Courrèges SS26 : Nicolas Di Felice Faces the Heat in Blinded by the Sun

Camz
Oct 4, 2025
2 min read

The Courrèges show opened with an arresting image : five models walked out with their faces veiled. But these weren’t religious symbols : they were functional UV shields, reimagined by Nicolas Di Felice.

Inspired by protective accessories he encountered during a trip to Thailand, he transformed them into futuristic statements : attached to peaked caps, draped across the face, and tucked into the waistband of a matching A-line miniskirt.

A voice began reciting the rising temperatures of a summer’s day: climbing well into the 40s by afternoon; setting the tone for what felt like an oppressive, overheated season. While André Courrèges’s 1960s and ’70s were defined by sun-worship, Di Felice instead confronts today’s reality : how do you dress in a world of relentless heatwaves ?

A wardrobe for extreme conditions

Cutting experiments defined the collection. Asymmetric tops wrapped around the body with precision, bodysuits revealed sculptural shoulders, and hybrids abounded : shorts extended into long skirts at the back, while leather biker jackets came with sleeves unzipped vertically to let in the breeze.

Each look emphasized fluidity and adaptability, echoing the energy of an outdoor rave under a punishing sun.

Fashion melting under the sun

Heat became both metaphor and design driver. Several looks seemed to dissolve : constructed from multiple narrow belts and accessories with a glossy, liquid effect, or colored in tones that grew warmer, eventually becoming sheer, almost vanishing altogether. « When there’s lots of sun, sometimes you can’t really see what you’re looking at », Di Felice noted backstage.

Courrèges futurism, but darker

The brand’s legacy of futurism remained visible, though reframed in darker tones. Car windshield shapes were repurposed into solar shields rising from dresses and tops: protective, futuristic, and unsettling. Unlike the optimistic space-age visions of André Courrèges, here the mood was more apocalyptic.

A minimal set: a blazing circle of lights growing hotter and more intolerable as the show went on sealed the message.

With Blinded by the Sun, Nicolas Di Felice delivered more than a collection : he staged a manifesto for a generation living under climate extremes. Courrèges is no longer just about optimistic futurism : it’s about confronting the burning reality of today.

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