Palomo unveiled its Spring Summer 2026 collection, Eighteen, in Madrid at the newly renovated Palace Hotel. The intimate show formed part of the MBFW calendar and marked a one-time return to the city, as the brand usually presents in New York. This move underscored the significance of the collection, which reflected on change, maturity, and independence.
Alejandro Gómez Palomo used Eighteen to explore the threshold between youth and adulthood. The collection focused on that universal moment when life appears unchanged yet feels transformed from within. Palomo translated this idea into clothing that carried a freer, more sensual and restless energy, representing the transition toward emancipation. The title Eighteen captured this double meaning: the age of maturity and the number of the house’s eighteenth collection, an important point in the designer’s career.
The presentation connected directly to the brand’s present reality. Palomo is moving its workshop from its hometown to Madrid, an act that symbolizes growth and creative expansion. This relocation represents leaving behind family protection and entering a stage defined by independence. In this way, the collection mirrored not only universal change but also the house’s own evolution.
Visual references in Eighteen came from Sofia Coppola’s films, from The Virgin Suicides to Marie Antoinette. These influences shaped a mood where innocence exists alongside rebellion and desire for freedom. The clothes reflected this duality through powdered tones, soft atmospheres, and a soundtrack filled with nostalgia. Pastel pinks, aqua greens, and light blues set the palette, while fabrics carried an intimacy associated with domestic life. Against this softness, Palomo introduced disruptions: unexpected cuts, expressive volumes, and details that suggested an urge to break away.
The collection advanced Palomo’s signature through knitwear and leather while introducing new silhouettes and precise details. Contrasts between opaque and transparent, hard and soft, gave form to a dialogue of restraint and release. The collaboration with Swarovski continued this season with floral designs featuring crystals in green, blue, and pink. The pieces balanced delicacy with strength, reinforcing Palomo’s distinctive approach while signaling new ground for the house.
Beyond the garments themselves, Eighteen functioned as a reflection on growing up and establishing one’s own rules. It expressed the decision to move forward while acknowledging the past. Alejandro described the process in personal terms: “It has a lot to do with leaving the town where we have always been and where we started Palomo – leaving the workshop, leaving your home. Even with beginning to distance yourself from that family nucleus you’ve been attached to your whole life. We see it reflected in the characters of the collection, but in reality, it also speaks a lot about us, the Palomo team.”
Collaborations added further texture to the season. Hats designed by Vivas Carrión became standout accessories, while footwear came from Charles & Keith and PEDRO.
With Eighteen, Palomo delivered a collection that examined transformation through both personal and professional lenses. By situating the show in Madrid and referencing the brand’s own relocation, Alejandro Gómez Palomo underscored the significance of maturity and change.
