This is Issue 32.

JULIE KEGELS WINS THE LVMH PRIZE

Belgian designer Julie Kegels has won the 2026 LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers, placing one of Europe’s most closely watched emerging talents firmly on the international stage. Kegels has developed a distinctive language around femininity, combining familiar ideas of glamour and elegance with unexpected proportions, layered styling and moments of deliberate discomfort. The award gives her label new financial support, mentorship and access to the LVMH network at a crucial stage of its development. Alongside Kegels, Zane Li of Lii received the Karl Lagerfeld Prize and Anil Padia of Yoshita 1967 won the Savoir-Faire Prize. Together, the winners point toward a new generation that values strong individual identities over a single dominant fashion aesthetic.

SABATO DE SARNO JOINS ICICLE

Former Gucci creative director Sabato De Sarno is beginning an unexpected new chapter with Chinese fashion company Icicle. Rather than moving directly between Europe’s established luxury houses, De Sarno’s decision to look toward Shanghai reflects the increasingly global geography of contemporary fashion. Icicle has built its identity around understated clothing, natural materials and a restrained approach to luxury, creating an interesting environment for a designer known for precise tailoring and minimalist sensibilities. The appointment also represents something larger than a creative-director move. As Chinese fashion companies develop stronger identities and international ambitions, established European designers are beginning to look beyond the traditional luxury capitals for significant creative opportunities.

SIMONE ROCHA × ADIDAS

Simone Rocha is bringing her distinctive interpretation of femininity into sportswear through a new collaboration with Adidas. The partnership combines Rocha’s familiar language of lace, pearls, volume and romantic detailing with pieces rooted in athletic clothing and the Adidas archive. For Rocha, the connection is also personal, drawing on her experiences growing up in Dublin and wearing sportswear long before establishing her own fashion house. Rather than simply placing decorative elements onto existing sneakers and tracksuits, the collaboration explores the tension between performance clothing and the carefully constructed femininity that defines her work. It continues fashion’s growing relationship with sportswear while showing how recognizable brand codes can survive far beyond the traditional runway.

AARON ESH × ALLSAINTS

Aaron Esh is bringing his contemporary vision of London fashion to AllSaints with his first collection for the British retailer. Known for sharp tailoring, elongated silhouettes and an approach shaped by the people and nightlife surrounding him, Esh translates elements of his independent label into clothing designed for a much wider audience. The project sits between designer fashion and the high street, offering an example of how emerging creative voices can influence established commercial brands without abandoning their identity. Rather than treating accessibility as a compromise, the collection focuses on clothing intended to function in real life while retaining the attitude and proportion that made Esh one of London’s most closely watched young designers.