6 HIDDEN GEMS OF SS26

The SS26 runways were basically a masterclass in defining beauty on your own terms.

And while everyone was serving looks, six shows in particular we can’t stop thinking about.

 

The Shows That Broke the Internet

The Devil Wears Dolce, Obviously

If you had to distill all of Fashion Week down to a single, viral moment, it was the Dolce & Gabbana show. Full stop. Why? Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci, our forever icons from The Devil Wears Prada (and now The Devil Wears Prada 2), sitting side by side in the front row. The global fashion group chat collectively lost its mind watching fiction and reality melt into one perfect, delicious scene.

 

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Decked out in Dolce from head to toe, the pair made it feel like we were watching a secret sequel unfold right there, giving every fashion lover a shot of pure adrenaline. The real kicker is that the IRL Miranda Priestly, former Vogue EIC Anna Wintour, was also in the room, making the whole tableau almost too good to be true.

 

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So, with Miranda’s steely gaze watching from the sidelines, the show kicked off. The theme was ‘PJ Obsession,’ and it was a full blown silk and satin slumber party on the runway. An entire army of looks paraded out, telegraphing a new world order where pajamas are officially out of office. And by office, we mean bedroom.

 

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"But how do I actually wear pajamas outside?" I hear you ask. Well, get closer. These are not the PJs you wear for a pint of ice cream and a rom com. We’re talking about sets dripping with crystal and stone embroidery as the main event, and relaxed silhouettes with delicate floral stitching layered under tailored jackets. 

For maximum effect, channel the pajama boy from the SS26 Men's show and throw a killer leather jacket and some shades over a two piece set. This wave is coming for us. You’ve probably already seen it trickling into stores, with lacy little nothings and silky slips meant for way more than sweet dreams. This isn’t even a new play for Dolce; they sent PJs down the runway back in the 90s. This time, the energy is a lot louder, a lot sharper, and a lot more modern.

 

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Really is there anything more charming than Dolce’s army of 'Pajama Girls and Boys,' who committed so completely to the bit? There’s no doubt. A spring pajama set just for me is officially at the top of my shopping list.

 

BOTTEGA VENETA’s New Chapter is Here

 

Literally everyone was whispering about how beautiful it was. Maybe it’s true what they say, that that only a woman knows what a woman really wants. Welcome to Louise Trotter’s debut for Bottega Veneta.

This season, the real tea was watching the new guard of designers take the reins at iconic houses and seeing what they’d do. Trotter’s first collection, stepping in after Matthieu Blazy, wasn't a quiet suggestion. It was a clear, confident declaration that a new era for Bottega has begun.

 

Her SS26 collection was this seamless conversation between heritage and right now. She kept the soul of Bottega intact but spun it through her own refined, almost tender, lens. The stars of the show were of course the Intrecciato weave and the knot details that are pure Bottega DNA. The insanely long leather coat apparently took 4,000 hours to make, with artisans weaving 3mm leather strips by hand. 

The collection also featured what looked like fur but was actually woven from recycled fiberglass, alongside fringe and tassels that danced with every step. The way these pieces came alive on the models created new shapes and shadows, a moving tribute to the cult of craftsmanship that defines the house.

 

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Leaning into that idea, the show space itself featured an installation by Korean artist Lee Kwangho, whose sculptures of woven electrical wires are a kind of high concept riff on the Intrecciato. It was the perfect visual anchor for the collection's soul. Louise Trotter didn’t just arrive; she announced herself. We’re officially placing our bets on the future of her Bottega. My digital shopping cart is already overflowing again, so I'll stop here.

 

Reality, But Make It Fashion

MIU MIU Sees the Woman at Work

Watching the Miu Miu show, one thing became crystal clear: Miuccia Prada always knows the assignment. The single thread tying this entire collection together was the apron. And her reason for it hits deep.

“Fashion always talks about glamour or the lives of the wealthy,” she said. “But we have to acknowledge how difficult life can be. The apron is deeply rooted in our history. It means you are working, which is already something. Between factories and homes, it contains humility… and power.”

 

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German actress Sandra Hüller opened the show in a utilitarian apron, the kind you’d see on a factory floor, her hands shoved defiantly in its pockets. The collection was a nod to the invisible labor of cleaners and domestic workers. The women in the kitchen, our mothers, grandmothers, and their mothers before them, were the engine of everything, yet so often their contributions were erased. Miuccia Prada put that truth on a pedestal and called it fashion. The set itself looked like a factory canteen, its floor slicked with industrial red rubber.

