etro aw26 | animen: rebooted

Ever felt like your morning commute was a bit of a jungle? Marco De Vincenzo certainly thinks so. For Etro’s Autumn/Winter 2026 menswear collection, brilliantly titled ‘Animen: Rebooted,’ the brand transformed the runway into a literal cabinet of wonders. To the hypnotic, retro-futuristic hum of Wendy Carlos’s Moog synthesiser, Etro invited us to stop pretending we’re just civilised humans and embrace our primordial spirit. It turns out, that spirit really likes wearing velvet.

The presentation was a high-fashion reboot of Etro’s iconic 1997 campaign that linked human facial features to animal traits. De Vincenzo has taken that ‘Etrosity’ (the house’s term for its unique, flamboyant DNA) and turned it into a wardrobe of livery or plumage. It’s the idea that while animals are stuck with their fur, we get to choose ours – and this season, the choice is gloriously maximalist.

The collection teems with the house’s signature Paisley motifs, but they’ve been given a fresh, tactile life. We’re seeing them printed on lush velvets and sprawling across liquid silk shirts. The silhouette is wonderfully relaxed, almost mercurial. There’s a distinct just-rolled-out-of-a-very-expensive-bed energy, with robes and silk pyjamas styled to be worn as easily on the street as they are in the lounge. But don’t mistake the ease for laziness; the tailoring is impeccable, even when finished with unexpected feather trims along the edges of suits (a literal take on the plumage theme).

 

The palette is what De Vincenzo calls “bookish” and it’s a total mood: dense forest greens, dark chocolate browns, organic neutrals and vivid, oxidised reds. The real talking point, however, is the pixelated animal jacquards on the knitwear. Up close, they look like digital glitches; step back, and a face emerges from the compact, protective wool.

Styling-wise, the ‘Animen’ are delightfully casual. Sweaters are tied nonchalantly at the waist, roomy bags are slung over shoulders and caps are pulled down low, giving the whole show a sense of urban explorer. 

Etro’s Autumn/Winter 2026 collection celebrates the perpetual journey between instinct and reason, and it makes a very strong case for the fact that if you’re going to be a beast, you might as well be the best-dressed one in the pack.

Discover the collection here.

photography. courtesy of Etro
words. Gennaro Costanzo