Anne Sofie Madsen Spring/Summer 2026: Lick the Star

When Adolescence Becomes Couture

For Spring/Summer 2026, Anne Sofie Madsen invited Freja Wewer and William Becker, founders of Issueissue Magazine, to reinterpret the collection and shape its presentation.

The show borrows its title from Sofia Coppola’s cult short Lick the Star and channels the film’s hazy, adolescent tension. The story follows seventh-grade girls plotting a scandalous scheme inspired by Flowers in the Attic. In the film, this translates to a secret code, slightly misheard, that spells “Kill the Rats” backward. It is exactly the kind of mischief that teenagers pull when they think no one is watching.

Madsen’s collection mirrors this phase of identity play, silent power struggles, and loyalty tested by betrayal. If fashion is a game, then SS26 is definitely a game where the rules are still being invented.

Collaboration and Conceptual Depth

Becker explains that they were drawn to the in-between stage of early adolescence. It is the moment where choices begin to shape identity, even if the individual is not fully aware of it. In this lens, adolescence becomes metaphor for transformation and the collection itself is a meditation on becoming. At the center of the runway, personal items from Caroline and Sofie are arranged in an intimate flatlay, a sort of time capsule.

Models interact with these objects, creating a tangible link between the garments and the histories that inspired them. The conversation with the creative directors reveals a dual search for identity. The brand itself evolves as two voices, shaped by different backgrounds, negotiate a shared language. The collection becomes less about clothing and more about negotiation, discovery, and subtle rebellion against static identity.

Form, Identity, and the Quiet Revolution

The collection continues Madsen’s exploration of form and identity. Seasonal rhythm is intentionally resisted. Instead, familiar silhouettes and materials return as an evolution rather than repetition. The rigid binaries of dress are softened. Masculine meets feminine, tough meets delicate, formal meets casual.

These oppositions are not in tension but in dialogue, blending in ways that make each garment feel alive and unpredictable. The classic blue jean, the biker jacket, the suit, the evening dress all carry archetypes of rebellion, romance, work, or authority. Madsen dismantles them and recombines them in ways that feel both respectful and mischievous.

The perfecto jacket appears with fringe trimming, the suit is softened with a hood, and the tank top floats between its utilitarian origins and abstract reinterpretation. Everything familiar is subtly unmoored, inviting the viewer to reconsider assumptions about identity, class, and style.

Materiality, Craft, and Subtle Excess

Silk straps cross the body like floral traces, crystal embroidery appears in playful tension between excess and delicacy. Sportswear becomes luxury, utility becomes ornament, and the ordinary is recast as extraordinary. Each garment is built by hand in the Copenhagen studio. Nothing is outsourced.

The process is slow, attentive, and methodical, a quiet defiance of fast fashion. SS26 dazzles while revealing its scaffolding, balancing illusion and craftsmanship. The collection is a phantasmagoria of modern life where beauty and effort coexist, sometimes revealing, sometimes teasing the observer.

The Glam Rat Clutch: A Lesson in Urban Survival

In collaboration with Esben Weile Kjær, the Glam Rat Clutch occupies a curious space between revulsion and glamour. The rat becomes a symbol of resilience, a miniature urban survivor resting defiantly on a café table. It carries only the essentials, yet in doing so, it critiques urban cleanliness and order.

Madsen transforms the ordinary into something strange and desirable, celebrating marginality as aesthetic and attitude. One cannot help but smile at the audacity of this tiny creature, equal parts commentary and accessory.

Conclusion: Transformation in Motion

Anne Sofie Madsen Spring/Summer 2026 is a study of identity, adolescence, and transformation expressed through craft and concept. Familiar garments become vehicles for experimentation, personal history, and cultural remix.

Collaboration with Issueissue Magazine adds narrative depth, reminding us that fashion is not only clothing but also context, conversation, and subtle rebellion. The SS26 runway is less about trend and more about a world in flux, where becoming is the most stylish act of all.