Andreas Kronthaler believes in past lives. The widowed husband of Vivienne Westwood is now the designer of her brand, since 2021.
For the Spring/Summer 2026 Collection, Kronthaler looks back to his own past lives, which he claims he remembers—the first time being a Roman soldier, the second being the Queen of France, which is a wild claim (and maybe a tad egotistical).
Anyway, the runway show, entitled “Boudoir,” was also the launch of the brand’s new scent of the same name. “Vivienne and I loved the old perfumes of Versailles,” he said in a statement.
“Boudoir is about a private, secret space,” he explained, a place without distractions.
“It’s the space where you are nearest to yourself, where truth lies. The truth inside your heart.”
Now, Kronthaler is Austrian, so a bit of that decorative poetry is expected. But this collection is a Victorian past life escapade. It channels the historic, grandeur pomp Versailles in the most ethereal ways, and lots of lace, transparent, iridescent fabrics, and lavish gowns. Paris Hilton, who sat in the front row, wore a green-hued gown that was reminiscent of a wispy scene from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, twirling around in white sunglasses and matching gloves.
Ice Spice wore a decorative romper in a light creamy hue, which was held at the iconic L’Institut de France, which were adorned with sunflowers, a nod to the brand’s London studio terrace. The model lineup honored the past, too, with stars who are key to fashion history, like Simonetta Gianfelici (who used to pose for Helmut Newton), Heidi Klum (who needs no explanation), Isabeli Fontana (known for her work with Victoria Secret), and Carmen Kass (who modeled for Michael Kors in the early aughts).
The Milan-based Kronthaler weaved inspiration from Versailles and Roman uniforms into the collection. Look at the locket dress, draped in keys, calling to mind a princess in a castle. Or the more simpler deep V-neck items, or even the glamorous dress worn by Gianfelici. The jewelry, bearing the phrase “Motherf*cker” written in silver script, was a playful touch to each outfit.
He also turned to summers spent in Sicily as part of his inspiration. “More than anything, I wanted to capture the spirit of the Mediterranean,” he explained. “What was important is that everything looks easy and lived in, worn, simple to care for.”
In theory, this is a great idea. Nobody wants fashion too precious to wear. But in his journey of incorporating found and leftover lace, leather, embroidery and deadstock, some items looked a bit too art school for my own personal taste. If the looks were maybe a tad more practical, then maybe, but then again, the runway is one of the few places left for experimentation.
The inspiration came from old curtain drapes, grandma style. Kronthaler wanted to see if he could translate them into wearable garments, which, at first, sounds like a fashion crime. But he fell in love with old drapes from Italy, which I’m sure, you can smell with the thought of it. Whenever I go into a museum in Italy and I see those dusty old drapes, I always wonder what the washing protocol schedule is for them, or if they’re ignored altogether. He didn’t stop there, though, he turned to Italian markets where printed fabrics with lavish prints are found, combining them with Westwood’s iconic prints, and reusing deadstock fabric.
Heidi Klum, looking flawless as usual, closed the show in an ethereal, layered white look, where she was greeted by Kronthaler bearing an enormous bouquet (if you can call it that) of sunflowers. A ray of sunshine and a fairytale touch that remains timeless.
Acknowledging the current political turmoil, Kronthaler remains optimistic. This was chosen by his selection of music, Mozart’s last movement of the Jupiter Symphony (very Austrian, might I add), which was performed by cellist Bernard Sene. “It’s a sound that foresees the future in the most hopeful way.”