Back to the Roots was the mantra for Mans’s fall 2026 collection. After venturing into womenswear in 2023, the brand returned to menswear tailoring this season. “I felt I had lost a bit of the brand’s DNA. Returning to menswear has been incredibly liberating. I think this was my destiny, even if women end up wearing it too,” reflected creative director Jaime Álvarez after the show. Symbolizing this pivotal shift is the butterfly—a motif of metamorphosis that underpins the collection both literally and conceptually. Álvarez explained that the idea emerged from a patterning mishap: a vest with an excessively long neckline. From that moment, the butterfly became a guiding presence, influencing both the color palette and the flow of fabrics. Vincent Van Gogh’s butterflies also provided a inspiration: “I’ve always been deeply aligned with his Impressionist brushwork; it feels like a style in constant motion,” the designer said.
Cristóbal Balenciaga is another reference, evident in the collars and backs of Álvarez’s sculptural pieces. A true fabric aficionado, Álvarez used cotton to reinterpret his grandfather’s pharmacist coat through pleating. Volume remains a central theme, appearing in jackets through his revived leatherwork and in shirts via silk-poplin blends. More delicate fabrics—silk georgette and wild silks—offer a softer counterpoint. One of Mans’s creative strengths is orchestrating dialogues between opposites that unexpectedly coexist in harmony. On vests he reinterpreted the obi sash of kimonos using tassels crafted by Casa Rodríguez, specialists in religious Easter ornaments.
Once again, Álvarez demonstrated a masterful command of color. This season’s palette spanned purple and navy blue to his signature dark forest green, punctuated with bougainvillea pink, light green, red, lilac, and aqua. The key, he noted, is to have fun with styling—through bold patterns, unexpected sleeve openings, and playful layering.
