DAGGER’s Fall/Winter 2026 collection, Play Hard, is a direct reflection on a specific place and time: growing up in Portrush, a working-class seaside town in Northern Ireland. The setting is one of scarcity, with boarded-up arcades and harsh coastal weather. In that environment, skateboarding became more than a pastime. It was an escape, a culture, and a way to build an identity.

The collection pulls from the feeling of those winter nights. It recalls empty arcades, fog, and the distant flash of lights. The mood it captures is not simply nostalgic; it is a mix of beauty and something more unsettled.

Each look is built from personal memory. It values resilience and creativity formed through limitation. The idea is not about perfect finishes, but about rough edges and fragility. It finds strength in the context of community.

This personal history is echoed in the collaborative pieces. Vans are featured throughout, specifically the Authentic and Slip On models. Each pair worn in the show was hand-customized. The collection also includes a recreation of an Eastpak Pack’r backpack. This references the designer’s own bag, once covered in drawings and patches sewn by his grandmother. It stands as a symbol of youth, survival, and belonging.

Play Hard functions as a love letter to that time.

Check out below the collection presented at INTERVENTION V during Berlin Fashion Week: