this year, the brand launched the Bandit Grand Prix) or membership program. It’s Bandit’s innovative approach to pockets, however, that makes the gear stand out: sleek compression shorts, tights and sports bras feature up to seven (!) pockets to stash your keys, phone and fuel, with blessedly little bounce. But do keep tabs on seasonal drops: Bandit’s wild popularity means that it frequently sells out.

Available from banditrunning.com

Brooks

Seattle-based running company Brooks has one goal for its customers: to ‘run happy.’ Curiously, though, the brand has roots going back a century, to 1914 when it was a manufacturer of ballet and (yes) bathing shoes. During the running boom of the 1970s, Brooks pivoted to focus on running. Today, its most popular models – Ghost, Glycerin and Hyperion – are beloved by runners everywhere. (Check out the Brooks shoefinder to help find the shoe for you). As the mercury drops, be sure to investigate its cold-weather apparel, too. On the fence about a purchase? You can test it out and still return it for 90 days.

Available from brooksrunning.com

Ciele Athletics

Until recently, running hats were indistinguishable from something your dad might wear on the golf course. Montreal-based Ciele Athletics changed all that in 2014 when it introduced a lightweight five-panel cap that offered breathability, reflective details — and a streetwear-inspired silhouette that veered more sk8r boi than running geek. After perfecting the cap, Ciele expanded into apparel, from lightweight hot-weather tops and shorts (some of their tees include sun protection) to water-repellent jackets (the founders are Canadian, after all).

Available from cieleathletics.com

HOKA

Remember the ‘minimalist’ running trend, when people ran around in thong sandals (or even barefoot) to supposedly get back to running’s essence? HOKA, by contrast, got its foothold in the ‘maximalist’ running space, with its chunky outsoles and highly-cushioned midsoles. The shoes caught on quickly with distance runners and shortly after, the fashion community. In fact, the brand has collaborated on limited-edition lifestyle shoes with the likes of Marni and Alex Proba. But of course the brand’s heart and soul is running (its motto is Fly Human Fly) and is a favourite on the trails and on the roads. Don’t know which pair to buy? Try HOKA's handy shoe-finder on its website.

Available from hoka.com

Janji

Boston-area Janji is a running brand with heart. In fact, the name (pronounced john-jee) is Indonesian for ‘promise’ – a reflection of the label’s commitment to giving two per cent of its profits to clean water projects around the world. A global perspective also informs Janji’s highly-rated running apparel, packs and accessories – each collection is inspired by a specific part of the world, the idea being that, no matter where you go, there’s no better way to get to know a place than by lacing up your sneakers.

Available from janji.com

Lululemon

If you think Luluemon is for low-impact sports like yoga, pilates or barre, think again: the company has been creating high-performance running apparel for women (and men!) since the early-2000s. In 2022, the brand even released its own running shoe. Lululemon’s line of Fast and Free compression tights is a leader in the category, with sweat-wicking fabric, stealthy pockets and an impossibly lightweight feel. Women runners will also appreciate the brand’s sports bras, which feature strappy styles without the dreaded bounce.

Available from lululemon.co.uk

New Balance

If you’ve run the New York City marathon, you’ll already have a piece of New Balance merch in your closet: the enviable finisher’s shirt. New Balance has been the sponsor of the race for nearly a decade and it’s easy to see why, with so many runners lacing up its sneakers. It all comes down to New Balance’s proprietary Fresh Foam, which provides cushion, support and responsiveness with every stride. For something even snappier, there’s the FuelCell SuperComp Elite, New Balance’s take on a carbon-plate super shoe. Complete your kit with New Balance’s running apparel, from colourful tanks and tees (we’re digging the New York City Marathon collection) to ultra-supportive bras.

Available from newbalance.co.uk

Nike

You can’t talk about running brands without talking about Nike. The Oregon-based athletic powerhouse has been innovating in the sport ever since company co-founder Bill Bowerman created the first waffle-soled trainer with the family waffle iron half a century ago. Nike’s come a long way and has remained a juggernaut in running R&D, from its signature moisture-wicking Dri-FIT fabric to one of the world’s first carbon-plate ‘super shoe’. World records fall in Nike kits (who could forget Eliud Kipchoge’s exhilarating sub-two-hour marathon in 2019?), so if you’re chasing a PR on the road, trail or track, it’s a safe bet to start here.

Available from nike.com

On

On has become synonymous with quiet luxury (see: its recent collab with Loewe), but the Swiss brand has always been focussed on performance. Its proprietary CloudTec cushioning underpins a spectrum of footwear, whether you’re seeking a work-a-day model, a high-support option for the trails, or something snappier for race day. Once you’ve picked out your shoes, make sure to check out On’s apparel too, which offers some of the best cold-weather gear in the business.

Available from on.com

Satisfy

Leave it to the French to create a running brand so chic, you might unwittingly find yourself signed up for your local 10k. Paris-based label Satisfy has upped the ante in running gear, creating luxury (yes, we said luxury) shoes and apparel that wouldn’t look out of place at a nightclub. It started with its proprietary ‘MothTech’ fabric, a perforated cotton that helps your body cool during intense workouts with the worn-in look of your favourite vintage Stones tee. Ultra and trail runners will be drawn to Satisfy’s Rocker running shoes, which were engineered to tackle all kinds of terrain. The prices may be steep (a standard MothTech shirt starts at around $140) but we’re not aware of any other running brand that has created a cowboy-inspired long-sleeve shell, complete with horse embroidery and ice-pack pockets. Giddy up!

Available from satisfyrunning.com

Saysky

Danish brand Saysky combines a Scandi sensibility with a genuine love of the running community. Unlike a lot of running clothes these days, Saysky’s tend to be colourful, from star-printed shorts to ombre-dyed singlets. The company’s influence is clearly spreading — Saysky recently unveiled a collaboration of vibrant shoes and clothing with Puma. And even if you’re not planning to sign up for Saysky’s Suffer Patrol 100 next year (participants run 100 kilometres in 24 hours) you can at least benefit from the brand’s relentless positivity.

Available from saysky.co.uk

Soar

Self-described ‘modernist designer’ Tim Soar set out to marry form and function when he left his design job to start a running brand – so you know the resulting label, Soar, is bound to be good. The Hackney, London-based company, founded in 2015, puts good design and quality materials at the centre of everything it creates, be it a classic split short, silk knitted base layers or a Graphene racing singlet. Don’t love your Soar gear? You can try it and return it – no questions asked – after 30 days if you’re not thrilled, but we reckon you will be.

Available from soarrunning.com

Tracksmith

Whether you count Chariots of Fire among your favourite films, or simply love a classic running kit, Boston-based running company Tracksmith is the brand for you. The label, founded in 2014, was a pioneer in making running gear something you want to flaunt, with its classic Ivy League-inspired silhouettes and high-quality performance fabrics. But don’t just take our word for it: Harry Styles wore Tracksmith’s Van Cortlandt shorts when he cruised his way to an enviable sub-three-hour marathon in Berlin this fall. And, in case you were wondering, Tracksmith’s trademark hare is named Elliot, after the legendary bar at the finish line of the Boston marathon.

Available from tracksmith.com

First shown as part of Martin Margiela’s debut runway show in 1989, the provocative style saw the Belgian designer draw inspiration from traditional Japanese tabi socks, which he had discovered on a trip to Tokyo. Dating back to the 15th century and originally crafted from leather, the split-toe socks were designed to accommodate the thong construction of geta and zori sandals.

Discover a rare pair of Maison Margiela Tabi boots

‘Imagine the stress of creating a shoe that has never been seen before,’ the elusive designer recounted in the 2020 Reiner Holzemer-directed film ‘Martin Margiela: In His Own Words’ (in true anonymous style, the designer appeared only via voiceover). ‘Then my memory went back to the day we went to Tokyo for the first time, and we saw the street workers in their flat cotton tabi shoes. I thought, okay, why shouldn’t I do a soft tabi shoe but on a high heel?’

At the S/S 1989 show, they were splattered with red paint in order to leave their distinctive, hoof-like footprint on the white runway (‘I thought the audience should notice the new footwear. And what would be more evident than its footprint?’ he said on the occasion of the 2015 MoMu exhibition ‘Footprint – The Track of Shoes in Fashion’). The Tabi would appear in various iterations throughout the designer’s career – at first through necessity as a cash-strapped young designer who could not afford endless new lasts (his A/W 1989 shoe saw the same shoes recreated in loops of packing tape), and then due to their ubiquity in avant-garde circles.

‘In the beginning, there was no budget for a new form, so I had no other choice than to continue with [the Tabi] if I wanted shoes,’ he said, also in 2015. ‘But after several collections, people started asking for them. And they wanted more… and they didn’t stop asking, thank God.’

After the eponymous designer left the house in 2008, the style continued to evolve (you can now purchase not only heels but brogues, loafers and flip flops, among others), including under Margiela’s successor, John Galliano. Memorably, he split the toe of cowboy boots and vertiginous heeled pumps, the latter a collaboration with Christian Louboutin. Meanwhile iterations of the Tabi appeared in Glenn Martens’ first two collections for Maison Margiela – ready-to-wear and artisanal, respectively – shown earlier this year in Paris (the Belgian designer is the house’s current creative director).

And this week, Maison Margiela is launching a new initiative titled the ‘Tabi Collector’s Series’, whereby each year the house will release a new iteration of the classic boot with a focus on handcraft (think of it as the haute couture of Tabis). For its launch, a shimmering ‘broken-mirror’ boot will be available in an edition of just 25 worldwide, with each pair adorned with 8,000 glass beads, sequins and metallic shards in a painstaking act of hand embroidery.

The metallic shards – evoking the ‘broken mirror treatment’ which first appeared in Galliano’s A/W 2015 artisanal collection for the house – are each laser-cut to recall the ‘fractured surface of aged glass’ and purposefully patinaed to appear oxidised. Alongside the launch, a short documentary by Italian filmmaker Yuri Ancanari traces the history and craft behind the Tabi, ‘heralding the shoe as a work of art’. Watch the film below.

Limited to 25 pairs worldwide, the Tabi Broken Mirror Embroidery will be displayed in selected stores from 30 October 2025, including London’s Bruton Street. Available on a first-come-first-served basis, initial pairs will be offered to Tabi collectors, with the remaining pairs going on general sale.

This is fur’s visceral power: when worn, it becomes a heady meeting place of signifiers – luxury, wealth, power, but also protection, armour against the elements, an ancient and primal urge to be swaddled in the spoils of the hunt. It can provoke equal outrage and desire, but also an underlying perversity – the surreal wrongness of wearing another’s skin, one which Oppenheim‘s work duly captures. ‘[It is] one of the perverse and pleasing sculptures of the 20th century,’ wrote the critic Andrea K. Scott.

And, Oppenheim’s legacy lives on: as part of the recent Frieze week in London, the buzzy Irish-Australian artist and jeweller Leo Costelloe presented a deer-pelt-covered jug as part of his exhibition ‘Kitchen’ at The Shop, Sadie Coles HQ. He called it his ‘ode to Meret Oppenheim’, part of a series of works which mind the ‘fantasy and unease’ of the domestic realm. ‘I’m naturally drawn to themes that tread the line between aspirational fantasy and desperate reality,’ he told Wallpaper*.

Fur was all over the A/W 2025 runways, too – in illusory form, at least. For the past decade, fashion’s luxury houses have largely done away with the use of fur in their collections: in 2021, the Kering group – which owns Bottega Veneta, Gucci and Balenciaga, among others – banned fur, alongside brands like Prada, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana and Valentino. Whether evoked through hyper-realistic imitation furs, cleverly manipulated shearlings (shearling is a by-product of the meat industry, rather than farmed) or fluffy fronds of feathers, it was the undeniable material of the season, appearing on both the men’s and women’s runways.

In the collections, designers mined fur’s connotations, suggesting at once a heady, bygone glamour, but also a want for protection against the elements – whether real or existential. At Prada, which featured shearling ‘fur’ trapped under layers of clear plastic or erupting into strange protrusions at the neckline of a coat, co-creative directors Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons said the material evoked the ‘raw glamour’ at the heart of the collection. ‘Glamour was something we were attracted to, instinctively, and its connection to femininity,’ said Mrs Prada at the time. ‘We asked ourselves – what is feminine? What is feminine beauty? What is femininity today? It is a constant questioning, an examining of femininity – what does it mean?’

Here, as selected by the Wallpaper* style team, ten imitation fur and shearling pieces – from classic coats to bandeau tops and accessories – which capture the raw, twisted glamour which ran through the A/W 2025 collections.

Backdropped by a series of performers enacting artist Erwin Wurm’s ‘one-minute sculptures’ – developed by the Austrian artist in the 1980s, the continuing project sees Wurm encourage public participants to interact with everyday objects for 60 seconds, becoming an ephemeral ‘sculpture’ – the energetic show saw garments twisted in silhouette or context, from trompe l’oeil prints of knitwear which ran across twisted plissé gowns to heat-pressed fabrics used to create structural silhouettes evocative of paper dolls.

Shape shifter: Issey Miyake A/W 2025

Elsewhere, quotidien objects were transformed: a ‘paper bag’, printed with an imaginary exhibition titled ‘Abstract, Concrete, and In-Between’, became a dress, complete with a pair of handles on its side. ‘[It’s about] the freedom of wearing [clothing] in one’s own way and the exciting possibilities that are yet to be discovered within the garments,’ said Kondo.

It continues the evolution of the Japanese brand undertaken by the Kyoto-born designer and his studio, which draws on the namesake designer’s pioneering spirit without being trapped in the past. ‘Miyake was never guided by trends from the wider industry. There was always a story to tell, and that story was original. We’ve continued a creative process that doesn’t allow too much influence from the outside,’ Kondo told Wallpaper* earlier this year.

‘Miyake was tenacious and stubborn. It’s something that echoes with me, too – that tenacity, that perseverance. He continued until he found something really original. It’s a mindset. When you want a really beautiful flower, you don’t go to the florist, you go out into the forest.’ 

