By Jesse Scott
Daniel Roseberry remains undefeated. Amidst a chaotic season of creative director shuffling that has seen many of fashion’s finest houses debut inaugural collections from star designers, the man who revived Schiaparelli six years ago stayed the course with another breathtaking show. Roseberry continues to redefine the gold standard in ready-to-wear season after season. His Spring/Summer 2026 collection, presented in the symbolic Centre Pompidou in dialogue with the relationship between fashion and culture, represented one of his greatest triumphs yet. Roseberry added further layers of nuance to his rich exploration of Schiaparelli’s history while introducing revolutionary new silhouettes and techniques.
The collection contained grandiose flourishes but also winked at the world just as Elsa and the surrealists once did, striking a particular balance between playfulness and elegance that could, to use Roseberry’s language, center on “unexpected frictions.” One of those frictions can be found at the crossroads of commercial potential and creative catharsis, something that Roseberry tells us has always been at the heart of Schiaparelli ready-to-wear. For many designers, ready-to-wear collections are driven by an impetus to follow existing trends, set new ones, or simply maximize sales; couture is the only playground where they can give flight to their deepest creative fantasies. For Roseberry, to the confusion of fashion critics who feel most comfortable when they can fit designers into pre-existing individual archetypes, that has never been the case. In the show notes, Roseberry questions the world: “Who does not want to participate in a fantasy made easy for daily life? Why cannot fashion - even everyday fashion - be art?” He makes ready-to-wear that “yearns to be as extraordinary, as thoughtful, as couture;” this season saw him embrace that without reservation. The result was perhaps the most expansive and imaginative Schiaparelli fantasy yet, best exemplified by a cardigan and skirt exclusively comprised of thousands of gold metal brushes.
Paris Fashion Week’s Finest Assembles for Show
The Schiaparelli show was one of the most exclusive of Paris Fashion Week, and the front row was filled with household names. Kylie Jenner drew gasps when she appeared in a never-before-seen piece, while Rosalía and FKA Twigs also had standout looks. Kendall Jenner closed the show in a transparent tulle dress with goat hair black polka dots and a surrealist pair of gloves with trompe d’oeil red nails (Look 45).
The devil is always in the details with Roseberry and close studies of each dress reveal surprising innovations. A personal favorite look, emblazoned with the Schiaparelli signature, featured a golden chain so that the model could carry her own train (Look 36). It is a brilliant design that we can expect many brands to draw inspiration from, but never properly replicate, in coming seasons. Another swoon worthy look that is sure to set trends was a bias-cut black satin halter featuring a cheeky transparent diamond cutout on the front (Look 27). Sheer and skin were recurring themes throughout the collection; keyhole cutouts highlighted a black viscose knit dress with a unique tree bark effect (Look 37) while triangular trompe d’oeil fabric shreds dangled from a black satin number. The latter exemplified Roseberry’s profound understanding of Schiaparelli’s history; it was inspired by the “tear” dress, produced in collaboration with Salvador Dali, from Elsa’s 1938 collection.
Schiaparelli Spring/Summer 2026 ready-to-wear, Looks 27, 36, 37 (Images courtesy of Schiaparelli)
Schiaparelli Spring/Summer 2026 ready-to-wear, Looks 13, 14 (Images courtesy of Schiaparelli)
Roseberry Offers Message of Optimism in Chaotic Times
Roseberry told the assembled guests that “the world today can feel relentless, a cultural black hole.” Considering this reality, he encouraged creatives to be unapologetically and authentically themselves: “cling to feels right to you - to us. All we can do is move to the beat of our clients’ hearts.” Roseberry, in this editor’s opinion, is the best designer in the world right now. But despite him being at the pinnacle of Parisian fashion, it still feels like he is coming into his own, and fully embracing his deepest sartorial fantasies, increasingly every season. Schiaparelli Spring/Summer 2026 can be an inspiration to us all, and we can expect only greater things to come.
Schiaparelli Spring/Summer 2026 ready-to-wear, Looks 5, 6, 16, 17, 40 (Images courtesy of Schiaparelli)
