For spring/summer ‘26, the Finnish brand explored concepts of renewal and iteration, zeroing in on its signatures, refined and reworked, resulting in a collection that wasn’t a retrospective, but forward-looking
If Finnish label Rolf Ekroth’s autumn/winter ‘25 collection leaned into the gloomy darkness that blankets our region during the colder months, its spring/summer ‘26 offering takes a lighter turn – quite literally. The SS26 runway show, staged in the lush Refshaleøen forest, marked the brand’s first-ever outdoor presentation, a refreshing contrast to previous seasons’ dimly-lit warehouse settings.
There’s a sense of optimism in the air, too, when I speak with founder and creative director Rolf Ekroth ahead of the showcase. “I’d say that this is our strongest collection so far,” he says. “It easily has the most details, different materials, and various techniques used. At the same time, I’d say it’s our most wearable collection.”
Entitled ‘189 Days Later – Encore’, rather than following an overarching narrative, the SS26 line-up examines themes of renewal and iteration, honing in on the brand’s ongoing evolution fuelled by a constant drive for improvement, where past triumphs and missteps are revisited and refined through a fresh lens. This season, Ekroth drew inspiration from a tapestry of sources, including the horror flick 28 Years Later (whose soundtrack accompanied the SS26 showcase), ‘90s British aesthetics, his own working process, and The Sopranos (note the slouchy, Tony-coded robes).
“It [creating a bigger storyline] wasn’t really as interesting to me as the clothes themselves were,” Ekroth explains. “This is now our fifth time in Copenhagen, so the idea was maybe not to show a ‘best-of’, but rather to show how we’ve developed in all the pieces we’ve presented so far.”
Case in point? The life vests – first introduced as a humorous nod in SS25 – which return not only in a revamped silhouette, but also as padded piping in structured midi skirts. Elsewhere, sports influences, a recurring reference for Ekroth, are sprinkled throughout: think Wood anemo-printed second-skin leggings (developed from the brand’s buzzy collaboration with Emma Museum launched in May), knitted ice hockey gear (also echoing SS25), bulky quilted shirts recalling American football jerseys and breezy running shorts reminiscent of AW25.
Since its early days, utilitarianism has remained a signature for the brand, reaffirmed and finessed this season through pocket-heavy, patchworked technical jackets and baggy cargo trousers rendered in earthy tones and artfully clashing patterns. A standout among the hand-painted prints – created by Ekroth’s partner, artist Matilda Diletta – features romantic, vibrant fuchsia tulip motifs that bloom across sculptural skirts and snug co-ord sets, offering welcome juxtaposition to the grungy mood that permeates the collection. Also delivering a burst of whimsy: the playful polka dots, which Ekroth notes were born from the logo-adorned, laser-cut T-shirts, now punctuating everything from relaxed knits and jeans repurposed from vintage denim, to a tank top fashioned from 15,000 lustrous pearls.
Not merely a metaphorical vision, the idea of ‘encore’ also materialises in a new collaboration with Lounais-Suomen Jätehuolto (LSJH), a Finnish municipal waste management company, with a portion of the SS26 line-up entirely crafted from discarded fabrics given new life.
It might not be a ‘best-of’, but the latest collection surely reminds us what Ekroth is best at.
See all the looks from Rolf Ekroth's SS26 collection below.
