20 Years, Curves & Cut-Outs

For Spring/Summer 2026, Roksanda Ilincic celebrates a milestone: two decades of her eponymous label. SS26 is less about reinvention than about remembrance - revisiting favorite forms, re-engaging with earlier reference points, and doing so with the clarity and polish that only time and mastery bring. The collection becomes both an archive and a promise: of what was, what is, and what will endure.

Twenty years in, Ilincic turns to her own history. She revisits silhouettes that defined early Roksanda—bell sleeves, voluminous shapes, and cut-outs — and marries them to fresh, sculptural influences. This season, she names Barbara Hepworth among her touchstones:

Hepworth's natural forms, her use of positive/negative space, cut-throughs, and serene geometry, are evident in dress cutouts and architectural shaping.

Such references feel both personal and universal — archive pieces (such as the Margot dress from SS12; the cut-out Anya from SS16) reemerge in reinterpreted forms. There's comfort in recognition, but newness too. The designer doesn't simply repeat; she refines.

Signature Roksanda forms - sweeping gowns, turned-out tailoring, strong architectural shoulders, sculptural volume — are present and purposeful. SS26 leans into cut-outs and curved forms, letting skin, shaped voids, and negative space become sculptural tools.

Silhouettes are bold yet intentional: you can feel the weight and release, the tension between concealment and revelation.

The colour story is characteristic: strong primary tones mixed with softer neutrals. Bold blocks of colour in saturated reds, blues, perhaps pops of yellow meet creams, off-whites, and pastels. The palette serves shape as much as mood — drawing the eye to form, contour, and drama.

Fabrics are generous, showcasing the hallmark Roksanda textural contrasts — structured tailoring versus flowing drape, crispness versus drape, and the interplay of matte surfaces and slight sheen. The materials amplify the silhouette rather than detracting from it. Cut-outs and bell sleeves flirt with ease; tailoring gives backbone.

SS26 feels like the work of a designer entirely in command of her archive, choosing what to bring forward, what to let rest. The personal resonance of returning silhouettes lends the collection weight and emotional texture. The way Roksanda employs cut-outs, curved negative space, and architectural elements in form, while preserving wearability, demonstrates her skill in balancing artistry and functionality. Colour, cut, texture — all remain distinctly Roksanda. Even in leaner or subtler moments, the signature is present. The anniversary season is also an opportunity for reflection, and she uses it to affirm what her brand stands for.

Archive revival always carries risk: what feels nostalgic to some could feel repetitive to others. The challenge here is ensuring that the historical references feel alive, not fossilized. Dramatic forms and cut-outs, while beautiful, can be polarizing in real-life contexts; the more architectural the silhouette, the smaller the margin for comfort or accessorizing. In a time when quiet luxury is having its moment, bold colour blocks and sculptural volume may contrast sharply with market trends toward minimalism; Roksanda's balancing act between showing signature boldness and aligning with customer wearability remains delicate.

Roksanda SS26 is less of a departure and more of a consolidation. After a challenging year (including business changes and financial pressures), this season feels like Llincic reclaiming her voice and celebrating what has defined her: sculptural elegance, colour, curvaceous form, dramatic silhouette.

Her decision to delve into the archive is strategic: it reminds the fashion world of her past successes, while demonstrating that those successes still hold relevance. It is also a statement of endurance - twenty years in, still distinct, still evolving, still tying form and feeling together. The show is not just about what Roksanda has done, but what she will continue to do.

Spring/Summer 2026 sees Roksanda Ilincic not chasing novelty but affirming identity. It is a season steeped in memory, refined in execution, alive in silhouette. Through cut-outs that breathe, colours that echo memory, and forms that shape both body and intention, Roksanda reminds us why her work matters: because it carries both emotion and architecture, both drama and composure. Twenty years in, she still commands space — not by changing who she is, but by being ever more her best self.