Duro Olowu's Fall 2026 collection is a family affair, drawing inspiration from the designer's childhood memories of his Jamaican and Nigerian relatives in London. This season, Olowu aimed to create sharp clothing with a playful twist, resulting in a collection that felt both vintage and fresh. The collection featured oversized, pointy-tipped collars on printed shirts, 1940s-inspired skirts with pleats, and snazzy tailoring borrowed from menswear. Many of these looks were paired with Olowu's signature 'uncle shoes', narrow slip-on styles with gold embellishment. The designer refreshed these retro shapes with bright colors and a vine pattern, creating breezy shirtwaist dresses with pouf shoulders and pleats, tops with dandy-ish bows at the neck, belted coats, and culottes. The prints could be dizzying at times, but they certainly made an entrance. The tailored pieces were more subdued but still statement-making, including a lineup of bouclé beauties, a black cape with paillettes, and a cocoon coat dotted with oversized animal-print buttons. Olowu also took these vintage shapes in other directions, whipping up A-line coats with dashes of animal print, and working an embossed black silk and cotton fabric into bolero jackets and dresses with flamenco ruffles. The gold brocade capes and devoré velvet trousers were a blend of vintage glamour and the designer's kaleidoscopic imagination. This collection is a testament to Olowu's ability to create clothing that is both sharp and fun, while also paying homage to his cultural heritage.
