PARIS FASHION WEEK MENSWEAR SPRING/SUMMER DAY 5
editors ELIANA CASA, MAREK BARTEK and MARIE-PAULINE CESARI
UNDERCOVER
review by FIONA FROMMELT
all images UNDERCOVER provided by the brand
The label, a cornerstone of Ura-Harajuku culture in the '90s, once bridged the gap between Tokyo’s underground fashion and the global stage. Its ability to fuse the raw energy of streetwear with the sophistication of Parisian tailoring made it a quiet force that shifted the language of contemporary menswear. Now in its 23rd year at Paris Fashion Week and celebrating its 35th anniversary, Undercover, founded by Jun Takahashi in 1990, remains a cult name, revered for its ability to subvert, reframe, and destabilise norms through clothing.
The SS 2026 Men’s Collection continues the conceptual thread of ‘but beautiful’, first introduced in the AW25 Women’s Collection. But this season's version offers a softened edge. The distortion and asymmetry seen in the women’s pieces have been dialled back. The result is a wardrobe that retains its intellectual sharpness while folding more naturally into daily life. ‘But beautiful’ becomes not a contradiction, but a quiet insistence. London-based Welsh artist Emma Bennett, known for her dark still lifes, contributes prints embroidered across lightly quilted suiting, jackets, shorts, and more.
Intensely cerebral, yet rebellious, simultaneously punk and poetic; unmistakably Undercover.
HERMÈS
review by FIONA FROMMELT
all images HERMÈS via vogue.com
For Spring/Summer 2026, Hermès invites us into a world where control meets ease, and elegance unfolds without excess. Under the vision of Véronique Nichanian, the collection walks the line between structure and softness with craftsmanship as a second skin. We witness a collection with featherlight outerwear, knits that move like air, and a palette drawn from sunlit stone, coastal grass, and cloudless skies. In true Hermès fashion, every detail is perfectly placed.
Once again, Véronique masterfully redefines materiality with leather at its most breathable, and craftsmanship at its most fluid. Plume nubuck and openwork lambskin take the spotlight, transformed into T-shirts, tanks, and tailored outerwear that feel weightless against the skin. A sleeveless high-collared jacket in matte crocodile anchors the collection’s sculptural edge, while reversible parkas in water-repellent madras and oversized spinnaker jackets introduce utilitarian lightness with architectural cuts.
Threading heritage through innovation, the signature house codes surface through silk linings and subtle imprints of the Éperon d’or motif. Tailoring finds new proportions in high-waisted, pleated trousers and shantung double-breasted suits. Accessories echo the same restraint: reed bracelets in silver and palladium, bolo tie necklaces in braided Swift leather, and the Haut à Courroies reimagined in summer-ready canvas.
The footwear, ranging from rope-trimmed sandals to matte crocodile boots, grounds the collection in tactility. The true highlights of the show were the grand bags that are the perfect accessory for absolutely everything.
As always with Hermès, luxury is quiet, deliberate, and crafted for connoisseurs. This season spoke in a whisper of restraint, but its message was clear: dressing with intention, not performance. And that is true quiet luxury.
ZIGGY CHEN
review by FIONA FROMMELT
all images ZIGGY CHEN provided by the brand
Suits galore at Ziggy Chen. The runway theme of the SS26 collection was soft, flowy tailoring in coastal, earthy tones: sandy beiges, washed-out browns, muted greens. Materials were flowy and rich, featuring suede leathers, linens, raw silks, and even a soft corduroy in the mix. The room is filled with an air of lightness. The silhouettes are layered but loose, with no tight or heavy elements. It was all about movement.
Trousers were attached to tops through a clever system of strings and loops; everything was utilitarian with a playful twist. We witnessed deep V-neck vests with huge pockets replacing bags, layering of skirts over trousers, and blouses with high collars rising up to the nose. Belts sit on the hips, gently accentuating the shape. This season was for a body that wants to feel comfortable, cool, and light. Ziggy Chen once again excels at creating garments that seamlessly blend tradition, function, elegance and ease.
LGN
review by FIONA FROMMELT
all images LGN provided by the brand
What was that? We all must’ve asked ourselves, short of breath. Because that was so incredibly sensual. Sharp lines. Bold cuts. Sheer clothing. Louis Gabriel Nouchi transforms the runway into an erotic dystopia and once again leaves us in a chokehold.
Brutalism, but in clothes. Volume in all the right places. In his typical dystopian way, Mr. Nouchi showed us utilitarian, commanding, and seductive. Latex polo shirts, ties, hand-painted leather shorts and jackets. An organic pattern runs throughout, like stains in a jacquard weave, but elevated to the max. Signature suits, bombers, and transparent fabrics that hint at what’s underneath, while some don’t even attempt to cover up. The heat trickles down to the smallest details: latex ties you want to pull closer, fastened with tiny paper clips. Anonymous, slicked hair creating an army of nameless protagonists. Each look razor-sharp. Everything feels loaded.
This season, Nouchi trades his usual literary muse for an animation short film; The Replicant, which was specifically created to accompany this collection. And now, one thing becomes incredibly clear: if Zima Blue wore designer, they would have worn LGN. For the uninitiated: Zima Blue is a character from the namesake episode of Netflix’s Love, Death & Robots. Zima, a post-human artist who his whole life is in search of a very specific shade of blue. After a journey through fame, complexity, and cosmic-scale art, Zima Blue strips everything back to return to his original form.
Maybe it’s a stretch. Maybe it’s not. But for those who know, the parallels feel rather undeniable.
Louis Gabriel Nouchi has a rare, indisputable craft for lighting a spark. Maybe this collection is as much about desire as it is about belonging and identity. A stripping down to something raw and essential. Desire exposing belonging, the concept exposing its core. And maybe the real question is: what is LGN’s blue? We are left wondering.
KIDSUPER
review by FIONA FROMMELT
all images KIDSUPER provided by the brand
Get in, we're going to the moon! For Spring/Summer 2026, KidSuper invites us on a cosmic, colour-drenched journey that might just be the most vibrant of the season. Inspired by ‘The Little Prince’, Colm Dillane transforms the runway into an open book, literally. A massive volume becomes the runway entrance, and from its oversized pages, the models emerge as if stepping straight from story to reality.
Each look unfolds like a chapter in a fantastical tale: galaxies are painted onto coats, handwritten excerpts are stitched across garments, and trousers are embroidered with stars. One model becomes the painter; another wears a suit that reads like a gallery wall; another is ready for take off. There are embroidered flowers, soft yet exaggerated silhouettes, playful cubic forms, and an overall coolness that never takes itself too seriously. Accessories continue the narrative. Backpacks are shaped like jet packs. Book-carrying contraptions appear in every form imaginable. Crowns as caps, paper hats, and whimsical flowers become headwear with stems. Everything nods to the moon and the childlike royalty of Saint-Exupéry’s universe, hinting at liftoff.
A children's book rendered in 3D, reimagined through streetwear, conceptual art, and innocence. This collection is a reminder: Of the joy of discovery, of the beauty in trying. This one’s for the dreamers.