The Japanese designer toys with contrasts for Spring 2026, bridging the gap between softness and severity.
FLORENCE, TUSCANY — The name Hideaki Shikama will be familiar to those who pay close attention to the menswear beat of our times, where he gained the prestigious Tokyo Fashion Award back in 2017.
Shikama made his Pitti Uomo debut years ago with a collection that transposed his signature functional-led neutral layers and sturdy tailoring onto the male form. But the designer was thinking differently for his Florence outing, which he described in his show notes as the Hideaki Shikama man “reconnecting both in name and spirit with vibrant chaos.” But there’s more to the story.
True to his word, this outing took a far wackier approach. It was also technical at times, with structured toppers exposing overdyeing, deconstruction and dashes of asymmetric volumes; what’s more, lean silhouettes that had a subtle oomph were compensated by functional touches that won the race here, too.
But the look was practical and wearable, and there was plenty of evidence of that original bone of an idea across the offerings. Shikama worked to soften up its range—tactile sophistication was elevated within wardrobe classics which, in turn, embraced a high-density pool of weaves and fine-gauge yarns that toy with the parallels of subtlety and tension: breeziness remained pivotal throughout.
Elsewhere, textile experimentation runs apace: deadstock selvedge wool leans on threads of sartorial precision, teamed with an equally meticulous take on pattern-making (outwear featured denim and waterproof-like jackets, with statement zips placed atop the upper side of them).
There was a serene quality to this season’s offerings, but it was actually an attempt to expand the vernacular of an interchangeable slew of patchwork-ed numbers that tripped up this brave step forward—an onslaught of sharply-cut blazers, thigh-high boots, overlayed fastenings and bold surface-patterned motifs; all in all, a plethora of creative elements that require delicate handling and poised doses.
by Chidozie Obasi