Simone Bellotti has turned the Jil Sander headquarters into something far more intimate than a corporate office for Autumn/Winter 2026. “Once we ate and dreamed in the place above the sea […] And now we are half way up the steps. Not sure whether to keep climbing or let go,” reads the poem by Chiara Barzini. It was the soundtrack of the show that heightened a feeling of a haunted or healing home, heard through Kim Gordon’s unmistakable voice.
Bellotti approaches the house from the perspective of a home, treated as an emotional sanctuary where one either belongs or feels the urge to flee. This sophomore collection thrives on the tension of a lived-in space, filled with both calm and internal contradiction. The creative director draws on a very personal history for this vision, noting that his father worked as an upholsterer. This familiarity with the textures of a domestic interior allows him to treat fabric like furniture, moving codes and tropes around with a playful lack of ceremony.
Restraint has always been the defining characteristic of this brand, yet Bellotti now wonders whether abandon can achieve the same effect. He moves away from the quest for pure essence and instead looks for ‘moreness.’ Straight lines have given way to curves and an abundance of fabric. In this logic of contradiction, the superfluous takes on an air of necessity. The act of adding fabric mirrors the gesture of taking it away. Everything on the runway feels like it has agency of its own, as though the clothes themselves are trying to escape the bodies wearing them.
The colour palette relies on a homely mix of faded neutrals, blacks, greys and blues. Flow and movement define the silhouettes. We see shoulder lines that raise and pockets that appear to run away from their seams. Collars slip towards the back or fly upwards, while fabric allowances grow and bend in unexpected directions. The energy of the collection comes from these curvaceous cuts and the vertical swagger of rational tailoring buttoned high. Slashes reveal the legs or appear high on the back of blazers, with folds held firmly in place by bar tacks. Upholstery fabrics are no longer stiff, but are instead fluidified or moulded into hourglass shapes that give the dresses a sculptural softness.
Contradiction stays at the forefront of the accessories too. Models wore shoes with exaggerated heels or unisex flats that felt as snug as a pair of socks. Square-toed lace-ups and distressed suede boots provided a stronger contrast to the more ethereal garments. The new bags merge a geometric assertiveness with shapes that evoke the human body, providing a further layer of complexity. Sunglasses offered a preview of an upcoming collaboration with Oliver Peoples, adding a sharp edge to the domestic atmosphere.
Bellotti is not interested in staying within the lines. He is busy building a new kind of shelter, one where the walls are made of fabric and the foundations are built on the constant questioning of what it means to be home.
Discover the Autumn/Winter 2026 collection here.
photography. courtesy of Jil Sander
words. Gennaro Costanzo
