H&M Studio A/W26 builds a new power silhouette — strong shoulders, cinched waist, unmistakable presence

For A/W26, H&M Studio returns to its roots in great tailoring — and pushes them to mean something new. Inspired by iconic black and white images of 1990s fashion photographers, the collection is built on contrasts — and the tension between them. Strict masculine structures are set against a sensual, powerful femininity to create something timeless and entirely contemporary. Strong shoulders meet an hourglass silhouette. Heavy wool meets delicate lace detailing. The result is dressing that feels deeply personal and unmistakably H&M Studio. The collection will be in selected stores and at hm.com on 24 September.

Key pieces include a grey melange pinstripe blazer in wool with a nipped-in waist and lining peeking from the hems, and a long charcoal wool coat with shoulder seam details and a faux leather belt. A tailored blazer-dress has visible darting, fabric-covered buttons and a zip back, while a black padded coat features an oversized faux fur shawl collar, elastic drawcord hem and faux leather belt. The effect is confident without severity, sensual without fragility.

There’s also a black leather jacket with funnel neck and strong shoulders, a menswear-inspired cotton poplin shirt with double collar and double-folded cuffs in a stripe borrowed from sun awnings seen in Palermo, a white shirt with hourglass silhouette, raw edges on the collar and cuffs and tuxedo-style cuffs, and a double-layer tank in subtly transparent jersey. Dresses include a long off-white style with waist folds, funnel neck and baby lock edges, and a double-layer sunset pink dress with spaghetti straps, pin tuck front, lace edges and a high slit.

Materials reflect the same spirit of deliberate contradiction. Heavyweight wools and pinstripe tailoring sit alongside delicate three-dimensional lace with sequin overlay and gauzy fabrications that evoke lingerie dressing, while rib knits and faux fur complete a fabric story ranging from the architectural to the deeply tactile. The colour palette is grounded and evocative: deep blacks and charcoals, warm taupes and siennas, with moments of contrast where the light breaks through.

“H&M Studio A/W26 is about the quiet power of a woman who knows herself. She wears tailoring with ease and ownership, but she makes it entirely her own. There’s something almost cinematic about it, a feeling of intense drama but also joy. That’s the energy of Italian fashion photographs in the 1990s, and that’s what we wanted to bring into the clothes,”
says Ann-Sofie Johansson, Creative Advisor & Head of Design at H&M.

The H&M Studio A/W26 collection was unveiled at H&M’s runway show at London Fashion Week on 17 September.