Maison Kitsuné Spring 2027
For Spring/Summer 2027, Maison Kitsuné shifted its focus from seasonal storytelling to environmental reality. Under the direction of Abigail Smiley-Smith, the collection Urban Glide directly addressed the climate crisis—not as metaphor, but as a practical design challenge centred on heat, protection and adaptability.
Presented in the gardens of Hôtel de Rohan during an unusually intense Paris heatwave, the show felt less like a conceptual exercise and more like a preview of what future wardrobes may need to become. Smiley-Smith drew inspiration from Tokyo, where rising temperatures have already reshaped everyday dressing, and translated that thinking into a collection built around breathability, lightness and movement.
Lightweight outerwear, relaxed tailoring and oversized shirting formed the backbone of the wardrobe, cut from fabrics designed to encourage airflow and reduce heat retention. Mesh constructions, airy knits and translucent layers created silhouettes that felt open and adaptive rather than structured or restrictive.
Technical innovation played a central role, though it was integrated with restraint. Cooling linings, heat-reactive textiles and performance-led finishes were used not as gimmicks, but as functional responses to changing climates. One standout jacket shifted colour in response to rising temperatures, acting as a visible indicator of environmental conditions rather than a purely aesthetic effect.
Alongside these technical elements, the collection retained Maison Kitsuné’s signature sense of ease. Washed blues, sandy neutrals and faded ocean tones suggested garments shaped by sun and salt, while surf references and maritime textures added a subtle escapist layer. The result balanced utility with softness, reflecting the dual need for protection and freedom in increasingly extreme conditions.
Since taking over creative direction, Smiley-Smith has gradually refined the house’s identity, moving it towards a more coherent intersection of lifestyle, functionality and contemporary dressing. Urban Glide marked the moment where that evolution became fully visible.
Rather than treating climate awareness as a thematic backdrop, Maison Kitsuné placed it at the centre of the collection’s purpose. Spring/Summer 2027 ultimately proposed a wardrobe that doesn’t ignore the weather—it responds to it.
