ISABEL MARANT SS26: THE COOL GIRL TAKES HER LAST BOW (SORT OF)

Camz
Oct 9
3 min read

Laughter, not tears

Save your tears. There was no melancholy at Isabel Marant tonight, only laughter, hugs, and champagne-fueled joy. Backstage felt like a family reunion at sunset:warm, radiant, a little chaotic. After thirty years, Isabel Marant is stepping down from designing her own label, the one that exported the very concept of the Cool French Girl (and, frankly, the Cool French Boy) to the rest of the world.

That nonchalant Parisian swagger, the tousled hair, the slouchy boots and soft suede, it all started here. And no matter how many brands have tried to imitate it since, none have ever truly captured the original formula. Marant will stay involved behind the scenes, but her successor, Kim Bekker, is now officially at the wheel.

A new journey begins

Bekker’s debut as creative director was not a solemn tribute, but a glorious, sun-drenched leap forward. Her Spring-Summer 2026 collection was a love letter to wanderlust: an invitation to pack your bag, put on your boots, and disappear into the sun. “This season was about the idea of a journey, and the journey I’m on,” Bekker explained. “It’s about moving from place to place, sunburnt, with a backpack full of pieces she’s picked up along the way.”

The collection translated that nomadic fantasy into clothes that felt lived-in yet elevated. Utilitarian blousons, cargo pants, surplus shorts, and slouchy coats mingled effortlessly with romantic lace blouses and wispy dresses.

Colors bled into one another: cream, sand, ivory, khaki, bronze, sun-bleached blue, and faded black like a road trip wardrobe distilled under desert light.

The textures told their own story: worn suede, embroidered cotton, and metallic thread catching the light like grains of sun.

Details for the road

Up close, Bekker’s craftsmanship took the spotlight. Double-layered blousons with flying jacket zippers, patchworks mixing shiny and perforated textures, and delicate embroideries of shells, baubles, and tassels all spoke to a more refined idea of bohemian craft.

Each garment looked like it had lived a life, yet somehow still smelled of Parisian perfume. Her men’s pieces, meanwhile, nodded to the early ’80s: roomy jackets, slouchy trousers, and Berber-striped tunics that felt both effortless and nostalgic.

Accessories made for wanderers (and commuters)

To accompany these sun-seekers came crescent-shaped suede bags with gilded straps and backpacks big enough for both a weekend in Tangier and a morning metro ride. “It’s more about traveling in my mind,” Bekker said, smiling, acknowledging that her new role leaves little time for actual escapades.

But really, who needs to board a plane when your imagination can take you everywhere, wearing suede and a tan?

The approval that mattered most

As the lights dimmed and the applause thundered, Isabel Marant herself was radiant. “That,” she said of Bekker’s debut, “was so Isabel Marant.” It was the highest possible compliment, a passing of the torch with grace and humor. No tears, no nostalgia, just the sense that the spirit of the brand; the carefree confidence, the effortless sensuality had found a new rhythm.

Conclusion: finding her sun

Kim Bekker didn’t just honor Marant’s legacy tonight; she expanded it. Her collection felt like a continuation of everything the brand stands for: freedom, warmth, and a touch of rebellion wrapped in suede. The wanderer is still out there, somewhere between Saint-Germain and Marrakech, backpack on, wind in her hair, boots perfectly slouched. And if this show proved anything, it’s that Isabel Marant’s world remains exactly what it’s always been—a party where everyone wants to stay just a little longer.

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