This article appears in the November 2025 Art Issue of Wallpaper*, available in print on newsstands from, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News + from 9 October. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

Jane eventually left the magazine world to join forces with her husband, the acclaimed designer Giancarlo Valle. And now, in a full circle moment, the pair, working under the moniker Valle de Valle, have unveiled their design for a new Ulla Johnson boutique on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

Inside Ulla Johnson’s new Upper East Side address

The store marks Johnson’s fourth in the US (she also maintains a Paris showroom) – boutiques that are just as regarded for their stylish interiors as they are for the ready-to-wear and accessories displayed. In West Hollywood, Kelly Wearstler created a sunlit space imbued with California cool (not to mention cacti), while in downtown Manhattan, architect Elizabeth Roberts even polished the copper storefront and left it to oxidise for precisely 24 hours to achieve the just-so patina.

The Upper East Side location, though, would be something a bit different – a bit more grown up. ‘Having grown up just a few blocks away, it felt like a homecoming of sorts,’ Johnson tells Wallpaper*. ‘Each store is unique, and I hope, reflective of its environment, but I try to maintain a deeply personal sensibility throughout all our spaces.’

Luckily, the Madison Avenue location offered no shortage of inspiration for the Valles, with neighbours including Central Park, the recently expanded Frick Collection, and a Ralph Lauren flagship housed in a Gilded Age mansion. The designers also drew inspiration from Lorenzo Mongiardino, the Italian architect and designer whose well-heeled clients included Lee Radziwill, Aristotle Onassis and the Rothschild family, and who designed the opulent Gallery Room at the Carlyle hotel, just a few blocks north of the Ulla Johnson boutique.

‘We were very inspired by these landmarks and institutions and the history that comes with them,’ says Jane. ‘We also definitely channelled this idea of “Ulla goes Uptown”.’

To create a sense of history and quiet grandeur in a contemporary storefront, the Valles created an enfilade of residential-scaled rooms. ‘It was a weird space with columns breaking it up in a strange way. It just needed some organisation, so we created these intimate square rooms,’ Giancarlo explains.

‘We really sought to create that sense of history and that storytelling through the architecture and the decorative details,’ Jane adds.

Shoppers first encounter a light-filled front retail space, where – as with all Ulla Johnson boutiques – you feel as though you’re entering the home of a chic friend, rather than a clothing store. A monumental timber table displays accessories, while a glowing Fortuny lantern (Ulla ‘dug up a vintage tassel from her studio’ to personalise it, Jane shares). The room has a soft feel, thanks to plaster walls, wood furnishings and display niches, backed with burnished gold wall coverings. A custom console (Giancarlo designs furniture, which is available through the couple’s gallery Casa Valle) in front of the large windows showcases handbags, yes, but also similarly-scaled ceramics.

‘There are many vintage objects I’ve sourced over the years throughout my travels, and pieces from my own art and ceramics collection,’ Johnson says. ‘We approached many design decisions with a residential mindset and celebrated the hand of the artisanal collaborators in every detail.’

From the front room, visitors enter a ‘parlour’. To pass through the space, you must step through a thick archway, a move that allows shoppers to ‘reset every time you go into a different room,’ Giancarlo says. The passage appears to be clad in stone, but in a twist, is actually painted trompe l'oeil – a wink to the work of Lorenzo Mongiardino. ‘We had fun with the materials,’ Giancarlo adds.

In the parlour, a custom double-sided sofa is fringed in luxurious passementerie from Verrier Paris (you can find the same in the Frick Collection), where visitors can take a load off while perusing gowns that hang on minimal rods.

But the final space, or ‘boudoir’ is by far the most enveloping. Clad in cedar panelling and blanketed in a plush carpet, this room contains changing rooms as well as a pretty jewelry display case. Gauzy curtains, in a gold Dedar fabric, lend further softness to this more intimate room. ‘There’s such a strong color palette to Ulla’s world, and it tends to be a bit more blush-hued. And we got her to go for a more golden tone, which was exciting,’ Jane says.

And clearly, the Valles had the golden touch: ‘It feels like a glowing jewel box of treasures,’ Johnson says of the finished boutique. ‘There is a warmth. Gilded wall coverings, hand painted arches, lush textiles, luminous plaster – all things that I love.’

Ulla Johnson, 849 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10021.

ullajohnson.com

But it also draws her back to her childhood in Belgrade, Serbia, a period she has described as one of ‘communism mixed with mysticism’ (then, the city was part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia). Her strict parents were installed in the country’s Communist government (she has previously called them members of the ‘red bourgeoisie’), while her religious grandmother – who brought up Abramović until she was six – engaged in spiritual and healing rituals, a dichotomy that has no doubt influenced the artist’s oeuvre.

As such, Balkan Erotic Epic begins with the funeral procession of Josip Broz Tito, former president of Yugoslavia, led by a swaddled figure evoking her mother, Danica (played by Maria Stamenković Herranz, she appears throughout). From there, unfolding over 13 acts – through which guests are encouraged to wander and congregate – Abramović weaves personal memory with collective history, enlivened by bold, erotically charged reimaginings of Balkan folklore and ancestral traditions (acts include ‘Fertility Rite’, ‘Massaging the Breast’ and ‘In Scaring the Gods’, the last seeing performers expose their bodies to banish storms).

London-based fashion designer Roksanda Ilinčić – who, with her eponymous label Roksanda has long forged connections with the art world – felt like a natural collaborator on the project. She also hails from Belgrade, Serbia, and her expressive clothing has often drawn on the traditional dress codes of the region (for S/S 2024, she looked towards the 4th-century Gračanica monastery and the rich decorative history of such Orthodox landmarks).

‘Marina has such a natural intuition when it comes to choosing the right people to work with. When the first talks about this project started in Manchester, she reached out and asked if I would like to join the team,’ Ilinčić tells Wallpaper*, having first met Abramović during her 2014 ‘512 Hours’ exhibition at London’s Serpentine Galleries.

‘We’re both from [the same place], and we share a deep connection to the same traditions and stories that shaped us. This piece was inspired by Balkan customs and myths, and it immediately felt close to my heart. I said yes immediately.’

Drawing on ‘old, pagan rituals and beliefs’, the costumes present a contemporary slant on folk costume – from a monastic taffeta gown (so long it pools on the floor around the performer) to white tasselled dresses evoking traditional Serbian folk costume. For Abramović herself, she created a simple bias-cut gown in black silk – a riff on the artist’s typically monochrome uniform. ‘All costumes have strong folk influences, but I wanted to present them as modern versions, seen through the lens of our times and – above all – Marina’s own incredible vision,’ says Ilinčić.

It is not the first time that the designer has created costumes for the stage: in 2022, she collaborated with the Royal Ballet to design the costumes for Valentino Zucchetti's Prima, part of the company’s A Diamond Celebration. ‘I like to maintain the same visual language that I have built through the years, but it’s also important to align with the artist’s vision and needs of performers,’ she says of working on these multidisciplinary projects. ‘Longevity of the costumes and ease of movement are also important to consider.’

Seeing the performance in Manchester, Ilinčić says, was ‘truly incredible’. ‘I am a huge admirer of Marina’s work and to be able to observe the process and contribute in some way is such a tremendous highlight for me and my team,’ she says.

Commissioned by Factory International, ‘Balkan Erotic Epic’ was premiered at Manchester’s Aviva Studios, before it goes on tour in 2026. Starting in Barcelona in January 2026, it will head to the piece’s co-commissioners, Gran Teatre del Liceu (24-30 January 2026), Berliner Festspiele, Park Avenue Armory and WestK.

Five days later, her successor has been announced: the lauded British designer Grace Wales Bonner, whose eponymous label saw her win the LVMH Prize in 2016. She is expected to hold her first show in January 2027, following Nichanian’s swansong in January 2026 (though not confirmed, this means Hermès is likely to take a season away from the runway in June 2026).

‘I am deeply honoured to be entrusted with the role of creative director of Hermès men’s ready-to-wear,’ she said in a statement. ‘It is a dream realised to embark on this new chapter, following in a lineage of inspired craftspeople and designers. I wish to express my gratitude to Pierre-Alexis Dumas and Axel Dumas for the opportunity to bring my vision to this magical house.’

A graduate of London’s Central Saint Martins, Wales Bonner made her debut at the then-London Collection’s: Men – a menswear offshoot of London Fashion Week – with her A/W 2015 collection, ‘Ebonics’. The captivating collection, shown with the support of London talent incubator Fashion East, explored themes of Black masculinity, migration and luxury – throughlines of her work.

‘It was meant to be excessive and abundant; I wanted it to feel very rich,’ she said at the time. ‘This collection was quite historical, going further in to the history of how black people were represented in paintings in the 19th century, and how that manifests itself today. It’s about looking back and then, looking forward.’

After her 2016 LVMH Prize win, she would show a number of acclaimed collections, including a S/S 2023 collection as part of Pitti Uomo’s guest programme in Florence. Held at the Palazzo Medici Riccardi amid a site-specific artwork by Ibrahim Mahama, she looked towards Alessandro de Medici, Duke of Florence, who was said to have been born to a servant of African descent who worked within the Medici household (as such, he is considered modern Western Europe’s first Black head of state).

‘It’s about taking something from the past in order to pass it forward and make it useful for the future,’ she told Wallpaper* at the time. ‘And that is the spirit of this collection.'

After that show, Wales Bonner was rumoured to be taking a number of creative director roles at major houses, including Louis Vuitton and Givenchy (though she has undertaken a major multi-season collaboration with Adidas Originals). Being passed over, though, might well be serendipitous: she has previously stated that Hermès is the house she would most like to work with, while the idea of handcraft – something intrinsic to Hermès – has long run through her work. The appointment will also make her a rare Black woman creative director in an industry still largely dominated by white male designers.

‘I am really pleased to welcome Grace to the Hermès artistic director family. Her take on contemporary fashion, craft and culture will contribute to shaping Hermès men’s style, melding the house’s heritage with a confident look on the now,’ says Pierre-Alexis Dumas, general artistic director of Hermès. ‘Grace’s appetite and curiosity for artistic practice strongly resonate with Hermès’ creative mindset and approach. We are at the start of an enriching mutual dialogue.’

Rumor has it that Dr. Macrene’s dermatology practice maintains the skin of some of the world’s most famous actresses and models, and although she’s discreet enough never to share names, she certainly has the credentials to warrant the claim. She is a Fulbright Scholar with three Harvard degrees, the author of two textbooks and the rare status of being board-certified in the EU and US (to name just a few of her accolades).

It was impressive to hear about how the forty plus years of research Macrene has done in plant sciences, molecular genetics, and dermatology led her to identify the plant-based ingredients that form the foundation of her products; but I really knew there was something to her skincare after a few weeks of using it for myself. ‘You look…younger or something’ one friend told me over dinner. ‘Are you taking some kind of new supplement,’ another asked. ‘You look so well,’ one PR told me with a disconcerting amount of surprise. ’So many people are telling me I look better, I’m starting to worry about what I looked like before,’ I messaged one friend. ‘You just clearly got a little botox or something,’ he responded. But I hadn’t gotten botox. The only thing that has changed was that I was using Dr Macrene’s cleanser, cream and serum twice a day.

So to get to the bottom of Dr. Macrene’s magic, I asked her to share more about what sets her skincare apart and share her insight into getting, and maintaining, the best skin of your life.

A conversation with Dr. Macrene

What makes your skincare work so well?

Every formula is built on decades of my own dermatologic, scientific, and clinical peer-reviewed research. Every product contains the maximum number of active ingredients delivered with my patented liposomal system for maximum penetration – without occlusives. It’s plant-based, scientifically validated, and results-driven. Instead of marketing trends, I’ve put up to 55 active ingredients into each product – delivered by a patented liposomal system – so they penetrate deeply and work for durable long term results. The formulas are free of occlusives, so your skin can actually breathe and absorb. That’s why they perform like nothing else out there.

Is there a “holy grail” skincare step that most people overlook?

Consistency. A daily regimen with well-formulated actives is far more powerful than chasing trends or quick fixes. People chase trendy products but overlook disciplined, daily application of a high-quality regimen that targets all the pathways of skin health. Layering can be beneficial, but so does using products that deliver numerous actives and are designed to penetrate rather than sit on the surface. That’s why I designed my formulas to maximise actives delivery without occlusives, using my patented liposomal system.

As a dermatologist, what is the biggest mistake you see people making with their skin?

The biggest mistake is neglecting daily repair and protection. Injectables or procedures can’t substitute for a solid skincare foundation. Thinking quick fixes, such as lasers, injectables, or the newest fad, can substitute for a real skincare foundation is like expecting the dentist to save your teeth when you don’t brush. Skin health is cumulative. Neglecting daily repair and protection is the single greatest mistake I see.

Do different areas of the skin deserve different types of treatment and different times of life? Can you give some insight into what people should be focusing on in their 20s, 30s, 40s etc.

Yes. In your 20s, focus on protection – SPF and antioxidants. By your 30s, add repair for early lines and pigmentation. In your 40s and beyond, collagen support and renewal are key. Delicate zones like under-eyes, neck, and chest often age faster and need tailored care.

Are there any questions your patients frequently come to you with that you wish everyone knew the answer to?

People constantly ask me, 'What’s the one product I need?' The truth is, skin health is multi-dimensional – and in the past, no single product could do it all. This is why I formulated the High Performance Face Cream, Extra Rich and Tinted Moisturizer with 45-55 actives, for each product to stand alone as the one product to address all aspects of skin health. While in most instances, you need a complete system to target repair, protection, collagen support, and pigment regulation simultaneously, such multi-tasking is now achievable with my One Step Skincare formulations, such as the Face Cream or the Tinted Moisturizer.

Do those who have fillers, Botox and plastic surgery have different skincare needs? If so, can you offer more insight into the specific needs of people who are regularly receiving such treatments?

