Intense Petals & Quiet Power

At her SS26 show, Emilia Wickstead ventured into the wild side with elegance. Known for her polished refinement—equally beloved by royals and red-carpet regulars—this season, she leaned into sharper contrasts, richer colours, more substantial cuts, and new ways of letting sensuality breathe through tailoring. It's a collection that balances her feminine signature with a bold new edge.

Wickstead drew from Robert Mapplethorpe-his portraits, his precision, the interplay of identity, flesh, flower, and frame. She references his work not for shock value, but for the emotional layering: beauty, romance, sometimes sadness. The show was staged at her Sloane Street flagship store, reimagined as a gallery-style salon, featuring interlinked rooms, glass, marble, and sharp architectural angles. It felt like inviting people into the house she's built — both literally and metaphorically.

While her dresses still command attention, Wickstead pushed them into new territory. Early looks featured plaid dresses sliced, twisted, layered — diagonals that clash intentionally, breaking up the primness of checks with motion and tension. A striking drop-waist gown in bright yellow sequins, a royal blue bubble dress — colour used sparingly but with impact. These gowns preserve her elegance but add volume and shape in refreshing ways. The tomboyish interludes — polo knits paired with jeans, miniskirts featuring grid-like strips, and shirts that relax the silhouette — show that Wickstead is growing more comfortable letting her collection live beyond gala breadth. Detail work remains meticulous, featuring chiffon, crinkled satins, lace-ups, and ties tied in silk rather than leather, with floral prints floating on dark grounds. The pieces carry movement: swishes, pleats, and layers that shift with the walk, light, and body.

Wickstead's colour story in SS26 is thoughtful and punchy. Softer tones appear - powder pinks, icy blues, buttercup yellow — evoking Mapplethorpe's colour photographs of flowers. These are balanced with intense, bright colors like neon yellow and saturated cobalt. Black remains a key anchor — in floral prints, in ties and lace-ups, in contrast strips. It adds depth and frames the lighter tones. The mood is romantic but fierce. Sharper cuts, exposed shoulders, visible seams, and bold colour juxtapositions counter the softness of flower references, flowing skirts, and lace. There is a controlled confidence: elegance used as strength.

Wickstead demonstrates that she can still satisfy her core clientele of polished, elegant pieces while expanding into more daring silhouette work and colour experiments. The way fabrics move—pleats, balloon hems, layering—gives life. Details like diagonal cuts or plaid distortions make the collection more dynamic. Taking Mapplethorpe as muse made the collection richer in terms of metaphor and mood. It feels less about prettiness alone and more about what beauty can mean, framed around identity and romance.

Some pieces (sequined gowns, dramatic balloon hems) are strong visually but may be more suited for high-profile events than everyday life. Ensuring that balance will remain crucial. The brighter punches (neon yellow, cobalt) energize the show, but contrast heavily with more muted or pastel tones. The success of these depends on how those colours are worn off-runway. As she pushes edges, there is always the question of how much of Wickstead's classical femininity remains-that her brand identity is preserved even as she experiments.

SS26 feels like a statement of growing confidence. Wickstead is no longer just "the royal favourite" or "ladylike" design; she's carving space for emotional intensity, risk, and personal layering. Her audience seems ready for this evolution: many want elegance, yes, but also clothes that feel expressive, textured, lived in.

In the context of London Fashion Week's often extreme swings between avant-garde and commercial polish, Wickstead's SS26 finds a productive middle. It suggests she's not content to rest on reputation; she wants to stretch, question, surprise.

Emilia Wickstead Spring/Summer 2026 is both a reaffirmation and a departure. It reaffirms her mastery of silhouette, texture, polish — the things people trust her for — while departing into bolder colour, sharper cuts, and more movement. It's a collection that whispers and punches, holds softness and strength in hand. For her and for her wearers, it offers brave elegance.