Pieter Mulier has positioned himself as one of the most valuable designers not only for Alaïa, but for the entire fashion world. With his debut at Versace approaching, his farewell gives the house the place it has always deserved. For the Summer/Fall 2026 collection, the designer distilled the essence of the brand, honoring the people behind it and the legacy that lies ahead.

Simple lines that embrace the body, fabrics that reshape and transport silhouettes into a state of eternal elegance. The runway opened with a rhythm moving between tank dresses and enveloping velvets, alongside jackets that reference Alaïa’s founder and sheer layers superimposed in identical color palettes, their only tonal variation determined by the wearer’s skin.

In this show, Mulier settles in and speaks to the next generation. “This is what I leave behind,” the collection seems to say—and what better way to do so than by returning to the beginning. The perfection of these garments goes beyond technique; it lies in understanding the woman who inhabits them. A precise and composed woman who moves in knitted dresses set to the rhythm of a techno score.

Throughout the collection, silhouettes and cuts repeat with deliberate precision until they reach a state of refinement. Layered coats and endlessly pleated skirts appear, yet everything remains restrained and within a single chromatic range, allowing the interplay of textures to become one of the collection’s richest elements.

It seems that Mulier’s next step will be to explore the opposite at Versace. Repetition, precision, and restraint may give way to a new kind of experimentation as he continues to expand his creative reach. How will Alaïa evolve? How will we experience Versace under his vision? Time will tell—but one thing feels certain: it will be done with exquisite taste.