Yes they do. Injectables may address volume and lines, but skincare is what keeps the surface healthy, radiant, and natural-looking. In fact, skincare is what makes these procedures look natural and enduring. Without it, you just look 'done.'

Are there any skincare fads you want to warn people against trying? Any that you think are positive? How much of skin health is genetics vs. daily habits?

Avoid aggressive routines – such as over-exfoliating or using DIY acids – and steer clear of heavy occlusive trends like slugging or layering oils, petrolatum, and waxes popularised on TikTok. Positive trends include SPF awareness and microbiome balance. Genetics set your baseline, but habits and skincare determine how you age.

What innovations or scientific breakthroughs do you think will transform the way our skin looks and ages in the next 10–20 years?

My work as a MD Dermatologist and PhD geneticist is focused on identifying the genes that are responsible for skin aging using biobanks and DNA analysis. My work on DNA repair and regenerative medicine will transform skincare. We are developing topical treatments that truly reverse damage, not just slow it. Combining biotechnology with plant science is going to push the boundaries of what’s possible for skin health and longevity.

macreneactives.com

Curated by Jochen Eisenbrand and Katharina Krawczyk with Kirsty Hassard and Svetlana Panova of V&A Dundee, ‘Catwalk’ is the first exhibition the museum has ever dedicated to fashion. It opens with the birth of the show around 1900. Photographs, illustrations, films, objects and printed matter reveal the way designers communicated their collections up until the Second World War. A Pathé reel from 1928 offers a glimpse into the vista of the House of Worth: models walk through a succession of doorways inside a hôtel particulier, swinging open their coats for seated, chatting clients. By 1967, a gaggle of jiving models are showing off Mary Quant’s latest designs inside a happening Hamburg art gallery. Nearby, William Klein’s fantastic 1966 parody of a Paris fashion show set inside a sculpted building by André Bloc is blown up on the wall.

‘Catwalk: The Art of the Fashion Show’ at Vitra Design Museum, Basel

Since the rise of prêt-à-porter in the 1960s, fashion – and all that surrounds it – became defined as a kind of entertainment. ‘Fashion shows are image machines,’ Eisenbrand says. ‘They are important because of the images that they create.’

A section of the exhibition focuses on a predilection for shows on a colossal scale. Spectacles from the early 2000s circulate online today, mediated by a generation of digital archivists captivated by the glittering kinship between art and commerce. Karl Lagerfeld was fearless in this. Throughout his 36-year tenure at Chanel, he tickled at the edges between trade show, pop performance and camp theatre. For A/W 2014, he staged Chanel’s ready-to-wear show inside a giant makeshift supermarket filled with Chanel-branded fabric conditioner, milk and bread. Models vaulted down the aisles filling leather and chain baskets with branded goods. A perfectly rendered architectural model of the scenography – with its miniature checkout tills, gondolas and tiny hams – has been loaned by the Chanel archives and is on display for the very first time.

Co-curator Krawczyk says that ‘Catwalk’ is based on the idea that the fashion show is a multi-disciplinary design concept. As a student living in Paris in the early 2000s she snuck into Alexander McQueen’s S/S 2005 show, which was staged as a giant game of chess. ‘Oh my god, I will not forget that. I got in at the last second after I followed somebody who had an invitation, I was like, “I'm his assistant!” You can see me in the video, sitting on the floor in the first row, super happy with my little camera,’ she says. ‘It was amazing because the show was super simple in the beginning, and with McQueen the finales were always the thing. The models started to walk and then line up in rows. Then all of a sudden, they stopped and started to move as if they were chess pieces playing a game. Everybody got goosebumps. You didn’t know where the drama was going.’

A growing interest in looking beyond the fashion image and exploring the ephemera, magazines, brochures, invitations and flyers is also a red thread in the exhibition. It looks around the clothes. ‘My early memories of fashion have something to do with Cindy Crawford, I’m sure,’ says Eisenbrand. ‘The 1990s was when fashion went into pop culture and even though I was not a passionate follower, my first “show” might have been MTV’s House of Style. It may have also been George Michael’s music video for Freedom. I never followed the shows, but they came through to me on this mediated level.’

The curators all agreed that the final room needed to reflect on the last five years. During the pandemic many hoped that the industry might change the seasonal ritual of in person fashion weeks for good, yet it was business as usual once the restrictions were lifted. The ceremonial 10-minute feast of models walking up and down underneath the bright lights proved all too seductive to forgo altogether. A number of architectural models produced by OMA for Prada over their 25-year collaboration are on display too. For A/W 2021 they created a show-set made up of textured rooms which was live streamed online. ‘It was sensual, even though the viewers could not be present,’ Eisenbrand says.

The conventions of the fashion show, how they operate and what they might feel like to anyone watching hasn’t changed, but the breadth of their audiences has. They now attract people that are drawn to them as events in themselves, people interested in a brief moment in the stories they see played out on the stage.

Projected onto the wall is the model Shalom Harlow sprayed in a jet of black and yellow paint by two curious machines at McQueen’s S/S 1999 show. It still commands – and demands – our attention. More recently Demna’s partnership with the Berlin-based architecture office Sub for Balenciaga has contributed a number of staggeringly affecting shows to the canon of the 21^st century – hundreds of images and minutes of film as layered and as rich as any other theatrical medium. ‘I think it needs to be this today because through these kinds of shows, we learn so much about where we are in society,’ Krawczyk concludes. ‘A jacket doesn't need a fashion show, but the show offers another layer of the story.’

Catwalk: The Art of the Fashion Show at Vitra Design Museum, 18 October 2025 – 15 February 2026 and opening at V&A Dundee 3 April – 17 January 2027.

Several of these exhibitions have made use of this idea of respite: Peter Doig, for example, invites visitors to ‘sit, linger, take a nap’ at his new show ‘House of Music’ at the Serpentine Galleries, while Elmgreen & Dragset’s new site-specific installation at Town Hall in King’s Cross, invites guests into a surreal cinema, where they can sit among the art duo’s hyperrealistic human figures (part of Prada Mode, the house’s roving private members’ club, the space will also host a series of talks, lectures and screenings).

Meanwhile at Margaret Howell, a satisfyingly sedate new show of works by British weaver Peter Collingwood unfolds in the British fashion label’s light-filled Wigmore Street store. ‘One of the most important weavers of the 20th century,’ is how the brand describes Colingwood’s serene works, which here span the 1960s to the early 2000s.

‘The graphic quality of Peter Collingwood’s weavings has always appealed to me,’ says Howell. ‘They feel modern but grounded – shaped by a deep understanding of material, and a belief in what can be achieved through simple means and thoughtful design.’

Defined by their geometric, often zig-zagging forms, Collingwood – who died in 2008 – began his career in medicine before turning to weaving in the 1950s, learning under figures like Barbara Sawyer and Alastair Morton. A voracious experimenter, he made his own equipment, going on to sell rugs to Heal’s and Liberty, before exhibiting around the world.

He is best known for his ‘Macrogauze’ works, which provide the centrepiece of this new exhibition (pieces have been painstakingly sourced from both private and public collections for the display). Abstract in design, they are defined by a loose weave, crafted from linen thread and steel rods. Some are three-dimensional, others are woven to sit flush to the wall. The exhibition, says Margaret Howell, offers ‘ rare opportunity to view these intricate works up close’.

‘With Macrogauzes you are two completely different people – when you are working out the design on paper you are using your aesthetic sense, sense of proportion and so on,’ said Collingwood. ‘When you are making it, you are an engineer – you have to be absolutely sure the tension is correct. So after acting as an artist to design the drawing you become a technician to make it as perfect as possible.’

Alongside, Margaret Howell has created a 2026 calendar featuring Collingwood’s works. On sale at the exhibition, it makes for an early addition to the gift list of any design aficionado.

Peter Collingwood Macrogauze Wall Hangings runs until 2 November, 2025 at 24 Wigmore Street, London W1 .

The 2026 calendar will be available to buy in all Margaret Howell shops and online.

These artistic tricks have been a hallmark of the Berlin-based duo’s work: there has been a life-sized sculpture of a Prada store in the desert of Marfa, Texas; another swimming pool, turned on its end and erected at New York’s Rockefeller Centre; and a lonely art-fair booth in Paris’ Grand Palais, built a month before the opening of that year’s FIAC, as if the pair had got their dates mixed up. Destabilising the everyday, they use these projects to reveal the machinations of power that exist around us, often unnoticed. ‘Sometimes the most profound “truth” can occur in the most banal images,’ the pair told Wallpaper* at the opening of ‘L’Addition’, a 2024 exhibition at Paris’ Musée d’Orsay, which saw of series of uncanny figures interspersed among the museum’s permanent collection.

Prada Mode London: ‘The Audience’ by Elmgreen & Dragset

A new work, titled ‘The Audience’, provides the centrepiece of Prada Mode, the Italian fashion house’s roving ‘private members’ club’ that invites artists to create site-specific works and curate a programme of events, talks and lectures (this marks its 13th iteration). The previous edition took place earlier this year in Abu Dhabi, curated by the American artist Theaster Gates, while this latest edition opened for previews yesterday (15 October) in London’s Town Hall, a recently inaugurated cultural space close to King’s Cross in the former Camden Council Town Hall (interiors are by Tom Dixon, while Virginia Damtsa is curating its programme).

Opening to coincide with Frieze Week, the immersive installation sees the Town Hall’s vast main room transformed into a 104-seat cinema, occupied by a series of hyper-realistic human figures posed in ‘various states of attention’ – from an embracing couple to a woman consuming popcorn on the front row (another potent visual trick, it takes a moment for your eyes to adjust and work out which of the seated figures are real). Their glassy eyes, all rendered from silicone, are fixed on the cinema screen: on it, a distorted film plays on loop, as if watching a scene from a movie through a perpetually blurry lens.

‘When people come into the installation, [we want them to feel] like they’re too late for the cinema,’ the artists explained at a preview yesterday. ‘We all know this feeling, when you are there at the last minute and everyone is seated already, and you need to sneak in and find your seat. [It’s why] we’ve made just one scene, that feels like it's taken out of a bigger movie – you don’t know when it starts and when it ends. No matter when you arrive, you come in in the middle of the movie.’

The film itself depicts an animated conversation between partners – a painter and a writer – who discuss the potential challenges of their respective mediums. And, while their voices can be heard clearly, the visuals are purposefully blurred – the duo liken it to watching a film without glasses, or as if waiting for a video to buffer and load online. ‘We are experiencing image overload through social media, our news feed,’ they say. ‘So instead, we wanted people to see abstract images, just moving against the screen. We used the blur to obscure the visibility of what was going on.’

The choice of a cinema auditorium – which, over the course of the week, will double as a space for a curated series of talks, lectures and screenings – is part of their continuing desire to interrogate the everyday spaces we occupy. ‘We thought it would be interesting to focus on the cinema as a communal space, a place where people gather,’ they say. ‘It is not an algorithm that decides who you are with. You never know who you will be next to.’ (Here, that includes the hyper-realistic figures, who will occupy the cinema’s seats throughout the week, interspersed among the physical attendees.)

‘This whole build-up with the seats, the steps, and the handrails is not normally here, it’s just an open space,’ they say. ‘What we have so often done with our installations is transform spaces – when we do museum shows, we want to give them a different identity than their normal white boxes, [whether] with swimming pools, airport lounges, or private homes. This time, we thought it would be fun to make a movie theatre that would only be here for five days – one where you are never alone.’

Prada Mode is open to the public from 16-19 October 2025.

You can register at Prada’s website.

Such is the case for Frieze London 2025, which opens for previews today (15 October), with numerous fashion brands hosting events across the week. And, while a number of these might seem opportunist grabs for the art world’s cultural heft, an equal number show the potential spoils of the partnership – whether Stone Island’s sponsorship of Frieze Focus (the scheme supports emerging galleries), Dunhill’s always-illuminating Frieze Masters talks, or the arrival of Prada Mode in London, the Italian fashion house’s roving programme of cultural events. For this edition, the house hands the reins to Berlin-based duo Elmgreen & Dragset, who have created a surreal cinema that will host a curated programme of talks, lectures and screenings over the coming days.

Here, Wallpaper* selects the best fashion happenings to add to your Frieze London 2025 schedule.

Dunhill will host its annual Frieze Masters talks

The relative calm of Frieze Masters provides a welcome respite from the frenetic main fair, where low-lit booths and hushed chatter surround an always intriguing display – from ancient antiquity to mid-century masterworks, and all that came in between (the cut-off year to be displayed at Frieze Masters is the year 2000, with the oldest objects dating back millenia). It makes the perfect setting for Dunhill’s tranquil ‘Frieze Masters Talks’, which sees the British heritage house invite a line-up of artistic luminaries – from those with works displayed in Frieze Masters to curators, writers and collectors – to take part in a series of talks across the week, giving visitors a well-earned moment of quiet contemplation amid the noise elsewhere.

Always illuminating, this year’s schedule is curated by director of Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi Arturo Galansino and includes conversations between Tracey Emin and director of the British Museum Nicholas Cullinan (‘Confessions in the Museum’ is the title of their talk), artist Edward George and author Matthew Harle (they will discuss George’s ‘Black Atlas’ project), and artist Anthony Gormley who will discuss ‘Sculpting a New Humanism’ alongside Galansino himself (a full schedule is available on Frieze Masters’ website). Always impeccably staged, the intimate talks and enveloping interiors have the feel of an exclusive member’s club – not unlike Dunhill’s sanctuary-like Bourdon House in Mayfair, the former residence of the Hugh Grosvenor, the 2nd Duke of Westminster.

Discover the full programme here.

Prada Mode arrives in London

Prada Mode is the Italian fashion house’s immersive arts-led programme, which has taken place in a series of locations around the world – the last edition took place in Abu Dhabi earlier this year, seeing American artist Theaster Gates curate a schedule of talks and events in a site-specific space in the city’s MiZa district. After previously taking place in London back in 2019 (the house took over the subterranean basement of 180 Strand, turning it into a surreal jazz bar), the 2025 edition sees Prada Mode return to London, curated by Berlin-based duo Elmgreen & Dragset.

