Photo-Illustration: The Cut; Photos Courtesy of OWENSCORP, Courtesy of Schiaparelli, Courtesy of Mugler
Daniel Roseberry, from Plano, Texas, put Schiaparelli back on the fashion map a few years ago with a corseted waist, scything shoulders, and surrealist-joke accessories — golden lips, noses, breasts — that many women apparently adored. He is not entirely finished with a molded body, judging from his recent couture show, but last night, for his spring 2026 ready-to-wear collection, he ditched the heavy armature and trims. Roseberry may have finally found his motor.
It was one of the better showings of the whole season. Why? Because it dealt with the body in a way that looked unforced and lyrical. Many collections during this round of the circus have lacked ease. Mugler’s new designer, Miguel Castro Freitas, seemed obsessed with the armor-plated silhouette of the 1930s, with a small waist, padded hips, and sharp shoulders.
From left: Photo: Courtesy of MuglerPhoto: Courtesy of Mugler
From top: Photo: Courtesy of MuglerPhoto: Courtesy of Mugler
On Thursday, when he (briefly) managed to get away from that killer look, it was with such gestures as a jacket conceived as a giant pink powderpuff and a party dress held up by nipple rings. If Freitas can free himself from his fantasies of the Mugler woman in her glory years, he might actually get somewhere. Thierry Mugler had a genuine feeling for camp. I’m not suggesting that Freitas should attempt that — it’s a different time — but maybe he could loosen up and think in terms of life today.
From left: Photo: Courtesy of MuglerPhoto: Courtesy of Mugler
From top: Photo: Courtesy of MuglerPhoto: Courtesy of Mugler
That’s essentially what Roseberry did. His opening suits, in a blend of linen, silk, and mohair, looked flattering and easy because of their cut. A lot of women still want to wear a suit but they also want to see an up-to-date difference, and Roseberry provided one with his relatively clean cut. It was inspiring. He did the same thing with an evening pantsuit in ultrashiny black silk satin that flowed over the body. “This fabric is a first for us this season,” he said. It also, somehow, evoked the light effect of Man Ray’s images. Man Ray was one of the many artists with whom Elsa Schiaparelli collaborated in the ’20s and ’30s.
From left: Photo: Courtesy of SchiaparelliPhoto: Courtesy of Schiaparelli
From top: Photo: Courtesy of SchiaparelliPhoto: Courtesy of Schiaparelli
Roseberry’s other breakthroughs — and I think that’s a fair term — are styles that cleverly and simply reveal the body. He showed knits and tailored looks pierced with holes that were embroidered, in some cases with lightweight pieces of polished cedar. Among the best looks was a slim-fitting blazer in ecru-colored canvas with an open-work polka-dot pattern, worn over a white poplin shirt and with black bias-cut pants. The exceptional finale slip dresses were also bias-cut and included Roseberry’s rendition of Schiaparelli’s famous “tear dress,” a collaboration with the painter Salvador Dalí. Random slivers of fabric were peeled down on each dress, like a rip, and done in a contrasting tone — the most dramatic in silver embroidery against yellow gold. He also showed a terrific, body-clinging sheath with the black-etched form of a female body. For Roseberry, embracing the body in an unaffected yet sensual way was the real leap forward.
From left: Photo: Courtesy of SchiaparelliPhoto: Courtesy of Schiaparelli
From top: Photo: Courtesy of SchiaparelliPhoto: Courtesy of Schiaparelli
Photo: Courtesy of Schiaparelli
The appealingly new thing at Rick Owens were the stocking dresses that opened his show around the fountain of the Palais de Tokyo, his usual venue. Worn by models with an alien gaze (thanks to black contacts), the long slivers, in shades of beige and steel gray, came down a wide metal stairway and splashed straight into the nearly knee-height water. We’ve been waiting for Owens to do that. The dresses (and tops with new-looking leather pants with leg straps) had integrated underwear. They’re a natural fit in Owens’s aesthetic. He also reinterpreted his cloaked jackets as all-over fringe, including one style where the fringe became thistle spikes near the face, lovely and a little bit dangerous.
From left: Photo: Valerio Mezzanotti / NOWFASHION/ Courtesy of OWENSCORPPhoto: Valerio Mezzanotti / NOWFASHION/ Courtesy of OWENSCORP
From top: Photo: Valerio Mezzanotti / NOWFASHION/ Courtesy of OWENSCORPPhoto: Valerio Mezzanotti / NOWFASHION/ Courtesy of OWENSCORP
