February 22, 2026 |
Bite me. With fanged faces and sculptural hat hair, Masha Popova’s grungy denim silhouettes levelled up this AW26 season. After three seasons away from London Fashion Week, the Ukrainian designer’s collection situated textiles in unlikely situations. Bums were out, soft fabrics were mixed with stiff constructions and sleepwear was transformed into evening attire. Popova dubbed the collection Intimate Hours, initially bringing to mind quiet, unseen moments, yet the results were anything but that. Shedding light on the obscured, solitary moments at the blanket of dusk or the crack of dawn, her cosy yet fitted silhouettes demanded to be seen, and felt.
Lived-in slouchy boots, billowing yet tightly constructed coats and stockings paired with velvety loafers captured the catwalk. Dyed denim (always a hit with Popova) with crossed-belt details and outerwear with statement undies revealed from behind were all business-in-the-front, party-in-the-back. Knitwear made its debut in Popova’s design language – blocky, textured knits that stood out amongst her more technical pieces.
To inspire her silky satin ensembles and the standalone hot pink bathrobe that closed the show, Popova looked to Jim Jarmusch’s gothic romance Only Lovers Left Alive (2013). In a similar vein, the designer’s floral motifs were more than just a pretty face – they materialised as part of the garment’s structure and blurred into lace-reminiscent surfaces, weighted down with a sense of “romantic decay”. Her vision of material culture as embodiment of everyday moments is nothing short of a dreamlike spectacle.
Popova’s domesticated architecture is fashion’s latest gothic bible; and fashion followers are ready and raring to be well-versed.
Photography courtesy of Masha Popova.