They have created a special installation for the event titled ‘The Audience’ in Town Hall, a recently opened cultural centre close to King’s Cross station, comprising a simulacrum of a cinema populated by a series of their hyper-realistic figures (on the screen, a purposefully blurred movie plays). Running for previews from today (15 October) until 19 October, participants include the artists themselves, as well as Shona Heath, Elizabeth Diller, James Massiah, Kirsty Sedgman, James Price and more, with a series of talks, events and screenings unfolding in the surreal cinema space.

Register for Prada Mode here.

Stone Island continues its support of Frieze Focus

Part of its global Frieze partnership, Italian technical-wear brand Stone Island will support this year’s edition of Frieze Focus, an offshoot of the fair which gives exhibition space to emerging galleries and the artists that they represent. This year, the eclectic line-up spans 35 international galleries, from London’s Nicoletti, which will show works by Texas-born, London-based artist Gray Weilebinski, to institutions in Beirut, Cairo, Shanghai, Warsaw, Seoul and Athens (among many others).

‘This year marks the third consecutive year of our sponsorship of Frieze Focus, a partnership that celebrates the influence of contemporary art within Stone Island’s global community,’ says Robert Triefus, Stone Island’s CEO. ‘We are delighted to continue our support of the Focus section at Frieze, championing emerging gallerists and the artists they represent’

Dover Street Market celebrates Frieze 2025

For each edition of Frieze London, Rei Kawakubo and Adrian Joffe’s Dover Street Market hosts a buzzy evening in the Haymarket concept store, inviting artists and fashion designers alike to set up shop. Taking place on Thursday evening – with further activations happening across the weekend – the eclectic line-up includes a window display featuring pieces by Georgia O’Keefe (Kawakubo has curated the line-up), a showing of work by British artist Sonia Boyce, as well as installations from Air Jordan by Assouline and Stone Island Denim Research. For fashion fans, the event also heralds the arrival of Saint Laurent in the store – the Parisian house will be unveiling their new dedicated space as part of the festivities – and there will be an opportunity to shop a series of special launches, including a series of portable ‘seats’ by Craig Green, revealed by the designer today on Instagram.

Rick Owens displays his furniture at Carpenters Workshop Gallery

Multi-hyphenate fashion designer Rick Owens has chosen Frieze week to open a new exhibition at west London’s Carpenters Workshop Gallery, displaying a series of furniture created alongside his wife Michèle Lamy (she also serves as the exhibition’s curator). Titled ‘Rust Never Sleeps’, the various creations – each in Owens’ signature monolithic style – are largely crafted from patinated metal inspired by London’s long tradition of Brutalist architecture. We got a special walkthrough from Lamy last week, with memorable highlights including an enormous elm bed complete with antler horns, a rusted steel and crocodile leather day bed, and an enormous marble urn, rendered in Owens’ moody, visually arresting style. ‘Taking its title from Neil Young’s 1979 anthem – the exhibition transforms the phrase into a manifesto for artistic endurance: it is better to burn out than to fade away,’ read the lyrical press notes.

Rick Owens: Rust Never Sleeps runs at the Carpenters Workshop London until 14 February 2026.

Phoebe Philo supports Peter Doig’s new exhibition, ‘House of Music’

Phoebe Philo, the former Celine and Chloé designer who now helms an eponymous London label, serves as the principal sponsor of Peter Doig’s new exhibition – a testament to her own long-standing link with the art world. Titled ‘House of Music’, the exhibition at the Serpentine Galleries invites visitors to ‘sit, linger, take a nap’ in the space, which sees the British artist’s paintings displayed amid midcentury furnishings and backdropped by a sound system featuring a bespoke soundtrack comprising over 300 records. ‘The idea of having furniture and chairs here is that some people feel like they can linger, they may even want to have a nap,’ he told Wallpaper*, noting that it was a rare opportunity to see works that are in private hands made public. ‘The paintings often end up in private hands, and the people who get to see them are very few. So, it's making all aspects public.’

READ: ‘Sit, linger, take a nap’: Peter Doig welcomes visitors to his Serpentine exhibition

The fragrances

The fragrance notes that Crafted Collection takes as starting points are some of the most common in perfumery, which makes it all the more impressive that each fragrance smells distinctly different from any other perfumes I’ve encountered before. Roasted Vanilla is the warmest scent within the collection, with a creamy heart complicated by the peculiar spiciness of pink pepper and the alcoholic sweetness of cognac.

Bittersweet Oud is, unsurprisingly, the most opulent of the three scents, but not so much that it should scare off those who are wary of oud scents. In fact, this oud is brightened with a touch of bitter orange and is softened by the addition of sandalwood, a slightly more delicate, earthy note.

Then there is the collection’s most accessible fragrance and its most delicate scent, Iris Root. At its core, it has the powdery, creamy quality that is typical of Iris and which elevates the natural warmth of skin. Its unique character, however, comes from the addition of herbaceous angelica seed and citrusy timut pepper.

The vessels

The scents are housed in weighty, handblown glass vessels with naturally formed bubbles creating a unique pattern on each, and a tactile granite cap finishing it off. When placed on a shelf or counter, they look like small sculptures, a testament to Loewe’s dedication to transforming even the simplest objects into a showcase for exceptional craft.

It’s not the first time the brand has done this with its perfume bottles. Last year, it unveiled a selection of its signature Botanical Rainbow scents – Loewe 001, Loewe Earth and Loewe Agua Drop – adorned with porcelain carnation caps designed by fellow Spanish brand Lladró. Known for its exceptional ability to render porcelain into lifelike forms, Lladró handcrafted and individually painted each of the carnation’s serrated petals, no matter how small.

Of course, the Botanical Rainbow collection itself is also a work of notable design. The collection comprises almost 30 fragrances that, when lined up together, create a rainbow of hues, from metallic fuchsia to emerald green, sunshine yellow to a subtle off-white. And then there are the ribbed terracotta pots from Loewe’s cult candle collection, which are inspired by a 5th-century BC Greek mug that former creative director Jonathan Anderson bought at auction.

As Cruelles told us when the Lladró and Loewe collaboration launched, ‘Loewe has such a strong, ongoing dedication to excellence in craft and a deep respect for its Spanish roots.’ The Crafted Collection is a testament to that, and those who are in London this week can delve into the collection’s creation at a pop-up installation at 109 Bond Street. Inside, visitors will find a ‘smelling station’ where they can experience notes found within the three scents, as well as retro TV screens displaying clips from the brand’s new campaign (starring Loewe’s celebrated new director Eva Victor), and a bar upstairs serving bubble tea and matcha – an ideal secret spot for relaxing before returning to the hustle of Freeze.

The Crafted Collection pop-up, 109 Bond Street, London W1S 1EG, 14 – 19 October 2025; perfumesloewe.com

Inside ‘Maison Vivier’, Roger Vivier’s opulent new Paris HQ and archive

It feels fitting, then, that the brand’s new headquarters – just opened in Paris – should pay tribute to the life and legacy of its founder. Uniting Roger Vivier’s corporate offices, the creative studio of artistic director Gherardo Felloni, and a dedicated archive showcasing over 1,000 shoes, the new ‘maison’ is spread across the floors of an 18th-century building on Rue de l’Université, once belonging to French aristocracy. While other heritage brands might simply bear the names of their founders on the doors, behind which you’ll find rooms of sharp white-walled architecture, Roger Vivier has instead chosen to decorate its interiors in the style of Vivier’s personal Paris apartment. An opulent mixture of Louis XVI furniture, Asian sculptures, and modern art fills the grand, multi-storey space, configured by Felloni and brand ambassador Inès de la Fressange. With the archive and new ateliers, the hope is to preserve Vivier’s legacy of craftsmanship and beauty while making space for the brand’s future.

Italy-born Felloni came to Roger Vivier in 2018 from in-house design roles at Miu Miu and Prada, but his connection to the brand stretches back to when he was a teenager. ‘I have a very emotional relationship with the archive, it’s where my story with Roger Vivier truly began,’ he tells Wallpaper*. ‘When I was 19, waiting for an interview in a fashion house, I noticed a book on the table. As I started to flip through it, I came across a photograph of a pink shoe – its simplicity hid something more complex, an elegance that doesn’t age. That image struck me like lightning. Having grown up in my family’s shoe factory, I was familiar with the functional side of making shoes. But that Vivier design opened my eyes to something else entirely. It was the moment I understood that a shoe could be an artistic statement.’

For de la Fressange, it was most satisfying working on the archive, which the brand has been carefully collating over decades. Organising designs so they are proudly on view, the collection includes early iterations of the Virgule sling-back and the Belle Vivier shoe. The buckle-adorned pump made its debut on Yves Saint Laurent’s runway in 1965, swiftly becoming one of the decade’s most coveted designs (famously worn by Catherine Deneuve in Belle de Jour). Alongside these creations are hundreds of Vivier’s original sketches and research documents, including photographs, magazine cuttings, patterns and even Christmas cards. ‘He was a real researcher, trying and inventing new things all the time,’ says de la Fressange. ‘He still influences young designers and other brands, we can be proud of that.’

When it came to the interiors, de la Fressange wanted Vivier’s spirit to feel present in the building while balancing a contemporary mood. ‘Roger Vivier loved architecture, he studied at the Beaux-Arts in Paris and was totally fond of decoration,’ she says. ‘He would say, “all that is beautiful can be together”. Of course, it would have been stupid to exactly redo the flat, but for the big living room of the hôtel particulier we wanted to keep the spirit. There are the Mies van der Rohe chairs that he loved, 18th-century furniture, contemporary paintings and even the laurel trees that he [had in his apartment]. In one room we reunited many of the collages Vivier used to do; full of colour, they are gorgeous and it was stronger to have many of them all together.’

Meanwhile, for Felloni, who has respectfully drawn upon the house’s archives throughout his tenure at Roger Vivier – both celebrating its icons like the ‘Virgule’ while creating sneaker shapes for a new generation of shoppers – the site represents a space where past and present can coexist. ‘Maison Vivier is a living place,’ he says. ‘The archive, the studio and the salons are all connected like different chambers of the same heart. History here isn’t something we look at from a distance; it’s something we work with every day. When our teams work surrounded by the pieces created by Monsieur Vivier, it’s a daily reminder of the responsibility and freedom that comes with this legacy. I hope this space becomes a source of dialogue between heritage and invention.’

Marking an exciting new chapter for the brand, the designer hopes the building and archive will serve as a touchstone of Vivier’s genius, inspiring all who walk through its doors. ‘When visitors come, I would like them to feel the same sense of discovery I had when I first saw that pink shoe – that moment when design suddenly reveals a world of emotion,’ he says. ‘It’s about keeping the spirit of Monsieur Vivier alive: curious, refined, and always a little audacious.’

rogervivier.com

The Rome-born designer is best known for her nine-year tenure as creative director of Dior’s womenswear and haute couture lines (she was succeeded by Jonathan Anderson, who debuted his men’s and womenswear collections for the Parisian house earlier this year). Prior to that, she was creative director of Valentino alongside Pierpaolo Piccioli, who she had previously worked with at Fendi.

Maria Grazia Chiuri is Fendi’s chief creative officer

‘I return to Fendi with honour and joy, having had the privilege of beginning my career under the guidance of the House’s founders, the five sisters. Fendi has always been a forge of talents and a starting point for many creatives in the industry, thanks to the extraordinary ability of these five women to foster and nurture generations of vision and skill,’ she said in a statement today.

The creative direction of the house has been in limbo since the departure of Kim Jones in December last year. In the time since, Venturini Fendi – a third-generation member of the Fendi family who joined the company in 1992 – has overseen the design of the house’s men’s and womenswear collections, including a lauded 100th anniversary show in February.

Though not specified, Chiuri is expected to oversee both the house’s men’s and women’s collections, as well as haute couture and accessories. Her first show will take place in February of next year during the womenswear edition of Milan Fashion Week. Venturini Fendi, meanwhile, will stay on as ‘honorary president’.

‘Maria Grazia Chiuri is one of the greatest creative talents in fashion today, and I am delighted that she has chosen to return to Fendi to continue expressing her creativity within the LVMH group, after sharing her bold vision of fashion,’ says Bernard Arnault, chairman and CEO of LVMH Group, of which Fendi is a part. ‘Surrounded by the Fendi teams and in a city that is dear to her, I am convinced that Maria Grazia will contribute to the artistic renewal and future success of the Maison, while perpetuating its unique heritage.’

LVMH will be hoping that Chiuri brings her Midas touch to the house: during her tenure at Dior, she grew sales from €2.2 billion in 2017 to €9.5 billion in 2023. As the house’s first female creative director, she brought a feminist lens to her collections – memorably, her first collection included a T-shirt reading ‘We Should All Be Feminists’, taken from the 2014 essay by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie; and she went on to collaborate with numerous women artists during her tenure, including Judy Chicago, Mickalene Thomas and Eva Jospin.

‘I am particularly grateful for the work accomplished by my teams and the ateliers,’ she said at the time. ‘Their talent and expertise allowed me to realise my vision of committed women’s fashion, in close dialogue with several generations of female artists. Together, we have written an impactful chapter of which I am immensely proud.’

fendi.com

The white tee is the quintessential element of the capsule wardrobe. It adapts to nearly any aesthetic: it can be dressed up or down, layered or worn solo, accessorised or left plain, and is a year-round essential, equally useful under shirts, jumpers and jackets when the temperature falls.

Wallpaper’s fashion and creative director Jason Hughes and fashion features editor Jack Moss are united in their devotion to the white tee. ‘It’s the foundation of almost every outfit I wear,’ says Jason, who is rarely seen without a flash of white peeking from beneath a sweater or shirt. For Jack, the white T-shirt is ‘probably the garment [he wears] most’, again, usually layered under a shirt or sweater. As for me, I favour a pared-back, Scandinavian aesthetic, for which the white tee is indispensable. Pair with low-rise jeans, tailored trousers, a silk skirt… the options are almost endless.

