Inside Gestuz AW26: Where Glamour Meets Edge and Every Woman Finds Her Persona

The Gestuz AW26 show unfolds inside a stripped, industrial space. At its center stands The Smokey Mirror bar. There is a sense of arrival: faux fur coats, high necks, a wollen scarf wrapped closely around the face. As if the women just stepped in from the street. A leather jacket is removed and hung over the bar, revealing details of the outfit beneath. Slowly, the bar fills. Look by look, woman by woman, representing the breadth of the collection and the diversity of women within it.

The show seeks to capture the grit and glamour of a New York bar in the 1970s and 80s, with the designs taking cues from the bar’s clientele: The corporate business woman from Wall Street. The rich femme fatale in high heels. The bohemian musician drifting around. All reflected within the Smokey Mirrors universe and the many types of women Gestuz seeks to dress.

“Smoke and mirrors is often described as illusion or distraction. Smokey Mirrors is my way of reclaiming that idea. Clothing becomes a deliberate tool to step into the version of yourself you want to be. I saw this bar as a place where many personas exist at once. Different roles and expressions of femininity. And that really reflects the way I think about women and clothing. We are not just one thing, but can move between expressions.” Creative director Sanne Sehested.

Elegant, expensive pieces are styled against the raw: a fur coat worn with a t-shirt, a sheer top paired with denim. Rich and trashy exist side by side, constantly balancing one another. The colour palette is similarly inspired by the interior of a New York bar at night. Deep reds, browns, and greens echo dark leather seating, velvet drapes, and rich wooden walls. A sharp olive green cuts through, inspired by an extra-dirty martini.

The show features a collaboration with Dutch atelier Edith Beurskens and artist April Van Domburg for a small selection of objet trouvé jewellery, reimagining the iconic green olive as wearable objects.

As for the past many seasons, Gestuz is collaborating with Danish jewellery icon Monies for jewellery on the show.