Marie Adam-Leenaerdt Fall 2026
For Fall 2026, Marie Adam-Leenaerdt explored the idea of fashion as an ongoing process rather than a finished product. The Belgian designer centred the collection on a do-it-yourself philosophy, where imperfection becomes part of the charm. Guests arriving at the show were even invited to grab a branded plastic folding stool and sit wherever they pleased, a small but telling gesture that mirrored the participatory spirit behind the clothes.
On the runway, garments appeared casually pieced together but were in fact carefully engineered. Patchwork skirts and floral dresses clashed prints and colours in a way that felt intentionally offbeat, while cotton wrap skirts featured visible pattern markings and cutting instructions, blurring the line between garment and blueprint. Past fabrics and materials from earlier collections were reworked into new pieces, reinforcing Adam-Leenaerdt’s ongoing interest in upcycling and multipurpose design that resists traditional seasonal boundaries.
Silhouettes played with proportion and versatility. Boxy shift dresses widened at the shoulders before draping softly at the neck, subtly shifting the body’s shape without losing their simplicity. Knitted puffer jackets in bright red or metallic silver were so densely constructed they needed no padding, while many pieces could be worn inside out. A faux fur coat with a vivid pink satin lining raised the question of which side was meant to face the world, leaving the final decision to the wearer.