What makes the perfect white T-shirt?

This elusive garment avoids extremes: not too tight at the neck, shoulders or waist – but not tunic-loose. The sweet spot? A slightly dropped shoulder and a relaxed silhouette. As for length, aim for hip level – just long enough to flatter the form without skewing proportions.

‘Because a T-shirt is so simple, its shape really matters,’ says Jack, who gravitates toward looser, boxier fits, adding, ‘it has to have a high crew neck’. Loose and boxy is a good rule of thumb for women, too; a too-snug tee will bunch at the waist and pull at the hips. If you want a smooth silhouette, don’t be afraid to go oversized. Acne Studios, COS and Arket all do models that fit the bill.

The best white T-shirts are substantial but breathable, with a GSM which offers structure and longevity. Jason’s go-to is a heavyweight crew-neck from US utility brand Pro Club. Jack also leans toward heavier cottons, swearing by classics like Gildan and Fruit of the Loom, but lately he’s been enjoying Extreme Cashmere’s cotton-cashmere blend (‘it falls really nicely’, he says, thanks to the softness of the superfine knit).

The best white T-shirts, according to Wallpaper*

Classic white T-shirts

Cult white T-shirts

Luxury white T-shirts

Sustainably-minded white T-shirts

Everyday white T-shirts

‘It’s a scene that encapsulates Milanese elegance and that subtle play of complicity and distance that defined pop culture in that decade: two stars in a stolen moment, infused with a typically 1990s attitude,’ offers Eugenio Calini, one of the co-founders of Milan-based gallery 29 Arts in Progress. More broadly, it speaks to Barbieri’s interests in fashion and the movies.

Eternal Elegance: The Timeless Photography of Gian Paolo Barbieri in Milan

‘Barbieri’s images were already circulating as icons when we began working together, thanks to their elegance, scenographic construction and use of light,’ recalls Calini, who has worked with the photographer’s archive for more than a decade. ‘Discovering him more closely, through the archive and direct collaboration, was like stepping into a richly layered universe, where every detail had meaning and a narrative function.’

Prior to training in Paris under the Hungarian photographer Tom Kublin, in 1962 Barbieri moved from Milan to Rome to pursue a career in film, and his later artistic practice was largely informed by this deep affection for cinema. Indeed, Eva Herzigová, in an image shot for the Italian publication Io Donna in 1997, appears to perform a role, eating tomato pasta opposite an unidentified male companion (a romantic partner? Agent? Studio boss?), as portraits of iconic cinematic figures watch over her shoulder. ‘Barbieri’s decision to place her directly in front of photographs of Alfred Hitchcock, the great director he always admired, and the legendary Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida, highlights the importance that cinema and Rome always held in his photography,’ Calini observes.

The photograph is currently on display as part of ‘Eternal Elegance: The Timeless Photography of Gian Paolo Barbieri’ (until 15 January 2026), a new show curated by Calini and his 29 Arts in Progress co-founder, Luca Casulli, at the recently opened headquarters and art space of Zurich Italy (notably, it neighbours the historic opera house, Teatro alla Scala).

While perhaps less widely recognised than some of his peers, Barbieri was a major protagonist of 20th-century fashion photography, shooting the inaugural cover of Vogue Italia in 1965 and, subsequently, shaping the industry’s visual culture through his collaborations with major fashion houses – Versace, Armani and Valentino among them. His partnership with Gianni Versace, in particular, was hugely important and Barbieri, who passed away last year, described the relationship as one of his most creative. ‘We looked at the world through the same lens, understood and trusted each other immediately,’ he told The Guardian in 2023. ‘Gianni had blind faith in my imagination, gave me total freedom.’

‘He never limited himself to illustrating a garment or a face, instead building worlds, atmospheres, characters,’ continues the gallerist. ‘His archive is a living and invaluable resource, and his legacy is twofold. On one hand, the extremely high technical level he achieved – a formal rigour and mastery of light – and on the other, his ability to transform the image of fashion into a story suspended between elegance and theatricality. Many contemporary photographers look to him precisely for this balance.’

Across the new exhibition, which features work made between the mid-1960s and early 2000s, Italy, and oftentimes Milan, become active participants, such as in the A/W 1991 campaign Barbieri shot for Gianfranco Ferré. In one image, a glamorous restaging of Hitchcock’s 1963 picture The Birds, the model Aly Dunne poses in front of the Duomo di Milano, pigeons taking off all around her. ‘Milan was Barbieri’s creative ground, and the Piazza del Duomo is the symbolic heart of Milan – choosing it meant intertwining the architectural strength of Ferré’s garments with that of the city itself,’ suggests Calini. ‘It unites fashion and architecture beyond a simple editorial.’

‘He constantly reinvented the language [of photography],’ the gallerist adds, reflecting on what set Barbieri apart during his lifetime. ‘Many photographers of his era were tied to more rigid frameworks – Barbieri merged the sense of theatre, painting, and cinema. He was a visionary, but possessed a rare artisanal precision, and was always ready to experiment. It’s striking to realise how tireless he was in his pursuit of perfection and beauty. Not just creating beautiful or technically flawless images, but truly memorable ones. He loved looking back, reinterpreting past images – never with nostalgia but the desire to understand them better.’

‘Eternal Elegance: The Timeless Photography of Gian Paolo Barbieri’ runs at Zurich Italia and Zurich Bank Via Santa Margherita 11 – Milan until 15 January 2026, 29artsinprogress.com

‘I have read some really heinous comments about the work of many designers in these last few days,’ said Edward Buchanan, former design director of Bottega Veneta and the Milan Fashion Director for Perfect magazine, in a much-reshared Instagram post. ‘I am a designer and I know that these creatives work hard to get these collections out. It is not always perfect, and it is not always what you personally imagined it to be. You don’t have to like everything... Why not celebrate and talk about what you love?’

Fashion week S/S 2026: the key takeaways

It was why the finale of Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel debut on Monday evening felt joyful not only for the model Awar Odhiang twirling across the runway to the sounds of ‘Rhythm is a Dancer’ in a gown that descended into thousands of colourful chiffon feathers, but the fact that a weight felt like it had been lifted. Save for a handful of exceptions (Fendi is yet to announce its new creative leadership), that final debut meant that the line-up of designers at fashion’s major houses is set, and likely for some time – no more speculation or gossip, hearsay or rumour. Now, after their opening gambits, these designers must be left to hone their vision – after all, a debut is only the beginning.

Despite this, it has been a strong season of shows, with plenty of big, bold ideas sitting alongside propositions for a real-world wardrobe. There is no doubt that this new class of designers have brought with them a fresh energy: thematically, the idea of freedom emerged again and again, of dressing on your own terms. It's why this season’s trends feel equally liberated – designers gave into romance (albeit rewritten in distinctly modern terms), were unrestrained in their use of colour, and created distinctive silhouettes to match (from the ultra-streamlined to the panniered).

Here, we break down the trends and takeaways from the S/S 2026 shows, which concluded earlier this week in Paris.

The idea of freedom was on designer’s minds

A feeling of eclecticism has run through recent Prada collections, seeing co-creative directors Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons favour the bold and intuitive over strict thematics – a response, they say, to the uncertain, algorithmic times in which we live. This season, they talked about wanting to liberate clothing from ‘hierarchies’, shuffling simple workwear uniforms – a longtime Prada inspiration point – with colourful flourishes of eveningwear, from ballooning taffeta skirts to opera gloves. The result, said the pair, was a ‘new elegance’ – unconventional, instinctual, free. ‘In the combination of the different elements, in this idea of composition, there is a choice and freedom, authority and agency for the woman wearing them,’ said Mrs Prada. ‘It is fashion that is connected inherently to the world, with a meaning and usefulness. How to face the world, and how to survive.’

Again and again, the idea of sartorial freedom appeared in this season’s collections: at Ferragamo, Maximilian Davis channelled the liberatory dress codes of the 1920s (‘this was a moment where women were creating a new femininity... it was a celebration of freedom, a reclaiming of self’) while at Bottega Veneta, Louise Trotter’s debut collection looked towards Laura Braggion, Bottega Veneta’s first female creative lead, in its expressive use of colour and texture (as young woman, she was a part of Andy Warhol’s Factory). ‘I was imagining her journey – her freedom of being an Italian woman, an archetypal Italian woman, moving to New York,’ she said post-show. ‘It was a liberation for her. And that's really what I wanted to capture – a feeling of liberation.’

A similar mood was struck at Chanel (Matthieu Blazy was inspired by the ‘modernity and freedom’ of Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel’s designs), Loewe (the collection’s bold, graphic line drew on the work of artist Ellsworth Kelly) and Hermès (titled ’Free Rein’, Nadège Vanhée referenced the untethered wild horses of Carmague). Through it all, there was an invitation to dress on your own terms, and without restraint.

Kaleidoscopic colour ran throughout

With this exploration of freedom came an equally liberated use of colour, as designers embraced bold, unapologetic hues in what was the most colourful fashion season in some time – a response, perhaps, to the feeling of bleakness elsewhere. This was a trend not restrained to a single city: in New York, Rachel Scott made a powerful impression with a debut runway show for her label Diotima which drew on the energetic spirit of carnival – a vivid, painterly palette spanned bright red, sky blue and cerise across anemone-like ruffles and tassel flourishes – while London saw colour-saturated outings from Erdem, Talia Byre and Burberry (a hot pink whipstitched leather jacket provided the latter’s closing look, with creative director Daniel Lee looking towards the dress codes of 1960s and 70s musicians).

As the season continued, a more graphic use of colour emerged: Simone Bellotti’s debut collection for Jil Sander featured bold primary hues of red and blue throughout; when viewed against the crisp white walls of Jil Sander’s Milanese HQ, they took on the feel of contemporary artworks. At Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez’s debut for Loewe, a work by Ellsworth Kelly set the tone: hanging in the entranceway of the showspace, Yellow Panel with Red Curve (1989) inspired the ‘chromatic intensity’ of the collection (zingy hues of yellow, electric blue and orange featured throughout). Stripes also appeared in the former Proenza Schouler designers’ collection, another recurring motif through the season, like at Dries Van Noten, where Julian Klausner – already proving himself as much of a master colourist as the label’s eponymous founder – presented a vivid collage of print and colour, from bold yellow stripes to abstracted polka dots, spirals and harlequin diamonds, blown up is size.

Designers evoked the time-worn and well-loved

The idea of inheritance was unsurprisingly on the mind of Matthieu Blazy at Chanel – after all, his debut for the house sees him take on the legacy of not one but two fashion greats: Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld. Originally inspired by the love affair between Gabrielle Chanel and British polo player Boy Capel, and the way she would borrow his jackets and shirts, the idea of passing garments between people – or indeed through generations – was one of the throughlines of the collection. That, he said, is the luxury of a house like Chanel, ‘the worn familiarity of the truly chic, items feel passed down and utilised,’ as he described. In the collection, this was figured in garments which appeared to be unravelling at their edges (the hanging ‘threads’ were actually minuscule strings of beads), while the 2.55 quilted handbag had been cleverly manipulated to appear battered and worn.

Indeed, the idea of the time-worn and well-loved run through the season: at Tory Burch in New York, cardigans seemed to be disintegrating at the sleeves, while other garments were purposely crumpled and creased. ‘I wanted something familiar and worn, but uber-chic and elevated,‘ she said after the show, noting that such fabric manipulation took months of experimentation despite their illusion of ease. At Coach, garments were weathered and worn – creative director Stuart Vevers said he was inspired by seeing vintage, decades-old Coach bags carried by young people on New York’s streets – while at Loewe, some of the more washed-out hues looked to reference fabric left out too long in the sun.

There was a mood of modern romance

Taking place at the Louvre Palace, the opulent summer apartments of Anne of Austria, Queen of France provided the backdrop for Nicolas Ghesquière’s latest collection for Louis Vuitton, an attempt to capture ‘the boundless freedom of the private sphere’. In its evocation of nightwear and lingerie – as well as flourishes of beaded floral embroidery, satin ruffles and enormous bows – the era-traversing collection captured a mood of romance that ran through the season, one which was influenced by history but distinctly modern in construction and anything but saccharine.

At his debut womenswear show for Dior, Jonathan Anderson evoked the pannier waistline – another surprising trend of the season, particularly as it coincided with the opening of ‘Marie Antoinette Style’ at the V&A – as well as bows, lace necklines and shoes adorned with twisting satin roses. The Irish designer said he was interested in the ‘tension’ between fantasy and reality: ‘past converses with the present, the bold with the calm, the grand with the commonplace,’ he said. Similar juxtapositions ran through Simone Rocha’s S/S 2026 collection in London, a designer who has long contrasted sweetness and subversion. Her crinoline skirts were purposely skewiff; ruffled-edge bags were shaped like pillows, while panels of clear vinyl sat atop delicate silk gowns.

Meanwhile, at Givenchy, Sarah Burton rallied against the idea that power dressing for women means simply donning a man’s suit. Instead, she sought to find authority in the feminine, from pearl-adorned bra tops to frilled mini dresses which flared like tutus. ‘I was looking at female power,’ she said. ’And how to empower women through archetypes of the feminine, an iconography of the female.’

Bold silhouettes signalled new chapters

Like this season’s prismatic palette, designers were equally expressive when it came to shape and form: spanning the playful, the sculptural and the streamlined, silhouettes echoed the month’s liberated spirit. There were Nicholas Aburn’s bold party dresses at Area, constructed from blown-up streamers, enormous pailettes or a shaggy mass of glimmering tinsel (such was their size, they transformed the proportions of the body); Louise Trotter’s undulating fibreglass tops and dresses at Bottega Veneta; or the hiked up shoulder line of Satoshi Kondo’s latest collection for Issey Miyake (the Japanese designer said he imagined the garments having a conscious of their own).

Contemporary riffs on pannier waistlines and crinoles ran through the season, including at Alaïa, where Pieter Mulier continues to define a powerful vision of womanhood with an eye to the contours of the body. ‘This collection is reduced, sculptural. Precise. Yet there is also an extremity to it, in heightened colours, bold shapes. Uncompromising,’ he said. Perhaps most extreme, though, were the bold forms of Duran Lantink’s Jean Paul Gaultier debut – like in his collections for his (currently paused) eponymous label, garments were exaggerated into almost cartoon-like proportions, riffing on the house’s signatures, from the sailor hat to trompe l’oeil prints. They may not have been for everyone, but in their audaciousness, they captured S/S 2026’s mood of abandon.

Here, we select the best collections you might have missed from the S/S 2026 season.

Stefan Cooke

Stefan Cooke and Jake Burt have taken pleasure in doing things their own way over the past few seasons, opting to host relaxed gatherings rather than get caught up in the stress of producing runway shows. Last season, they invited friends, editors (and pets) to Burt’s east London shop, Jake’s, to try on pieces from their A/W 2025 collection. Amid jumper-swapping and chatter, an enormous cake by baker Louis Thompson provided a convivial centrepiece. This season, the pair took over Tenderbooks on Cecil Court, presenting their S/S 2026 collection with a newspaper-style lookbook and window display shot by Angus Williams. There was no cake this time, but generously filled ice buckets of beer (Thompson, however, did make an appearance as a model in the lookbook). The collection itself saw the pair’s unmistakable wardrobe take on skin-baring, thrown-together configurations – men in ecru trenches paired with tracksuit bottoms and ballet flats; women in chainmail mini-dresses and glam-rock boots, drop-waist pleats and chevron-detailed cinched jerseys. It made for an off-kilter but easy offering from two designers who somehow just get better season after season.

Lucila Safdie

Since graduating from Central Saint Martins in 2021, Argentina-born Lucila Safdie has used her brand to explore various ideas of girlhood, drawing upon the worlds of cinema, literature and Tumblr to craft clothes that skew saccharine fantasies with the wearable edge of the real women in her life. While most young designers are caught up in personal fantasies, already Safdie has grounded herself in a community – outside of the studio, she hosts a well-attended monthly film club, screening features that have inspired her world.

This season marked Safdie’s first appearance on the London Fashion Week calendar, and she used the opportunity to do something quite unusual. Inviting editors to the Soho Review gallery, the designer staged a teen bedroom scene where her models – impervious to their visitors, as teenagers so often are – lounged on beds and tried on her S/S 2026 designs in mirrors. The collection used Helen Rappaport’s book The Romanov Sisters as a starting point, translating its tragic tale into a 2010-coded wardrobe that brought together Peter Pan-collared jersey polos, frill-edged shorts and cut-out cotton dresses in girly hues of pink, white and grey. It was a clever and distinctive introduction to the designer’s world, marking the arrival of an intriguing new storyteller in the city. We’re looking forward to seeing what she does next.

16Arlington

Marco Capaldo enjoyed a season off the schedule, turning up to cheer on friends at their displays instead (the designer attended Chopova Lowena and Conner Ives in support). Presenting his S/S 2026 collection with a sleek, pared-back lookbook circulated online, this season Capaldo was thinking about an ineffable quality of glamour that stretches through decades. 1920s lingerie, 1940s sleepwear, 1970s shirting and 1990s pencil skirts formed the framework of his collection, creating points of intrigue through an assemblage of tactile textures and embellishments – from a delicate brown feather trim floating from oversized trench coats to a dress formed of glimmering strands of sequins. These were clothes, said the brand, ‘made to be worn; to be seen in movement; to be enjoyed’.

Federico Cina

Italian designer Federico Cina named his S/S 2026 collection ‘Sottovoce’ – meaning to speak in a low or hushed tone. In keeping with the word’s dulcet spirit, he chose to forgo the circus of a runway show for something quieter during Milan Fashion Week. Inviting guests to Fondazione Sozzani, the designer created a ‘silent landscape’ where models gently embraced before paper backdrops, while others interacted with the cool blue set, slipping their arms into paper jackets affixed to the walls. The clothes themselves explored ideas of fragility and structure through workwear silhouettes and crisp tailoring in a palette of blue, white and grey, inspired by the muted paintings of Bologna-born artist Giorgio Morandi. The soothing presentation, said Cina, was about pausing to contemplate what it means to ‘inhabit a place, a body, a garment, the world’.

Vaquera

Over the past decade, Patric DiCaprio and Bryn Taubensee have established Vaquera as one of the most original forces in New York’s fashion scene. As the brand turned ten, they promptly upped sticks to Paris – keen, it would seem, on retaining their underdog status. This season, they were thinking about ideas of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ taste, presenting a cast of unruly, expressively dressed characters in an intimate showspace covered in draped curtains.

Proposing the idea that there’s a right place and time to wear anything, this season their typically berserk wardrobe mixed up romantic 18th century dress, square-shouldered two-piece sets of an 1980s bent, and surreal patchworked lingerie, worn with sneakers that were the product of a new collaboration with Nike – a sign of the ever-rising popularity of their witty, anti-glam aesthetic.

‘We moved to Paris this summer – iconically the centre of “good taste”,’ said the pair. ‘But what does that mean? When you start to see the world through our lens, you realise that these categories don’t exist… We are always examining why we are still doing this brand after so many years. The answer we always come back to is joy.’

Hodakova

Ellen Hodakova Larsson has hit her stride. ​​Marking her second Paris display since winning the LVMH Prize last year, the Swedish designer showed her S/S 2026 collection in the stony 1992 extension wing of the Musée Bourdelle. This season, as ever, saw a merging of stories from the designer's rural upbringing with scattered references of personal artistic intrigue. Using an array of salvaged materials from Swedish small towns (vintage bed linens, leather furniture covers, and umbrella boning), the collection looked to three different makers for inspiration – Donatello’s 1440 woodwork of Mary Magdalene, the architectural metalwork of sculptor Claes Oldenburg, and the heritage thatch work of Joar Nilsson, who helped her make several of the collection’s straw-woven pieces. From this melting pot, a highly original wardrobe emerged, spanning bulbous outerwear in heavy leather, furry shapes that recalled mittens, and her first experiments with shoes, which arrived in rounded, toe-capped shapes with sturdy wooden heels. It made for a rich, textural study in form and material – and yet another glimpse into Larsson’s endlessly interesting world.

August Barron

Shown at Gare des Mines in Paris, August Barron’s S/S 2026 collection marked a new era for Bror August Vestbø and Benjamin Barron – their first since rebranding from All-In to a portmanteau of their names, and a new chapter across the pond in Paris (where they’ve been based for less than a year).

The collection continued the duo’s signature approach to character dressing, this time channelling the suburban housewife of 1950s America through a lens of ‘subversion and desire’. Inspired by Japanese bondage magazines in which women’s clothing appears caught mid-undress, garments were suspended in moments of ‘tension and release’ – shirts and cardigans lifted and frozen above the chest, double-layered hoodies revealing lace bras beneath, and dresses twisting across the body as zippers sliced through midriffs.

Styled by longtime collaborator Lotta Volkova, the show saw models – including photographer Petra Collins – bounce animatedly through the space, ruffling the heads of onlookers on the front row. August Barron might have moved on from All-In, but their irreverent spirit, evidently, remains intact.

Notably, this season pointed to shifts that are happening in beauty and fashion more generally, as the line between the two industries continues to blur and many fashion brands are branching beyond the traditional categories of make-up and hair to explore how fragrance, skincare and wellness can create novel new experiences of their clothes, both on the runways and off.

The best unconventional beauty moments of S/S 2026

For the most part, the beauty looks this season were kept relatively simple, with minimally made-up faces and slicked-back or classically blown-out tresses dominating the runways. There were a few notable exceptions: Rick Owens complemented his operatically gothic designs with eerie black contact lenses, while Glenn Martens at Maison Margiela outfitted models in logo mouthpieces that gave them a root-canal-ready appearance.

At Alaïa, Pieter Mulier combined his fluid designs with cascading, knotted hair extensions, while The Row featured sinuous up-dos held together with various combs. Meanwhile the unabashed sensuality of Haider Ackermann’s S/S 2026 collection for Tom Ford featured lacquered lips in different colours, designed by make-up artist Lucy Bridgeto match the runway floor. Not long after the show, Bridge was announced as the brand's first-ever global make-up artist, a fitting move for both Bridge and the brand, who share a penchant for opulent, cinematic glamour.

One wonders whether the appointment marks a new era for Tom Ford Beauty, which set a new standard for luxury in the industry when it launched in the early 2000s with lipsticks that cost a then unheard of $50 and the launch ‘Black Orchid’, a now-iconic fragrance made from one of the darkest, most elusive flowers on earth (and which was recently the subject of a new campaign starring Tilda Swinton). The brand’s shock factor when it comes to beauty has since mellowed, but with Bridge and Ackermann at its helm, could this now change? It will need to, if Tom Ford Beauty wants to stand out in a market that in the past five years alone has become saturated with new lines from luxury houses, including Hermès, Prada, Dries Van Noten, Celine, Rabanne and, most recently, Louis Vuitton.

The proliferation of beauty brands by fashion houses is a testament to the increasingly symbiotic relationship between the two industries, and this season proved that that relationship is poised to grow even closer. The most notable example of this is the launch of Coperni’s C+ line, a collection of skincare-infused activewear that is designed to deliver a blend of probiotics and prebiotics to the wearer. ‘We are rethinking the connection between clothing and the body,’ said designers Arnaud Vaillant and Sébastien Meyer in a press release. ‘Beyond covering, protecting or expressing, garments can now care for, nourish, and support the body where it feels most alive. That vision gave birth to carewear: a new category of clothing with a new role to play.’

Whether skincare-infused clothing will take off is yet to be seen (although the success of Skims’ ‘collagen yarn’ face mask suggests it might), but New York brand Eckhaus Latta also incorporated skincare into its latest collection, with models walking down the runway in limited-edition eye masks designed by skincare brand Dieux.

When it came to fragrance, Vaquera released a scent designed with Comme des Garçons Parfums a few days before its Paris show. The brand's first fragrance is 'a scent that feels like a perfume you once knew, then forgot, and have just stumbled upon in the back of a clearance shelf'. Designed to evoke the feeling of being young in the 1990s-early 2000s, it recreates the scent of perfume ads in 1990s fashion magazines, the scent of freshly shampooed hair, and ‘the secret of your childhood car’s air conditioning’.

London-based brand Chopova Lowena pumped its runway with a rotation of its three fragrances, which it launched earlier this year, adding to the high-energy atmosphere of the show’s cheerleader-inspired collection. Its designers are certainly not the first to incorporate fragrance into their collections – Willy Chavarria perfumed Greenpoint Terminal Warehouse with Parfums de Marly’s Haltane fragrance for his A/W 2024 collection and Demna frequently tapped scent artist Sissel Tolaas to perfume Balenciaga's shows when he was still creative director of the house (including a scent of antiseptic, blood, money and petrol for its S/S 2020 show).

For his first show at Gucci this season, however, Demna played with beauty in a different way, spoofing wellness culture in The Tiger, a film that accompanied the collection and saw stars Demi Moore, Edward Norton and more falling down a psychedelic wormhole after taking a ‘homopathic, collagen-based root-infused vitamin tincture’.

Unlike with fashion, runway shows these days hold little sway when it comes to the beauty trends we see on the street. Beauty’s trend arbiters tend to be celebrities and influencers, and while certain beauty moments can go viral (cue Pat McGrath’s glassy skin for Maison Margiela), the beauty looks that stand out from the shows tend not to seep into the culture at large (McGrath’s at-home glassy skin mask did not find wide commercial success).

This season, however, hinted that the relationship between beauty trends and the runway might be changing. Not because fashion brands are presenting make-up and hair looks that people want to recreate at home, but because they are finding novel ways to bring other aspects of the industry – namely skincare – to the public and using fragrance to amplify the experience of their clothes. As wearable wellness becomes increasingly popular, it will be interesting to see if major fashion houses start incorporating developments in skincare, fragrance, and wellness into their collections moving forward, dissolving the line between what we typically think of as beauty and fashion.

The book, described by the titular designer as ‘more of a manifesto than a retrospective’, takes readers on a journey through two decades of collections, and into the inspirations and references that have shaped Canada-born Erdem Moralıoğlu’s visual world. With photographic and written contributions from the likes of Alasdair McLellan, Juergen Teller, Christian Lacroix, Glenn Close, Inez & Vinoodh and more, the pages are heavy with history, romance, and poetry – the intoxicating house signatures familiar to the brand’s loyal followers.

Erdem Moralıoğlu on 20 years in fashion

In between his lauded S/S 2026 show at the British Museum during London Fashion Week and heading off to the Paris showroom, Erdem caught up with Wallpaper* from in front of an enormous bookshelf in his studio, absolutely stacked with volumes. One suspects he has devoured them all, from cover to cover, such is his insatiable thirst for storytelling.

Wallpaper*: Congratulations on 20 years in business! There’s a quote from you in the press release that says, ‘Fashion, to me, has always been a way to tell stories’. Has the story you want to tell now changed much from 20 years ago?

Erdem Moralıoğlu: The stories I’m interested in have always been about capturing a moment in time. For example, for S/S 2019, I did a collection celebrating the 19th-century performers Fanny [Frederick Park] and Stella [Ernest Boulton], who in today’s language would be called non-binary. For me, it was an interesting way to reflect on a lot of the discourse around gender identity that was happening in that moment. That approach has been quite consistent for me – taking stories from the past as a lens to consider the present – but I think the things I want to talk about have probably changed as I’ve evolved as a person.

W*: And how do you feel the Erdem woman has evolved in these two decades?

