An audacious statement show from London label KNWLS proved an immersive experience for Master in Fashion Brand Management student Nathalia Martins Campos. Working backstage as a dresser, she reviews the show and explores whether fashion’s future lies in the hands of true independents or the expected few.
Milan Fashion Week SS26 might have been the most anticipated season of the decade with seismic debuts from industry titans and established names, yet among the blockbuster shows, it was London-born label KNWLS that delivered one of the week’s most interesting statements. For Charlotte Knowles and Alexandre Arsenault, the Milan debut, whose show collection also featured a brand new KNWLS Nike collaboration, was less about hype and more about the cultivation of a world: raw, futuristic, and unflinchingly sensual.
The setting made that intention clear. The industrial venue, with its concrete floors and acrylic panel walls, softened by dim light reflections, delivered a futuristic grey aura that enveloped models as they stumped, rather than walked, the runway. A DJ suspended above the runway remixed live, adding a pulse that kept the audience suspended between underground rave and ritual. This wasn’t a show of spectacle for its own sake, but of atmosphere as narrative.
Backstage, where I worked as a dresser, the tension of the calm before the storm was palpable. Models slipped quietly into their footwear test, fittings were adjusted, shoe laces strapped on. But the energetic charge quickly came. “Power on the hips! That’s where your power comes from!”, and suddenly every detail mattered: the precise height of a sock, the position of a bag to make the logo show at the right moment under the spotlights. It was a reminder of the tremendous effort behind the chaos, an orchestra where even the smallest movement played a role.
And then, came the collection. KNWLS has long been associated with an utilitarian underwear aesthetic, and here the duo stretched that vocabulary with remarkable confidence. The palette leaned into cold tones of steely greys, yellowed creams, earthy browns, deep burgundies, and flashes of plaid, while leather pieces arrived in brushed suede finishes that gave them a lived-in, almost worn feel, creating a palpable contrast between fragile and tough, intimacy and armor.
One standout look encapsulated this tension perfectly: a pair of sand-colored, skin-tight leggings buttoned at the hips, paired with a dark grey suede corset that dropped its straps to reveal a bra structured like a choker. The detailing was precise, the silhouette unapologetic. Corsetry appeared with new ferocity. Shoulders exposed, seams traced in contrasting lines, bodies contoured into aerodynamic form. Leather trousers were pleated and buttoned like biker gear underwear, while cropped blazers and mini skirts balanced severity with a feminine softness.
The Nike collaboration added a further twist, folding athletic codes into KNWLS’ post-apocalyptic femininity. Running shoes became futuristic boots. Accessories in blush pinks, warm creams, and militaristic greys felt like relics of some imagined dystopia. A rose-lilac tone through the sportswear pieces, softened the edges to keep them from warrior uniforms. It was an impressive balance: sportswear not as casual attire, but as weaponry.
What impressed most, however, was the sense of identity. Despite the brand’s relative youth, the show radiated maturity. There was nothing derivative, nothing that felt like a borrowed language. Instead, KNWLS offered harmony: a controlled balance between the raw and the refined, between cybernetic futurism and the eternal allure of the female form.
From my position backstage, the intensity of quick changes underlined just how controlled that harmony was. One model was rushed back with seconds to spare, three hands moving at once to tug, fix, zip, and push her back onto the runway. To the audience, it was seamless. Behind the curtain, it was a showdown.
As the final looks circled, we could hear the excitement sounding against the acrylic walls, the energy was one of triumph. Charlotte Knowles herself, sharp and watchful, orchestrated the entire affair with a calm authority resemblance of her brand: with an impressive confidence given her youth. In Milan, surrounded by giants, KNWLS didn’t just hold its ground but claimed new territory.
KNWLS SS26 was a world constructed on the body, dressed for battle, yet undeniably seductive. For those of us lucky enough to witness its making (and, in my case, to help zip it together) the show was proof that fashion’s future does not belong only with the titans, but with the independents who dare.