 

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In the glittering bubble of luxury, Mrs. Prada’s voice is the one that always cuts through the noise. Her quiet power was on full display this season. Since day one, she's used clothes to have a conversation with the world, and she has a sixth sense for the exact conversation we need to be having right now. And for that, how could we not be obsessed with her Miu Miu?

 

Perfection is Overrated at JULIE KEGELS

Let’s be real: perfection is a myth. It doesn’t exist. With a show aptly titled 'Quick Change,' Julie Kegels presented a lineup of models who were a glorious mess. And we were completely here for it.

 

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Let's get into the details. The random dusting of glitter below an asymmetric skirt hem. A smudge of pink glitter on an elbow, like she just leaned against a craft project. Zippers left undone. Jewelry that was actually 3D printed onto the fabric because, as the designer admitted, high jewelry was too expensive. That thing she's holding is not a clutch. It’s a pair of stockings.

 

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This collection, packed with sly humor, was a nod to the constant costume changes women perform daily. It zoomed in on those frantic, unseen moments, the rush to get from the office to the party, the beautiful chaos of it all. Because isn't that where the real story is? The imperfect process that gets us to the polished final product. A huge thank you to Julie Kegels for serving up a dose of chaotic good that I think we all needed.

 

A Vibe Shift, Courtesy of the Creative Director

Ann Demeulemeester is Getting Cooler by the Second

I’m just going to say it: I have a massive crush on Ann Demeulemeester right now. Specifically, the Ann Demeulemeester being shaped by its ridiculously young, born-in-1996 creative director, Stefano Gallici. I count down the days to his collections. He’s part of the generation that actually grew up wearing the brand, and you can feel that natural understanding of its DNA in everything he does.

 

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His SS26 collection was called ‘The Solitary One,’ and it felt like he cracked open his own diary for us. Fragments of his life were woven throughout: the basketball court near his childhood church, hazy summer nights, his love for sports, his obsession with literature. The whole show felt like a beautiful, hazy dream you didn't want to wake up from.

Even within the house's famously stark silhouettes, you could feel the story pulsing through the clothes. Towards the end, a model in a jersey emblazoned with the word ‘Dream’ led the finale. It felt like he was sending a message: maybe loneliness is survivable if you just have a dream to chase. That reading feels right, especially since Gallici himself has said his whole mission is to “empower dreams and give people dreams through this brand.”

 

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The magic of Gallici's Ann D is his fearless use of color. He’s building on the brand’s monochrome legacy, but he’s splashing it with his own point of view. This season he went all in on pink, the ultimate color of romanticism. He mixed it with denim, his personal uniform, creating a language that is uniquely his. The piece that had everyone talking was the Napoleon jacket. Expect to see it everywhere.

 

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What Stefano Gallici is doing is mixing his own punk rock, grunge-infused world with the brand’s poetic soul, and the result is an Ann Demeulemeester that feels so chic and so relevant. Seeing a designer who not only gets it but is also insanely good at it? That’s the feeling I chase every Fashion Week.

 

TOM FORD: This is Haider Ackermann’s World Now

What’s the rush you feel right before you plunge into the ocean at night?

That was the mood Haider Ackermann bottled for his ‘Midnight Swim’ show for Tom Ford. Out of the pitch black, a deep, oceanic blue glowed, and three models emerged. They moved slowly, their gazes locking with each other, with the audience, pulling everyone in. If you're a true fashion nerd, the opening probably gave you chills. This kind of cinematic tension is pure Ackermann.

 

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The collection felt like it was picking up where Tom Ford the film director left off, but supercharged with Ackermann's signature kind of sensuality. The tailoring was razor sharp, with glossy leather blazers over suits. The exaggerated shoulder lines felt like a cool nod to Ford’s greatest hits, but totally remixed for right now.

What was so brilliant was how he translated the classic Tom Ford sex appeal into a language of light. Luminous satin and liquid leather caught every beam, while a surprisingly fresh color palette for the tailoring pulsed against the darkness. Then there were the dresses, with waistlines carved out, and the strategic use of organza and sheer fabrics. It was a masterclass in revealing and concealing, a kind of sensuality that smolders instead of shouts.

 

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Haider Ackermann delivered the sleek, intelligent sexiness we’ve been craving from Tom Ford. Words can’t really do it justice. You have to see it. So do yourself a favor, click the video, and just let Ackermann’s vision wash over you.

 

I've never taken a midnight swim, but I know the feeling of staring into the dark ocean. That mix of awe at its endless depth and a thrilling curiosity for the intensity hiding within it. That’s what this show felt like. It’s got me thinking about trying a swim in the sea after dark, for a true moment of total freedom.