EM: She’s expanded. I was most interested at the beginning in these very special pieces that she was wearing to an event, but maybe I wasn’t thinking so much about her at, say, the moment she wakes up in the morning. What does she want to wear when she’s relaxing? I care more about those things now. Her world has gotten bigger. And maybe she’s become lots of different women, rather than this one rigid idea.

W*: I love the idea of an ‘anti-muse’, which is the subject of Dr Maria Balshaw’s essay in the book. What does this phrase convey to you?

EM: Well, I suppose it speaks to this idea that not every collection comes from a place of ‘pretty’, but actually something a bit more interesting and complicated. For S/S 2025, I was thinking a lot about Radclyffe Hall, so the result was this collection that really explored tensions and accords between the masculine and feminine. With S/S 2024, my focus was on Debo Mitford – the late Duchess of Devonshire – who was obviously this high-society figure, but really the collection was more about the idea of inheritance. And actually Debo’s great-granddaughter Cecily was doing [an internship] in the atelier at the time, and was embroidering these curtains from the family seat at Chatsworth, which we used for one of the dresses – a beautiful manifestation of this concept of inheritance.

W*: In Anna Wintour’s introduction to the book, she mentions your preoccupation with the ‘aesthetic foibles and fancies’ of Britain. What does this mean to you?

EM: If I had to summarise it, it would be ‘the perfect imperfect’. Something that’s never quite totally right. You know, a gown worn with brogues.

W*: When compiling this book, was there a moment or memory that provoked a particularly strong emotional reaction in you?

EM: Oh yes, looking back at the early days. Reflecting on my childhood, coming over [from Canada] to study at the Royal College of Art, my graduate collection, starting out at London Fashion Week and thinking about all the people I showed with then and looking at where they are now – that sense of time. Everything’s changed and yet nothing has – it feels like five minutes ago. It was interesting to look back and realise I’m still the same person as I was.

W*: We’ve talked a lot about women, but in the book, Ib Kamara references ‘the Erdem man’ – who is this to you?

EM: I think Ib said that because he’s a total romantic, which is exactly what the Erdem man embodies!

W*: As someone with a deep love of history, how do you keep one eye on the present and future?

EM: I think by using my love of the past as a tool, or a trigger, rather than something to be restricted by. I love the idea that it can take you anywhere, and that by looking backward you can find the inspiration to create something which looks forward – which is what fashion ought to do.

Erdem, published by Rizzoli, is out now. Available from Waterstone’s and Barnes and Noble.

rizzoliusa.com

Chanel itself is a house, but a big one. Its revenue in 2024 was close to 19 billion dollars, and that in itself was a drop from the year prior due to market conditions (the value of the company is several billion dollars more). With the brand known far beyond the closed circle of fashion, you might not own a Chanel jacket or a 2.55 handbag, but you have likely worn its perfume or make-up – you might have even taken its name for a child or a pet.

Matthieu Blazy shows his debut collection for Chanel

Chanel is also the house of Karl Lagerfeld – a towering figure who himself transcended fashion to become a household name – and before that, Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel. Stripping away what Janet Flanner in a 1931 issue of The New Yorker called the ‘gussets, garters, corsets, whalebones, plackets, false hair, and brassières’ of turn-of-the-century women’s dress, the French couturier would liberate the body and stage a fashion revolution.

Add to this the weight of the strident online discourse which has surrounded the other debuts this fashion month – a brief scroll on any major fashion magazine’s Instagram comments will give you an insight – and you would be forgiven for thinking that Blazy’s task was near-insurmountable (last week, at Jonathan Anderson’s debut womenswear collection for Dior, an Adam Curtis-directed short film preceding the show intercut footage from the house’s previous runway shows with clips from horror films – a symbol of the anxiety taking on such a major brand can evoke).

But Blazy comes to the house with plenty of pedigree. Born in Paris (a plus, particularly for the show’s French contingent), he arrives at Chanel from a critically lauded and commercially successful, if relatively brief, stint at Bottega Veneta, where he utilised the house’s leather atelier to create extraordinary sartorial illusions (a memorable pair of ‘denim’ jeans were actually trompe l’oeil leather). Before that, he worked in the design teams for Raf Simons, Phoebe Philo’s Celine, Calvin Klein and Maison Margiela; at the last, he reinvigorated the house’s Artisanal line after the eponymous designer’s departure. He became known as something of a behind-the-scenes genius – a designer of intellect and taste. ‘The most famous designer you’ve never heard of,’ New York magazine deemed him in 2014.

But this evening (6 October 2025), he took his place on fashion’s main stage: the Grand Palais, the longtime home of Chanel’s runway shows, which for the occasion of Paris Fashion Week S/S 2026 had been transformed into a gleaming solar system in a gesture that recalled the bombastic presentations of Lagerfeld. Hanging over an oil-black floor – its surface evoking the undulating constellations of outer space – the enormous glowing orbs were chosen by Blazy to represent Gabrielle Chanel’s fascination with the night sky. ‘I wanted to do something quite universal, like a dream, something outside of time,’ said Blazy. Far from that tiny metal house: this was his own invitation to dream big.

‘We can go two ways. Either we do a clean, modern, by-the-codes, by-the-book Chanel show, and it’s a first step. Or we do this show as if it was our last,’ he told The Business of Fashion in an interview released to coincide with the start of the show. ‘I took the last option. Let’s do a show as if it was the last one.’

Unfolding in three chapters – Un Paradox, Le Jour and L’Universel – the show, Blazy said, began with the discovery of Gabrielle Chanel’s love affair with the English polo player Boy Capel, whom Blazy called her ‘most significant other’. ‘It begins with a menswear tradition,’ he said of ‘Un Paradox’, honing in on the men’s shirt and suit – something he imagined being passed between Capel and his lover. Here, the shirt was Charvet in a rare collaboration (though Gabrielle Chanel herself was a client of the Parisian shirtmaker), while tweed tailoring had a loose, masculine line. The opening jacket was based on one of Blazy’s own blazers: ‘I only changed the buttons and added a chain,’ he said post-show.

The latter sections were more expressive: in ‘Le Jour’, he thought about the idea of a garment being passed through generations, like a 2.55 handbag that appeared crushed and worn, or tweed jackets and skirts that had the illusion of coming apart at their seams (‘the worn familiarity of the truly chic, items feel passed down and utilised’). In ‘L’Universel’, Blazy felt most at home: a continuation of the vivid materiality of his time at Bottega Veneta came in sheer dresses that bloomed with appliqué flowers, a tweed two-set rendered in crochet, and Awar Odhiang’s closing gown, which descended into a kaleidoscopic melange of feathers (Blazy said his team had nicknamed it the ‘Piña Colada’ dress). In a memorable moment, the Ethiopia-born Canadian model grinned and twirled at the end of the finale, joining Blazy for his triumphant final bow.

Soundtracked by the buoyant 1992 Eurotrance song ‘Rhythm is a Dancer’, that finale also marked the end – save for a few smaller shows on Tuesday – of a fashion month defined by its numerous debuts. With this final one, it feels like a weight has been lifted: there will be no more anticipation or speculation, no more guessing games or gossip. The designers are in place, and a new chapter of fashion has begun – from there, the hard work begins.

But Blazy can afford to revel in this moment a little longer. After all, how many times do you get to stage your debut runway show for Chanel? ‘I just wanted to have fun,’ he said. ‘Something beautiful and enjoyable – [that’s] what we have to propose in fashion.’

‘The heartbeat is the rhythm we share, the pulse that reminds us we are human,’ he wrote in a letter released just prior to the show, which took place yesterday evening. ‘For every heartbeat there is a name, a moment, a gesture. This collection comes from that place of love and connection. It is as much mine as it is of those who lived it with me-in every way. Perhaps with a different pulse, but always with the same soul.’

Pierpaolo Piccioli puts poetic stamp on codes of Balenciaga

At Valentino, where he was creative director from 2008 – first alongside Maria Grazia Chiuri, from 2008-2016, and then solo until his departure last year – his collections were defined by this heartfelt approach, where expressions of contemporary romance met a generosity of silhouette and a vivid use of colour, inspired by both the women around him and the work of house founder Valentino Garavani. This was perhaps most evident in his haute couture collections, which distilled his vision: one even took place on the Spanish Steps in Rome, a theatrical, kaleidoscopic display that saw gowns bloom with roses and feathers, or adorned with sequins. The names of the seamstresses who created each gown were stitched into the lining – a reminder of the intimacy of their craft.

It has made him one of fashion’s best-loved designers, a reputation further bolstered by his personal charm and affability. So as guests arrived at last night’s show, held in the cross-shaped lobby of Kering’s HQ on Paris’ Rue de Sèvres (the luxury conglomerate that owns the house), there was a palpable sense of anticipation, and plenty of goodwill. His supporters were out in force, including longtime muse Anne Hathaway and, in a surprise showing, the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle. The appearance marked her first fashion show since marrying Prince Harry, and a rare appearance on European soil.

Though despite the occasion, there were no signs of nerves here. Instead, the designer looked to the house’s archive with a laser focus, honing in on Cristóbal Balenciaga’s 1957 ‘Sack Dress’, a loose, trapeze-like cut that opposed the waist-defining shapes of the era. Reinterpreting this silhouette in his clean, contemporary style, Piccioli played with its proportions, shortening the shape into tunic tops worn with slim press-front trousers, or elongating into a gown (the original style falls just beneath the knee). ‘Not homage, but recalibration,’ read the collection notes. Everyday components of a woman’s wardrobe – from shirting to overcoats – were also reimagined through references to the house’s archive, twisted and transformed by a manipulation of volume, with cocooning and ballooning shapes appearing throughout.

Elsewhere, flourishes of embellishment provided a throughline to Piccioli’s previous work, from appliqué flowers to the feathered hem of a dress, as did a vivid use of colour. Meanwhile, tougher looks in black leather – like a series of T-shirts and capes slashed just below the chest – and shielding bug-eye sunglasses were a nod to his subversive predecessor, Demna (the handover between the pair has been amicable, with Piccioli attending Demna’s final show earlier this summer).

The show ended with a standing ovation for the deep-feeling designer, who once again led from the heart – the only way he knows how. ‘What brought me here has been a journey [of] emotions, pushing me forward with force-not only teaching me, but revealing parts of myself I hardly knew,’ he said. ‘[I] ‘embraced unpredictability, the endless days, and the act of working with the heart – letting it lead, learn, and act on its own.’

Catch up on live coverage of Paris Fashion Week S/S 2026 here.

Inside, the white-walled space was bare beyond rows of colourful tiled benches and one artwork. Hung in the show’s entranceway, the abstract masterpiece, Yellow Panel with Red Curve, was painted by Ellsworth Kelly in 1989 (and, like other celebrity attendees, came with its own pair of security guards).

The collection that followed – which had been teased prior to the show in a series of sensual, sun-soaked images by Talia Chetrit – drew upon Kelly’s hard-edge technicolour minimalism, translating it into a wardrobe that celebrated the Spanish house’s long-standing commitment to craft. ‘In [the painting] lies an optimism and spirit that we deeply identify with,’ said the pair. ‘It operates as a starting point, a prelude of sorts, to what lies ahead.’

McCollough and Hernandez, who are partners in both life and work, arrive at Loewe after stepping away from their own label, Proenza Schouler – a portmanteau of their mothers’ maiden names – earlier this year after almost two decades honing a vision of contemporary and eclectic femininity, inspired by the brand’s native city of New York (the label is in good hands: CFDA award-winning designer Rachel Scott of Diotima has stepped into the role, presenting her first collection at a New York Fashion Week last month).

Taking up the mantle of the Spanish house from Jonathan Anderson, who left his 11-year tenure to embark on a new chapter at Dior, McCollough and Hernandez faced two challenges: firstly, how two Americans might interpret the 180-year history of the Madrid-founded house, and secondly, how they might continue the vast commercial success of their predecessor, who lifted Loewe from relative obscurity into the creative behemoth it is today. To begin, they asked themselves a series of questions: ‘How might craft be redefined today? How far can one push the expression of the handmade before its very traces of making disappear? What constitutes Spanishness in 2025?’

Using the ‘chromatic intensity’ of Kelly as a guiding throughline, their answers came in a storyline of ‘clarity and colour, sensual physicality, and sunniness’. Models charged through the space to a pulsating soundtrack, opening with thigh-skimming looks that played with the house’s signature material – leather – in colour block mini dresses and mock-neck jackets so rigid that they held hourglass shapes away from the body.

The looks that followed were cut sharp and clean, seeing wardrobe staples and athletic sportswear take on a ‘sensuality and fervour’; billowing windbreakers worn with frill-edged micro shorts, straight-edge trenchcoats in fuzzy yellow and orange wools, body-clinging striped dresses and jeans worn topless with chunky knits slung on shoulders and tied over bare chests. It was all the expressive colour and texture that has come to be synonymous with Loewe, restrained in the pair's New York language of easy, eclectic cool. It made for a collection not of revolution but redirection – fans of Anderson’s Loewe will find plenty to enjoy here, but there was a fresh eye that made this astute collection their own.

Catch up on live coverage of Paris Fashion Week S/S 2026 here

And, while certain aspects of his approach were scrutinised – such as his three per cent rule, where if you marginally change a design you make it new – these acts of defiance against the status quo helped Abloh redefine the remits of creativity, power and influence in the industry and beyond. The legacy he left after his death in 2021 (following a private battle with cancer) is perhaps best surmised in his widely circulated quote: ‘You can do it too.’

Inside ‘Virgil Abloh: The Codes’ exhibition at the Grand Palais, Paris

This week at the Grand Palais in Paris, a new exhibition opens the doors of Abloh’s archive, telling the story of his singular career through 1,000 objects and designs. Brought to life by Nike and the Virgil Abloh Archive, it assembles many of his most significant works, spanning two decades (as well as posthumous projects, such as a one-off McIntosh amplifier in vivid orange) and the late designer’s prismatic interests (fashion, footwear, architecture, music, industrial design, painting, sculpture, printed matter, and advertising). The display opened on 30 September – the designer’s birthday, when he would have turned 45 – and runs until 9 October 2025.

