Across the FW26 menswear season, the usual tenets of innovation and intellectualism remained front and centre, along with a host of key trends that are set to shape how we dress toward the end of the year. From reflections on the strange world we live in to deeper questions about the very nature of dressing itself, FW26 proved itself a season to remember. Here’s the debrief…

Pre-worn/distressed clothes

This season, there was a distinct emphasis on clothing that appeared pre-worn, distressed, or even deliberately filthy. The latter was most striking at Prada, where oversized shirt cuffs blooming from sleeve ends looked as though they had been left in a damp room for months, allowing mould to grow into the fabric. This simulated decay has been pretty controversial, yet it effectively underscored the show’s central question: how to dress in a world that feels increasingly fraught and fragile.

Acne Studios also presented a collection that featured denim jeans that looked like they’d been worn in for several years already. Some jeans even had patchworks of tape covering them, as if they’d be ripped to shred and haphazardly taped back together. These were matched by distressed leather bags that were seen on the Paul Smith runway and the faux-antique pre-weathering of pieces in Lanvin’s FW26 offering.

Protection from society

Fashion always reacts to the world around it. This season, this felt more palpable than ever. At Rick Owens, the designer looked to the uniform of the police as inspiration. This led him to utilise Kevlar, a stab-proof material that’s five-times stronger than steel, on slender coats. Perhaps his models need protection from the models at Walter Van Beirendonck, who marched down the runway carrying guns. Yes, the guns were plastic and constructed from a bricolage of kids’ toys and tape, but it was still an unsettling sight. Some of his coats and jackets also featured gun motifs, as well as some machine gun-shaped pouches that you’d likely struggle wear in public.

The models for Comme des Garçons Homme Plus wore a whole range of facial protection, from Hannibal Lector muzzles to Jason Voorhees hockey masks. It was very much a visual metaphor for hiding yourself away from the world (as was the theme of the show itself). However, these masks were cracked and broken, the model’s faces peering out and facing the future. It was a hopeful note amongst all the doom and gloom.

The concept of dressing

There were a number of designers who looked into the concept of “dressing” this season, be that through notions of what it means to dress “well” or what it means get up and “get” dressed. At IM MEN, the menswear line within Issey Miyake which has taken the place of Homme Plissé on the Paris menswear schedule, the collection questioned: “Could the sensation that rises in everyday life, that makes you want to straighten up, be expressed through a piece of cloth?” This was conveyed through deconstructed suiting, versatile overcoats, and outerwear that could traverse seasons.

For Junya Watanabe, it was all about going “beyond the idea of simply dressing up.” The show, which was titled THE BEST, DRESSED, looked to Junya’s trademark patchwork suiting and encompassed mostly formalwear. What does it mean to be the best dressed? In Junya’s world, it looks like top hats are the way forward. Acne Studios also looked to the concept of dressing up, introducing a classy streak through the collection in the form of silk foulards and elegant tailoring. Jonny Johansson saw these as a sense of ceremony, with double-breasted jackets and dramatically cropped trousers.

At Saint Laurent, Anthony Vaccarello’s boys were jumping out of bed after a night of debauchery. Inspired by a scene from James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room, where the protagonist leaves his lover’s bedroom for the final time and faces the brisk Paris morning, the collection mused on the movements of getting dressed as the city wakes up. How you must pull your clothes back on, fasten your buttons, and step back into the world.

Rejecting modernity, embracing tradition?

There was a noticeable vibe shift at Louis Vuitton this season. Pharrell presented a collection that felt, daringly, traditional. The dandyism teased in previous seasons was front and centre here, with single-breasted tailoring and polished shoes appearing throughout. Compared to this time last year’s FW25 collection, the contrast is stark. Where that collection leaned heavily into streetwear silhouettes and bold patterns, this season felt restrained and classical. Could this be an indication of where Pharrell is hoping to steer his future collections?

At Dior, Jonathan Anderson drew heavily from the work of turn-of-the-century French designer Paul Poiret. Much like Pharrell, Anderson appeared to be looking toward more traditional styles and historical eras to inform his vision of contemporary dress. References to the 1970s came through in Quadrophenia-style parkas, while bedazzled epaulettes brought a distinct New Romantic vibe. The hair, too, looked like something from a Derek Ridgers portrait. These historical references were joined by the return of the iconic Bar Jacket silhouette, a cornerstone of Dior since the 1940s.