Functionality and Artistry Unite

The Fall/Winter 2025-2026 collections presented some of the best works coming out of some of the industry's most famous fashion designers. It is a perfect mixture of functionality, artistry, and avant-garde aesthetics, courtesy of Rick Owens, Issey Miyake, and Yohji Yamamoto, respectively, who can make everyday necessities turn into remarkable statements.

Rick Owens' menswear FW 2025-2026

Rick Owens' menswear Fall/Winter 2025-2026 takes an intimately personal approach to what "essentials" really are - a partnership between functionality and gothic flair. This ethos formed a lineup of elevated staples -thermal long johns, oversized hoodies, and flaring trousers transformed into bold, striking statements.

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The showstopper outerwear presented some of the most dramatic overcoats. Its stand-up "Dracu-collars" protected one from the rain as well as judgment. There were the boxy wool coats and industrial zippers, seen walking down the catwalk with fitted silhouettes suitable for both androgynous and more mature full-bodied men to prove elegance is age and size blind.

Yamamoto's choice to use artists and creatives rather than the usual runway models for the show expressed his focus on individuality and character.

A standout moment was when Owens collaborated with luxury luggage brand Rimowa.

With architectural silhouettes and futuristic designs, the palette dominated by black and gray, punctuated with metallic accents, Owens merged practicality with fantasy. It was a testament to his mastery of making all essentials simply extraordinary.

Issey Miyake's IM MEN Collection

Against the historic 16th-century backdrop of Couvent des Cordeliers, Issey Miyake's latest collection celebrated with flair the deep artistic potential of a piece of cloth turned into wearable art. It was an evocative tribute to the brand's legendary founder, Issey Miyake, by the new design team: Yuki Itakura, Sen Kawahara, and Nobutaka Kobayashi.

The collection began with a sense of wanderlust, as "fashionable nomads" were draped in immense folds of cotton. Elephantine dhotis, oversized capes, and cowl necks in neutral tones—ecru, putty, and pale gray—conveyed an ethereal aesthetic. The inventive silhouettes and immaculate tailoring reflected Miyake's legacy of grace and innovation.

As the show went on, the focus shifted to urban minimalism. Treated cotton jerkins, padded waistcoats, and soft suede baseball jackets paired with unadorned sweatpants created a refined yet modern office wear vibe. Bold experiments like rhomboid zigzag pants and cocoon shearling jackets added flair, while the final act brought playful multi-functional pieces. This perfect blend of tradition and avant-garde collection proved that Issey Miyake is still extremely innovative.

Yohji Yamamoto FW 2025-2026

The Yohji Yamamoto Fall Winter 2025-2026 was a breathtakingly beautiful combination of utility and conceptual profundity, wrapped warmly around its wearer. The cold winter of Paris provided the setting for the show, a masterclass on how to redefine the puffer jacket. Known for his avant-garde approach, Yamamoto wanted to give the ordinary down jacket a face-lift, since the common view is that a garment made of polyester is something cheap. His answer? Padded silhouettes are likely to assume poetic yet utilitarian forms created with luxurious fabrics like wool checks, textured cotton, or roughed-up velvets.

Painterly elements - such as prints that resembled dried paint drips or wisps of smoke, like a Parisian or Tokyo Street scene in the rain - further deepened the mood. Reversible jackets added practicality, with models dramatically flipping quilted exteriors to reveal wool linings almost demure by comparison. Olive green, burgundy, purple check wool, and plaid blended punk edge into the romantic aesthetic.

Yamamoto's choice to use artists and creatives rather than the usual runway models for the show expressed his focus on individuality and character. It was a collection that redefined fashion as a shield and a story.