Many of his most important designs for Nike feature in the exhibition, which is titled ‘Virgil Abloh: The Codes’, such as the plastic-tagged and quote-mark emblazoned trainers that were highly desirable in the 2010s. Elsewhere, Abloh’s T-shirt ballgowns sit beside treasures designed by others that he accumulated over decades, gathered alongside an archive of sketches and essays he started collecting when he was just a teenager.

In the years after his death, the Virgil Abloh Archive has continued to preserve artefacts more formally, with this display marking the first time its contents have been presented in Europe. Curated by Chloe Sultan and Mahfuz Sultan, the exhibition expands on a display shown in Miami in 2022.

‘Since Virgil's passing, we've been privately working to build the Virgil Abloh Archive, a collection of objects that serve as a living record of his work and worldview,’ says the late designer’s wife, Shannon Abloh. ‘I could only imagine debuting this in Paris, Virgil's second home. A city whose creative energy perfectly lends to the spirit of “The Codes” and a true celebration of Virgil's vision and ethos. This offers an invitation to the world to engage and to build upon his ideas.’

The Paris exhibition runs alongside a series of events, workshops, DJ sets and screenings hosted by voices from Abloh’s broader creative community. There will also be a book released that further details the contents of Abloh’s archive, and includes several of the designer’s most significant collaborations and magazine covers, including one he created for Wallpaper in 2020. The limited-edition issue was matt white and featured a ‘cut’ line inviting readers to slice the magazine in two – a typical provocation from the designer.

‘Cutting the physical object makes the magazine come alive and reinforces the concept that the magazine’s media may be physical, but it also occupies a space figuratively and literally,’ he said at time of the design (a number of copies were signed by Abloh, benefitting his “Post Modern” Scholarship Fund).

It feels fitting that the exhibition unfolds over fashion week in Paris, where Abloh showed many of his most influential collections. With the display, Nike and The Virgil Abloh Archive hope to celebrate his legacy in a city where his presence still reverberates, offering others a rare insight into his boundary-collapsing world. ‘Sharing his personal collection, unfinished work and magnum opuses with the world is a powerful way we honour Virgil’s deep belief in access and collaboration,’ says Shannon Abloh. ‘Through the Virgil Abloh Archive, his vision continues to inspire and guide the next generation.’

‘Virgil Abloh: The Codes’ in partnership with Nike is on view at the Grand Palais until 9 October 2025.

In fact, the release of a new collaborative collection – titled ‘Paul Smith loves Barbour’ – begs the question of why this partnership has not happened sooner. As Smith explains, the two brands share a lot of ‘common ground... an unwavering focus on quality and timeless design, but also an innate understanding of the specific qualities that make British style unique’. The 33-piece collection mines these codes further: spanning versions of the wax-coated ‘Bedale’ jacket, gilets, sweaters and even an umbrella, it is inspired by the idea of the British country fairs and shows.

Country life: ‘Paul Smith loves Barbour’

Capturing a mood of eccentricity and humour (Martin Parr’s photographs of English fairs and street parties could well have been on the moodboard), seeing the classic Barbour jacket updated with fresh details – from brightly hued versions of the signature moleskin neck tab to ‘signature striped’ grosgrain trims, and an oversized interior label in Yves Klein blue inspired by the invitation design for The Smiths’ S/S 2012 show (the motif also features on a best-in-show tote bag). Other clothing includes striped oversized sweaters and a T-shirt printed with a playfully skewed photograph of a Fresian cow.

Elsewhere, there is the idea of customisation: detachable hoods mean that colours can be mixed and matched, while a series of metal animal badges – from parrots to bunny rabbits and cows – can be purchased to adorn your new Barbour. Rounding out the collection is a series of other accessories: Wellington ankle-boots with colourful trims, a tartan cap and beanie hat, as well as a slouchy messenger bag in Barbour’s signature wax-treated canvas. ‘Unexpected, and full of personality,’ says Smith of the collaboration – a summation of the energetic British designer’s longtime approach to design.

‘Paul Smith Loves Barbour’ is available from Paul Smith’s website and selected stores.

paulsmith.com

Amid increasing moves in the fashion industry to outsource production, le19M is doing the opposite. Since 1985, Chanel has integrated its maisons d’art – workshops and companies producing fabrics, embroidery, buttons, and accessories, some with histories dating back to 1853 – under its umbrella, securing production in-house. ‘To ensure that the maisons d’art innovate and perpetuate their crafts, and to usher them to work with as many clients as possible, in a way for their creativity to be challenged, [as well as] to foster dialogue between different crafts to nurture new ideas,’ Bruno Pavlovsky, president of Chanel SAS and president of le19M, tells Wallpaper* of the importance of bringing these craftpeople into the fold.

Chanel’s le19M lands in Tokyo with new exhibition

Today, a network of approximately 60 manufacturers, including maisons d’art, forms Chanel’s ecosystem of savoir-faire. Within this, 11 workshops specialising in tweed, embroidery, featherwork and other crafts have become resident at le19M: the cultural complex founded by Chanel in northeast Paris in 2021. Amid challenging conditions for craftsmanship, such as the mechanisation of production and an ageing artisan population, le19M aims to preserve traditional crafts while enabling their evolution. Currently, around 700 embroiderers, feather workers, goldsmiths, pleaters, bootmakers, hatmakers, and milliners work in the building. The name le19M derives from its location in Paris' 19th arrondissement, as well as the day of house founder Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel's birth, while the letter M represents ‘mode, mains, maison, manufactures, and métiers d’art‘.

This month, le19M has temporarily relocated to Tokyo. The purpose is to exhibit creations developed in collaboration with Japanese artisans and other creatives. In the light of the works of le19M's artisans – characterised by an inherent intricacy, caution, and perseverance – there is a resonance with Japan's own meticulous dedication to craftsmanship. The collaboration between the two was natural.

The Tokyo exhibition, ‘Chanel presents la Galerie du 19M Tokyo’ – staged on the 52nd floor of the 53-storey Mori Tower, offering 360-degree views of Tokyo – unfolds in three sections. The first section, ‘Le Festival’, introduces the specialised techniques of each of le19M’s 11 workshops, conveying the richness and breadth of their craftsmanship through an immersive installation. Objects that are distinct to each workshop – wooden hat moulds, pleating templates, embroidery components – hang suspended from the ceiling, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of wandering into the ateliers of le19M. Tools used daily by the craftspeople in their respective workshops and fabric samples are displayed, allowing visitors to observe up close how the raw materials gradually metamorphose into works of art.

The highlight of the exhibition is the second section, ‘Beyond Our Horizons’, which showcases collaborations between le19M's craftspeople and nearly 30 creators and artisans from Japan and around the world, curated by five editorial members: film director and writer Momoko Ando; Casa Brutus magazine editor Yoichi Nishio; Shinichiro Ogata, founder and creative director of multidisciplinary design studio Simplicity; curator Kayo Tokuda; and Aska Yamashita, artistic director of Chanel-owned embroiderer Montex. Its scenography, much like le19M in Paris, evokes the image of a creative village – a gathering place for numerous craftspeople – and is inspired by natural elements such as wind, water, fire, and earth. This resonates with Japan's traditional craftsmanship, which has long embraced the local natural environment, creating works in harmony with their individual locales.

Don't expect typical fashion here. The collaborations between le19M and the various artists and artisans push the boundaries of their craft, opening up new horizons. For instance, a hat becomes a chochin Japanese paper lantern, a collaboration between Kojima Shoten, which has crafted lanterns in Kyoto for over 200 years, and le19M's hat workshop, Maison Michel. ‘The hat moulds are elliptical, not perfectly circular, making it challenging. We had to devise solutions like connecting bamboo rods with both curved and straight sections,’ says Ryo Kojima, head of Kojima Shoten’s tenth generation, which has produced countless diverse lanterns over its centuries in operation.

A noren curtain – a Japanese textile divider – on display is also a collaborative work, seeing Akiko Ishigaki, a dyeing and weaving artisan from Iriomote Island in Okinawa, unite with maison d’art Lesage, known for its embroidery and tweed. For over 40 years in Okinawa, Ishigaki has cultivated bashofu, a fabric made from fibres of the Japanese banana plant basho. Her process begins with growing the plant, peeling its trunk bark, boiling it in lye to extract the fibres, and then splitting these fibres by hand into fine strands, making the textile from the material itself. Ishigaki sent her bashofu thread to Lesage, where it was woven into the noren. Here, Lesage tweed became a noren curtain.

A take on traditional sukiya-style architecture is also on display, evoking traditional Japanese townhouses that feature tatami mats, shōji screens, and transoms. Created in collaboration between Kamisoe, which crafts karakami Japanese paper in Kyoto, and Lemarié, workshops for corsage, feather work and haute couture tailoring, a series of paper corsages are applied over sukiya-style interior walls – just like applying corsage over the clothes. Elsewhere, artisans at the bronze workshop Desrues created the fusuma sliding door handles, while jewellery workshop Goossens crafted the traditional shoe-removing platform. While it may defy the rules of what constitutes sukiya-style architecture, such radical challenges are precisely how you innovate tradition to open the door to the future. These posed a challenge for the Japanese artisans, who had to devise new methods different from their usual practices.

So what can we expect from this cross-continental collaboration? ‘The immateriality of the collaboration is what makes the project beautiful and magical, [and that is] significant,’ says Pavlovsky.

The final, third section of the exhibition traces the century-long history of embroidery workshop Lesage – probably the most well known of le19M’s maisons d’art – during which it has underpinned fashion history. The exhibition conveys how Lesage’s history, beginning in 1924, has integrated embroidery into fashion not as an add-on or embellishment but interwoven into the designs, while also using their skills on interior design projects, stage costumes, and textiles for historical furniture. Like this rest of the display, it demonstrates le19M’s effusive approach to craft – one seductive enough to make you want to become an artisan yourself.

‘La Galerie du 19M Tokyo’ runs from 30 September to 20 October 2025 at Mori Tower 52nd, Tokyo, Japan, then travels to la Galerie du 19M in Paris early in 2026.

la Galerie du 19M — le19M

Jonathan Anderson’s first Dior womenswear collection recodes the archive

As the show began, the pyramid transformed into a screen for a specially commissioned film by British director Adam Curtis, best known for his documentaries on individualism, power, and the collapse of 20th-century ideologies, including The Century of the Self, HyperNormalisation, and the recent 2025 series Shifty, which examined late-20th-century Britain under Conservative rule. Collaging archival footage in his atmospheric style, the short film gathered moments from the house’s near-eight-decade-long history, from clips of Christian Dior himself to collections from the designers at the house who followed, including John Galliano and Maria Grazia Chiuri, which flashed across the screens at the show’s start (interspersed horror movie scenes lent the feeling of anxiety that pulsates through Curtis’ work).

Beneath the pyramid’s point was the box guests had received the week prior, containing the show’s invitation – a plate of walnuts rendered entirely in china, inspired by ceramic curiosities Anderson had discovered in the house’s archive. The illusion was that the footage was emerging, genie-like, from inside. ‘Daring to enter the house of Dior requires an empathy with its history, a willingness to decode its language, which is part of the collective imagination, and the resoluteness to put all of it in a box,’ said Anderson via the collection notes. ‘Not to erase it, but to store it, looking ahead, coming back to bits, traces or entire silhouettes from time to time, like revisiting memories.’

Anderson described his approach as having an ‘empathy’ for the past, though the film’s end – a shuddering rush of crackled footage before the screen turned a bright, optic white – was symbolic of a clean slate, a shedding of the weight of history. ‘Change is inevitable,’ he said in typically direct manner, presenting a collection which took elements of the archive and refracted them in his inventive, idiosyncratic style, warping archival silhouettes into strange and intriguing new proportions. Like the Tailleur Bar suit, which was shrunken and cropped in size, with a minuscule, abbreviated pleated skirt, while another riff on the nipped-waist Bar jacket scooped up at the front, as if tied like a bow. Indeed, the bow was a recurring motif: a series of bow ties (worn with matching shirts and skirts) reflected the subversion of formalwear in Anderson’s menswear collection for the house back in June, while hourglass dresses looked like they had been constructed from twists of fabric, tied at the end with bows.

A sense of theatricality came in dramatic cornette-style headwear and face-covering trims of lace inspired by another archival design. Micro-mini skirts were constructed from frothy mille-feuille layers of fabric, while the distinctive cantilevered waistline of Christian Dior’s 1952 La Cigale dress seemed to inspire the sculpted silhouette of trapeze dresses and double-breasted overcoats, which folded cleverly across their front. More grounded in reality were mini leather skirts (an abbreviated silhouette ran throughout), slouchy suede handbags with metal ‘Dior’ hardware embedded in their straps, and pointed pumps adorned with the house’s signature ’C’ on one foot, and ‘D’ on the other. Anderson said the collection was built on this ‘tension’ – between fantasy and reality, ‘dressing as a way to become a character on the stage that is life’.

More so than the menswear show earlier this year, there was a clarity to Anderson’s vision, which seeks to imagine the tropes of Dior – namely, an architectural construction combined with a mood of femininity and romance – in a sharp, contemporary style. This is only becoming clearer as he builds out his universe: alongside the collaborations with Guadagnino and Curtis, his trio of muses – and new house ambassadors – Mia Goth, Greta Lee and Mikey Madison, were in attendance today and watched on from the front row. The bolder looks on the runway might be more suited for their upcoming red carpet appearances than the everyday, but Anderson – a strong-willed designer who brims with confidence – knows that to build a brand requires bravery, vision and instinct, rather than safety. It’s how he built Loewe into a mega brand – now, with Dior, and the eyes of the world watching, this unwavering approach continues. Call it his New Look.

Stay tuned for live coverage of Paris Fashion Week S/S 2026