Unfolding inside Karl Lagerfeld’s former Paris home, the Hôtel Pozzo di Borgo, the Thom Browne Spring-Summer 2026 collection felt transported far beyond the Left Bank. Visitors found themselves surrounded by silver-skinned figures, gray tailoring, and flashes of green – an extraterrestrial vision filtered through Browne’s precise American lens.
The show began with quiet pageantry. Models with silver hair and metallic skin moved solemnly through the corridors, handing guests small cards inscribed with the phrase, “We come in peace.“
Moments later, a new jacket appeared – gray seersucker cut close to the body, its shoulders curved forward with engineered exactness. This slight shift changed the rhythm of Browne’s tailoring, giving it freshness without losing its discipline. Short pleated skirts worn low on the hips amplified this youthful direction.
The collection marked a subtle evolution of the designer’s aesthetic. His familiar gray palette and collegiate stripes remained, yet they were joined by light-as-air tweeds and silks cut with technical precision. Some jackets shimmered as if touched by mercury, while others revealed panels pierced with silver rings, adding a subtle hint of rebellion beneath their perfection.
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Extraterrestrial motifs continued throughout the presentation. One gray suit had multiple arms, and another had duplicate trouser legs. Both were accessorized with green headpieces that recalled 1950s comic book aliens. Elsewhere, Browne transformed varsity jackets into sculptural coats and poplin skirts into expansive domes of fabric. Though eccentric, these forms never lost their craftsmanship – proof of the meticulous work within his ateliers.
Browne described the collection as both conceptual and real. This duality was evident; experimental construction coexisted with wearable silhouettes. His men’s and women’s designs shared the same architectural precision yet carried humor, a quality often missing from fashion’s serious stages. Laughter rippled through the audience, a rare sound at a Paris presentation, as The Carpenters’ “Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft” closed the show.
Amid the silver faces and science fiction touches, a quieter message emerged. The phrase “We Come in Peace” echoed beyond its playful surface. Browne seemed to gesture toward inclusivity and the idea of welcome – who is invited and who is left out. His collection softly spoke about openness through clothing that dared to imagine another way of belonging.
