Sequins, Show & Subtle Fracture

For Spring/Summer 2026, Ashish returns with the glint and exuberance that have come to define his persona-sequins, shine, spectacle-but there's a sense this season of texture beneath the gloss. Of confidence, still, yes, but also of needed vulnerability. It's a collection that tries to shine, but does so while revealing its flaws.

Ashish has always trafficked in the philosophy of "more is more." Glitter, slogans, humor, loud colour, and often performative glamour. SS26 leans back into those roots-but not simply for celebration. Given global and cultural pressures, Ashish appears here to be more reflective, reminding us of what spectacle can both conceal and reveal.

In past seasons, Ashish has used sequined slogans and cheeky irreverence to probe identity, visibility, and resilience. While those exact slogans or textual statements may or may not dominate every piece this season, the aesthetic language gives the sense of continuing that conversation: "How do we shine when we feel unsure? How do we glitter when the lights aren't always kind?"

As ever, sequins are everywhere — not just as all-over glitter, but in patterns, layering, and contrast. Some looks gleam fully; others use sequins as punctuation - trims, panels, unexpectedly placed reflections. The craftsmanship of beading, sparkle, and shine feels well-honed. The collection appears to utilize contrast, featuring opaque fabrics (perhaps heavier, richer textures) juxtaposed with sheer or semi-sheer overlays. Mesh panels or subtly transparent elements allow glimpses of skin or structure underneath-echoes of vulnerability in the midst of shine. Some pieces carry a rigid structure — sharper cuts, defined shapes, and heavier materials; others drift: dresses that flow, drape, or move freely, skirts with a swing and ease in movement. That interplay gives the show rhythm: heaviness followed by release, stiffness followed by soft breath.

Ashish's signature brightness is evident: pops of vibrant colour, flashes of neon or saturated hues, and reflective surfaces that catch the light. But this season seems less about bonfire excess and more about reflective mirrors, metallics, and shine that play back the environment.

There's glamour, yes. But also a kind of fatigue in glamour-questions of what glitter means when you carry expectations, the weight of visibility. Moments in the collection hint at tension: the over-exposed contrasted with hidden seams, the heavy textures next to

lighter ones.

Ashish still masters spectacle in a way few do—not just sparkle, but how bodies move with glitter, how sequins catch light, how embellishment becomes emotional texture. The collection is both pleasurable to look at and visceral to encounter. There is apparent maturity in restraint in places. Not every look demands the maximum shine; some are quieter, letting shape, contrast, and silhouette carry the emotional load. That gives impact to the louder ones. Visibility and identity remain central. For audiences who seek flamboyance, joy, visibility – this show offers reassurance: shine can / lefiance, ornament can be armor.

The louder, more dramatic pieces are likely to be showpieces rather than widely wearable pieces. There may be a gap between runway spectacle and everyday life for many wearers. Sequins and heavy embellishments have maintenance and comfort costs, including weight, care, and durability. The more delicate parts (sheers, overlays) might be more fragile. Without a strong contrast in clothing or styling, there is a risk of visual overload. The moments of calm are necessary; otherwise, the shine can feel like constant shouting.

SS26 emphasizes that Ashish remains one of the few designers capable of fusing celebration and critique, ornament and identity. He seems aware that glitter does not erase wounds, and seems interested in what it looks like to wear joy even when fears or doubts are present.

The collection reaffirms his place among designers who view fashion as performance, identity as costume and armor, and spectacle as both joy and a question. It suggests he's still deeply invested in what visibility means-not just being seen, but how being seen shapes self, movement, and emotional vulnerability.

Ashish Spring/Summer 2026 is luminous without being decorative; it's glitter that breathes, an ornament that questions. It reminds us that fashion's joy is sometimes brightest when tempered with truth. In sequins, in sheer panels, in bold colours and sharp silhouettes, Ashish offers both celebration and a mirror, showing not only what the world wants to see, but what we carry underneath. It's a show to dazzle, yes—but also to feel.