The line between public and private dissolves in Carlota Barrera’s spring 2026 collection, an exploration that redefines the boundaries of menswear, through what she calls “the concept of intimacy.” “We’ve been working with something that’s usually unseen, or choosing very selectively who we share it with,” the designer explained. “I think we’re at a point where intimacy has been commodified, so we wanted to give it a tangible form.”
The designer reimagined the language of lingerie through the lens of tailoring and a distinctly masculine sensibility: adjustable straps, sheer fabrics, concealed fastenings, and internal structures that bring the unseen to light. That play between concealment and exposure revealed itself through details only noticeable up close: topstitching that recalled stocking seams, loose ribbons that evoked garters. “We wanted to bring together these two seemingly opposite worlds and explore where they overlap,” she said, noting how the brand incorporated designs that at first glance appeared to be one thing and then turned out to be another. “There are always subtle trompe-l’oeils. In a classic tuxedo trouser, for instance, we added a stripe, then layered it with lingerie-inspired elements reminiscent of the fastening of a corset or a bra.”
Exposing skin was a crucial part of the process, “through translucent layers and fabrics like tulle,” she noted—a way of weaving transparency into the brand’s visual language. “With the tailored jackets, we took these ideas to the limit—the feminine and the masculine—stripping away internal structures and experimenting with new textures,” Barrera explained. It created unexpected intersections.
That sense of duality extended to the palette, where timeless black and white were joined by shades that brought richness and depth. “There’s nude and brown, and also orange. It felt like the perfect fit, adding a contemporary energy to the summer collection. Without it, something was missing,” she noted. “When we began talking about the collection, everything felt too soft. We wanted to explore intimacy without falling into that saccharine clichés.” The result was a subtle interplay of opposition, ambiguity, and transgression.
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