Alessandro Dell’Acqua approached N°21 Spring Summer 2026 Collection with a vision centered on transparency, layering, and reinterpretation. The collection focused on a woman whose presence derives from personality rather than surface beauty, expressed through a play of materials and subtle contrasts. Dell’Acqua translated this idea into a narrative where airy chiffon, embroidered lace, and unconventional pairings created looks that revealed and concealed at once.
The designer described his process as an examination of twentieth-century imagery and archetypes, approached without nostalgia. He rethought classical shapes that defined women’s fashion for decades and transformed them into a collective story of experiences. His approach included elements from the men’s collection, which appeared alongside women’s looks, allowing slip dresses, pleats, and chiffon pieces to share the runway with tailoring and masculine references.
A defining ensemble layered a sheer chiffon dress slit from underarm to below the knee over a black chiffon skirt, brocade shorts, and an embroidered lace bra. Chiffon flower pins or metal floral pins introduced tactile accents, while a sweater draped around the shoulders reinforced casual styling. The effect captured Dell’Acqua’s obsession with layering and his fascination with visual depth created through fabric transparency.
Material experimentation drove the collection further. A red duchesse skirt seemed stiff but revealed softness through chiffon petals shaped like plumage, while gold lamé pleats created luminous movement. A bomber jacket balanced the delicacy of a chiffon slip-dress, and linen outerwear appeared in both cape-like forms and polka-dot versions. Embroidered lace evoked the 1920s, crochet lace mimicked bloomers, and a pony-skin suit deliberately contrasted with the season’s lightness. Sequined T-shirts revealed dotted cutouts, and mannish shirts added sharpness beside fluid slip dresses layered in pink and floral variations.
Accessories extended these ideas through detailed finishes. The Cabiria Bag featured studs and charms, reimagined in pony skin and canvas. Footwear centered on two models: a double-buckle derby in white, black, blue, and brown, and a round-toe sling-back, both accented with studs. These pieces reinforced the collection’s language of contrast and layered detail.
N°21 Spring Summer 2026 collection conveyed Dell’Acqua’s ability to reshape classics with lightness and invention. Through sheer fabrics, layered constructions, and unexpected material choices, the designer offered a season that balanced delicacy with strength while presenting his fascination with layering as a creative ritual.
