Men’s Fashion Week A/W 2026 arrived almost without warning—fresh off a year widely labelled fashion’s “big reset,” and moving with the calm confidence of a system that knows exactly where it stands. The season felt like a return to class. Not loud. Not radical. But deliberate.
As the first chapter of the A/W 2026 story, this men’s season set the tone. Jonathan Anderson stepped back into Dior for his sophomore menswear collection, Véronique Nichanian prepared her final bow at Hermès after an extraordinary 37-year tenure, and Milan unfolded as a study in control, craft, and continuity.
Across the week, designers explored menswear’s quieter dimensions: how clothes sit on the body, how memory and movement shape form, how tradition can be refined rather than rewritten. Styling stayed restrained. Color palettes hovered in familiar territory. Cuts echoed one another. There was intelligence here—but little danger.
And maybe that’s the point. Or maybe it’s the question.
Was A/W 2026 a moment of thoughtful alignment or proof that menswear is playing it a little too safe? We’ll let you decide. Below, KHAMSA‘s favorite shows from Men’s Fashion Week A/W 2026.
١. Hermès: A Lifetime, Not a Season
After nearly four decades shaping the quiet language of Hermès menswear, Véronique Nichanian closed her chapter with grace, restraint, and absolute clarity. Her final A/W 2026 collection unfolded as a meditation on time: supple leathers, fluid silks, archetypal coats refined to perfection, and silhouettes designed to move, live, and endure. There were no theatrics, only mastery. A wardrobe built not for the moment, but for a lifetime.
As Nichanian took her final bow to a standing ovation, her message lingered softly yet firmly: slow down. Let craft lead. Let clothes last.
٢. Paul Smith or the Art of Collecting
Paul Smith’s A/W ’26 menswear unfolded in an intimate Milan salon, celebrating the joy of collecting—stories, textures, memories. Drawing from his vast archive and British tailoring codes, the collection reworked classics with wit: inside-out construction, Harris Tweed and Donegal wool, layered prints, and playful details that rewarded a closer look.
Created alongside longtime collaborator Sam Cotton, the edit felt lived-in and precise rather than nostalgic. Restrained autumnal tones were punctuated with color, archival motifs, and subtle surprises, reminding us that Paul Smith’s strength has always been continuity over reinvention—and that great style, like a good collection, is built over time.
٣. Armani, Seen From Another Angle
For Fall/Winter 2026–27, Giorgio Armani explored cangiante—the idea of subtle transformation through light, texture, and movement. Under Leo Dell’Orco’s debut vision, the collection unfolded in quiet shifts: fluid silhouettes, relaxed volumes, and a palette of greys and neutrals punctuated by olive, amethyst, and lapis blue. Iridescent velvets, brushed cashmeres, felted wools, and matte leathers created a soft tension between shine and restraint.
Nothing shouted. Everything moved. From enveloping coats to wide trousers and velvety knitwear, the collection reaffirmed Armani’s enduring strength: elegance that reveals itself slowly, changing with perspective, never with force.
٤. Jacquemus Takes Over Picasso (Again)
Returning to the Picasso Museum, Simon Porte Jacquemus opened a new chapter with Le Palmier—a collection that felt playful, sculptural, and unmistakably his. Set in the glow of an evening about to begin, the show revisited the house’s codes through geometry and gesture: rounded shoulders, tulip waists, bias-cut silhouettes, and familiar motifs—stripes, polka dots, fish—reimagined in curved lines, confetti, and feathered trompe-l’œil.
Balancing couture-level craftsmanship with cheeky nonchalance, Le Palmier blended ’50s structure, ’90s sensuality, and a wink of ’80s humor. From sculptural shearling coats to feather-embroidered dresses and sharply tailored tuxedos, Jacquemus delivered a universe that felt joyful, precise, and deeply personal—proof that returning to your roots can still feel fresh.
٥. Pharrell Builds the Future at Louis Vuitton
For A/W 2026, Pharrell Williams turned the Louis Vuitton menswear show into a full-scale concept, placing Drophaus—a futuristic living structure inspired by a water droplet—at the center of the runway in Paris. Part architecture, part philosophy, the project mirrored the collection itself: classic menswear forms reimagined through innovation and trompe-l’œil trickery. Double-breasted suits, overcoats, and knitwear appeared traditional at first glance, only to reveal technical yarns, thermoregulatory fabrics, crystal rain effects, and ultra-precious materials beneath the surface. It was menswear as illusion, function as luxury—and Pharrell, once again, proving that his vision for Vuitton isn’t just about clothes, but about building worlds.
٦. IM Men, When Form Lets Go
Set inside the stone arches of the Collège des Bernardins, IM Men’s Fall/Winter 2026 collection, Formless Form, stood out immediately—and remains our favorite so far this season. Built around unrestricted silhouettes and single pieces of cloth, the collection let fabric, texture, and movement lead, creating shapes that felt alive rather than imposed. Heat-reactive Clay knits sculpted the body in motion, while Dawn outerwear washed the runway in shifting, atmospheric color.
What truly set the collection apart was its palette and material play: deep blacks giving way to luminous whites, then exploding into kaleidoscopic hues, all carried by rich textures and technical craftsmanship. In a season marked by restraint, IM Men reminded us how powerful color, form, and imagination can be when they’re allowed to breathe.
٧. Willy Chavarria Had The Coolest Show in Paris
Willy Chavarria turned his Paris runway into a full-blown cultural moment—arguably one of the coolest shows of Men’s Fashion Week. Staged in a vast judo dojo and set like a New York street, the show played out as a musical spectacle filled with emotion, movement, and community. With over 100 models and an all-star cast including Julia Fox, Romeo Beckham, Goldie, Mahmood, Mon Laferte, and Lunay, the runway blurred the line between fashion, performance, and pop culture.
Beyond the spectacle, Chavarria’s message landed loud and clear. Drawing from workwear, sportswear, and mid-century elegance, the collection carried a powerful sense of identity and humanity. As the full cast returned to the stage and Chavarria stood beneath the words Protection is Love, the applause felt collective—proof that fashion, when it reaches people, can still move a room.
٨. Ralph Lauren Returns Quietly to Milan
Ralph Lauren’s return to Milan after two decades felt intimate, confident, and quietly optimistic. Presented salon-style at Palazzo Ralph Lauren, the collection brought Polo Ralph Lauren and Purple Label together in a fluid mix of preppy staples, ranch-ready Americana, old Hollywood eveningwear, and perfectly worn-in denim. Styled eclectically and rich in familiar archetypes, the looks felt lived-in rather than nostalgic—proof that Ralph Lauren’s enduring “Ralphness” still resonates. Closed by Tyson Beckford, the show reminded us that timeless style isn’t about repeating the past, but knowing how to carry it forward.
