Paolo Carzana is building a house. Not a literal one, but a creative world, brick by brick, without compromise. For his Spring/Summer 2026 collection, this world is an underwater vessel, a library-ship descending into the ocean’s depths. It is his answer to the usual pathways, a thesis on what fashion can be.
The initial spark was the word “supernatural.” For Carzana, this is not about fantasy. It is about the wonder already here on Earth: the colors of coral, the textures of habitats, the reality of regeneration. This idea took root during research that began with David Attenborough’s Ocean documentary. The film shifted his perspective, presenting Mother Earth as the genius and humanity as the monster, endangering the very ecosystems that inspire awe.
This investigation deepened through a project with the British Library. Walking through its archives, which are housed in a building designed to feel like a ship, Carzana immersed himself in texts on the sixth extinction, endangered species, and the devastating practice of bottom trawling. He listened to audio recordings of extinct birds. The library became his submarine, a space to transform time and space.
The collection itself is a journey back from this brink. The color palette tells the story. It begins with the bleached whites of dying coral and, as the looks progress, reverses time. The colors slowly return, filling with an electric, vibrant life. These are not synthetic hues; every dye is derived from the earth. Carzana hand-painted garments using natural dyes from indigo, pomegranate, and seaweed, mixed with mordants like vinegar and lemon juice.
The textiles are a tribute to lost and endangered creatures. As a vegan, this presented a conflict for Carzana, who has avoided using animals as inspiration. Yet he moved forward abstractly, hoping to encourage protection, not exploitation. Collaborator Nasir Mazhar created headwear from cotton rag paper and peace silk chiffon, forming feather and fish-like structures. The clothing is intensely three-dimensional, with pleats and volumes that grow around the body, referencing the fragile strength of the Pangolin, the most trafficked mammal on earth.
This focus on the Pangolin becomes the heart of the collection. To Carzana, this animal represents the supernatural on earth, a creature so magnificent its only defense is to curl into a ball. The collection is a plea. It is a reminder that if we do not change, we may one day be left with only the memory of such beings and the story of The Last Pangolin on Earth.
Check out the collection below:
