MKDT Studio bring a flirtatious yet uncanny edge to Copenhagen Fashion Week. In lieu of the brand's traditionally polished aesthetic, a series of intentionally unintentional motifs made their way down the runway, striking an unexpected chord of melancholy
Spring and summer are traditionally seen as seasons of growth, renewal, and abundance. But for MKDT Studio, looking to 2026, these warmer months represent far more than just a change in the weather – they offer a fresh perspective and meaningful opportunity to pause, reconnect, and realign. "Reconnection for us is not nostalgia," said creative director Caroline Engelgaar. "[It is] the act of noticing again. Reconstructing meaning from what already exists."
As a starting point for the season's creative exploration, the label turned to two vastly different, yet unexpectedly complementary sources of inspiration. On one end of the spectrum is Kay Sage, the American surrealist painter known for her hauntingly architectural dreamscapes – stark, depopulated environments that, despite their emptiness, pulse with an uncanny sense of human presence. On the other is Jean Jacques Balzac, a constructed persona who creates "wrong architecture" - imagined structures that flirt with logic but ultimately defy it, existing in limbo between the possible and the absurd.
Both artists dwell in the near-real, both toying with the idea of what might exist, rather than what already does. Their work occupies an eerie space where the familiar becomes unfamiliar, and memory gives way to invention. It was this tension that became the framework for MKDT Studio's SS26 collection. Guided by this conceptual foundation and a return to the archives, the design process began as a means to understand the instinctive, almost unconscious way in which women make use of the brand's clothing.
What emerged from this process was a collection titled 'Echoes of the Unknown': a body of work that reflects both introspection and experimentation. Departing from the polished, sculptural tailoring that has come to define the Danish brand's aesthetic, the collection embraces a rawer, more instinctive approach. Uncut threads, skewed proportions, and unfinished seams that uncovered the body replaced clean lines and precision. The result was a deliberate embrace of imperfection and a look that feels intentionally unintentional.
These dualities extended into the collection's colour palette. As ever, a foundation of neutral tones grounded the garments, but woven into this base were carefully chosen accents: lavender grey, chiffon yellow, and sage green. Rather than offering a whimsical lift, these hues carried a sense of melancholy – something that echoed the collection's theme of memory and distortion.
The nuanced use of colour played out across a rich and tactile interplay of materials, where tradition was both honoured and undone. Classic checks were reimagined through layered, intersecting weaves, whilst shredded ramie introduced sculptural surfaces that were deconstructed yet refined.
See all the looks from MKDT Studio's SS26 collection below.
