A radiant debut that primes Pasqualetti as a formidable voice in menswear’s redefinition — carving his niche not through shock, but through skill, story, and soul.
Presented in the dramatic setting of Florence’s Fortezza da Basso and Pitti Uomo, Niccolò Pasqualetti’s Spring 2026 menswear debut is a masterclass in sculptural subtlety and fluid rebellion. Building on his explorations into “themswear” — that liminal space between menswear and womenswear—this collection amplifies his language of ambiguity and craftsmanship to a striking new pitch.
Sartorial Alchemy & Gender Fluidity
Pasqualetti’s runway becomes a laboratory: heavy linen dungarees expressive with chest gathers and asymmetric hems, silk shorts shaped like skirts, laser-cut suede vests, tulle-edged denim, deconstructed jackets, and leather bodices channel a deliberate tension between convention and candid self-expression. The show notes, “I am freezing. I am burning”—a poetic invocation of these dual extremes.
Craft & Conceptual Detailing
Craftspeople from Tuscany and Paris contribute time-honored tailoring and artisanal finishing — from garment-dye paint splashes to upcycled jewelry from reclaimed handicraft elements. Pasqualetti’s roots in the LVMH Prize finalist are evident: experimental yet rooted, sculptural yet wearable.
Atmosphere as Fashion
Set outdoors in soaring heat, the fortress gallery became its own prop: marble steps and dusty light enhancing the collection’s sense of tension. That juxtaposition of beauty and strain reminds you fashion can be haunted, not just polished .
Highlights & Hero Pieces
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Asymmetrical linen dungarees: Workwear reinvented with sensuality and fluid shape.
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Silk–tulle hybrid short-skirts: Gender-bending and breezy for spring.
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Leather bodices & suede vests: Unexpected textures that anchor the collection’s structure.
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Upcycled jewelry accents: Small ecological statements amidst sculpted forms.
Verdict: Between Strength & Vulnerability
Pasqualetti distills opposites into harmony. Masculine forms yield to feminine flow; classical tailoring gets deconstructed into contemporary statements. It's menswear with a delicate backbone — wearable, intellectual, boldly ambiguous. Certainly, he's cementing his place as a line to follow in avant-garde menswear.
Fashion-forward individuals seeking sincerity and subversion, editorial stylists pursuing gender-fluid storytelling, and menswear aficionados hungry for texture and theory in equal measure.
