Of all the London brands, KNWLS is one that feels the most London. Though Charlotte Knowles grew up in rural Scotland, and Alexandre Arsenault is from Montreal, both designers studied at Saint Martins, and the brand that grew from their partnership is imbued with the lifeblood of London. It was all the more interesting, then, that when timetables for SS26 dropped, KNWLS was nowhere to be found in London, but scheduled for Milan instead.
It turns out that the change of city was to celebrate a brand new collaboration, one that the label calls its “most significant project to date”: a partnership with sportswear giant Nike. The link-up was revealed on the brand’s SS26 runway, as models appeared wearing logoed technical gear, corseted jackets and a new interpretation of the Air Max Muse. Elsewhere, a “weatherproof plaid” worn by VTSS on the runway had reflective thread coursing through it, while the brand’s Razr bag – the boomerang-shaped It-girl fave – had been recommissioned in nylon and given a rubber bottom “modelled on Nike’s very first waffle outsole.”
Though we spotted a couple swooshes in the collab, the great thing about the joint collection was how seamlessly it married both design worlds. This didn’t seem like a collab of convenience or clout, but a genuine synthesis of ideas. The distinct lack of logos covering the clothing – something you might expect from a Nike collab – spoke to the fact that Knowles and Arsenault were approaching the effort in the same way they would any of their own collections.
In notes mailed out after the show, the designers also explained that the Nike collab was the “impetus for KNWLS’s broader SS26 collection.” Sportswear silhouettes hit the runway as acid wash rompers, technical jackets and garments made from a material called TENCEL™. “This season, KNWLS’ pioneering use of TENCEL™ fibres results in fluid jersey button-down dresses and leggings in midnight blue and sandy beige, accented with graphic grosgrain taping and ruched draping along the sleeves,” explained the collection notes. Elsewhere, the designers revisited signature pieces, like the batwing-sleeved hoodie, and also offered up new propositions, like dome-shouldered leather coats in washed black and teal.
Scroll through the gallery above for the full collection