For autumn/winter ‘26, Fine Chaos sharpens its signature dystopian storytelling, while hinting at a new direction for the brand
“We want our brand to be a platform for the youth, and when you aim to be that, you also need to facilitate conversation,” says Marc C. Møllerskov, creative director of Fine Chaos, ahead of the Danish brand’s autumn/winter ‘26 runway show. The conversation in question this season feels particularly apt for the world we’re living in.
Entitled ‘Ara Solis’, meaning ‘The Altar of the Sun’ in Latin, the AW26 collection builds on the dystopian, apocalyptic narrative Fine Chaos has been threading together over the past few seasons. It’s 2075, and the label whisks us away to the Dome, a man-made city built by “mega corporation” Fine Chaos, surrounded by despair as the world’s natural resources dwindle. “We haven't really shed a light on what life is like in the Dome and what they’re doing, so this season, we’re inside it,” Møllerskov explains. Mirroring the state of our existence today, life in the Dome isn’t all sunshine and rainbows: robots, or humanoids, each with one per cent human hearts, are about to take over, wreaking havoc across the city. Sound eerily familiar – yet still out of reach (luckily)?
The first successful prototype, which Møllerskov dubs “the Goddess”, has been plugged into an ‘altar’ crowning the runway nestled in CIFF’s Bella Centre, strapped with flickering wires performing a data transfer to new test subjects. “We’re always doing social commentary on how things are going in the world,” Møllerskov continues. “Now, we’re sort of looking at how we optimise everything and how AI and robots are increasingly fusing with our everyday social lives… I think show-goers are going to feel that something is very holy and very off at the same time,” he says.
Beneath the industrial ceiling laced with wires, models strutted to a throbbing techno soundtrack, climaxing in heavenly tunes transporting guests, if only for a fleeting moment, into an eerie, unorthodox Tuesday service. The collection subtly hints at a new direction for the brand, perhaps best known for its grungy, genderless club-ready garments giving more punky than proper. “[This season], we’ve worked with more elegant stuff, both in silhouettes and fabrics,” Møllerskov says.
Cue slinky halter-neck dresses and lady-like billowing maxi skirts, slouchy blazers paired with ties. Slick trousers, skirts and boxy jackets – all crafted from buttery black latex. The label’s hallmark, dark underground aesthetic, remains strongly present, if not prevailing, as seen in the raven pieces adorned with sultry, intricate latticework, harnesses, and straps that contour the body. Elsewhere, the brand’s signature cargo trousers appear distressed and soiled, while towering spikes jut from chokers, bags and sleeves, as if armour for the creeping humanoid takeover.
“I’d say we’re moving towards a more high-end direction – I think new people will gain respect for what we do,” reflects Møllerskov. “And you sure should aim to make clothing that really matters.”
See the full Fine Chaos AW26 collection below.
