For its spring/summer '26 collection, the Danish brand explored the concept of protection through a poetic, tender lens
Protection. It’s a term open to many interpretations and carries a particular weight today. The powerful, multifaceted concept also lies at the heart of Henrik Vibskov’s spring/summer ’26 collection, entitled ‘Everything cracks eventually – I’ll be gentle.’
Inspired by the creative director’s recent project in New York, ‘The Bank is Dead’, the SS26 offering explores probing questions: What do we consider worthy of protection? How do we shield those things – or fail to? What do we assign value to, and how do we safeguard the vulnerable? “Sometimes you protect the building more than you protect the people who live there, because the building might have more value,” Vibskov notes.
Think of protection clothing-wise, and images of armour-adjacent pieces might spring to mind. Yet, as usual, Vibvskov didn’t take the obvious route, or a negative-tinged one – instead, he approached the concept through a more layered, subtle and gentle lens. “You could say it’s a more philosophical, poetic exploration of protection,” he says.
Indeed, there’s a quietly poetic, distinctly softer mood in the brand’s SS26 collection. Rendered in a more restricted colour palette compared to past seasons, soft whites, refined greys, earthy browns, muted greens, and dainty lilacs permeate the line-up, contrasted by rich black and deep navy. Airy silhouettes – think billowing dresses and oversized tailoring – achieve a sense of lightness, while heavier fabrics like woven jacquard and denim were fashioned into everything from boxy coats to fitted tops that envelop the body like a warm hug. Look closely and you’ll see various vessels of protection emerging from the intricate prints and artworks – from instrument cases and amulets to mother hens shielding their fragile eggs, the latter reflecting the wordplay, ‘prot-egg-tion’, Vibskov coined for the offering.
And you can trust the Danish brand to put the ‘show’ in fashion show. This season, the catwalk – staged in the lofty, industrial-style Tunnel Arena – was transformed into a surreal setting, dotted with utopian black eggs and towering neon-yellow abstract structures. As models glided down the runway to atmospheric sounds, black-clad performers emerged, beginning a slow-motion ritual, seemingly caressing and sheltering their chosen raven orbs, some wielding hammers that could, at any point, shatter them.
In the daily rat race that so easily pulls us in, it’s easy to forget how fragile life is. Through SS26, Vibskov reminds us that we must not only protect our present reality, but also nurture the one that lies ahead.
See all the looks from Henrik Vibskov's SS26 collection below.
