Style may be eternal, but the fashion industry is ever-changing. To help you stay across what’s new and noteworthy, we’re back with the May 2026 edition of On Thread, our monthly fashion news series. Here, we compile all the important fashion industry moves, collections, and collaborations you need to know about and distil them into an easy-to-read, scrollable format.
This month, our fashion news takes on a more local tone, with Australian Fashion Week taking place in the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA)—moving away from Redfern’s Carriageworks after over a decade—from the 11th to 15th of May. With both established and emerging homegrown designers putting on a show—not to mention, shows from First Nations designers Buluuy Mirrii and Van Ermel Scherer—there’s set to be an exciting roster of sartorial offerings on our own little island. Of course, we’ll still be covering all the collabs, drops, and industry news worth knowing about from across the pond.
- May 2026 fashion news
- Maticevski returns to AFW with an intimate ethearal salon show
- 66°North captures 100 people of 100 ages for its centenary
- Hailey Bieber proves she can be an Alaïa woman
- Dame Helen Mirren is the newest face of Stella McCartney’s Ryder bag
- Alysa Liu is officially a Louis Vuitton girl
- Stella McCartney unveils world’s first plant-based feather alternative
- Burberry and Hunza G collaborate on a swimwear capsule
May 2026 fashion news
Whether you’re catching up on the latest fashion news on the couch at home, or ensconced in the bathroom at fashion week trying to figure out where the last creative director switchup left everyone—who is the current creative director of Loewe? Why is Jonathan Anderson stocked at Uniqlo?? Whatever happened to that chic husband-and-wife duo at Jil Sander???—we’ve got all the fashion news you need to know in May 2026 right here.
Maticevski returns to AFW with an intimate ethearal salon show
Toni Maticevski’s namesake brand returned to Australian Fashion Week for the first time in a decade, putting on an intimate show reminiscent of a Parisian salon. Held in The Collider in Haymarket, Maticevski Winter 2026 appeared as if in a world of its own. Free from the constraints of fleeting trends—or indeed, a desire for ‘timelessness’—Maticevski put forward an inducement to partake in the ethereal, almost fantastical, side of life. With a tight 22-look show defined by sculptural forms, diaphanous fabrics, abundant fringing, exacting tailoring and drapery, and a sprinkle of nature motifs, Maticevski Winter 2026 was a lesson in not only craftsmanship, but world building.
66°North captures 100 people of 100 ages for its centenary
Icelandic brand 66°North is celebrating a century of existence in the best way possible: by photographing 100 people across 100 ages, with one born in each year from 1926 to 2026. Born in the village of Suðureyri in Iceland’s rugged Westfjords in 1926, 66°North is a purpose-built brand founded by young fisherman Hans Kristjánsson who created garments designed to withstand the conditions at sea. With over 97 percent of Icelanders owning a piece—whether it be an outerwear garment or accessories like gloves—from 66°North, the brand can truly attest to having clothed a nation.
“We design for real conditions, and Iceland provides some of the most demanding testing grounds in the world,” shares Helgi Óskarsson, CEO of 66°North, on the brand’s ensuring relevance. “That keeps us grounded. We don’t follow trends. Every design decision starts with purpose – why we’re making something, who it’s for, and what it needs to withstand. That approach is inherently Icelandic.”
To mark a century of existence, 66°North has celebrated with a campaign that shows off its inextricable place in Icelandic society. The campaign comprises 100 portraits, with one person born in each year of the brand’s existence, all of whom reside in Iceland. Each of the portraits feature participants wearing a 66°North garment from their own wardrobe, with the series taking over a year to produce. Captured by Sigríður Margrét, the portrait series was taken across the country in an ad-hoc style, with the photographer often scouting and stopping people wearing 66°North in the wild.
Hailey Bieber proves she can be an Alaïa woman
Alaïa has released its Summer-Fall 2026 Archetypes campaign, shot by Tyrone Lebon at the photographer’s own London gallery, Graces Mews. Conceived by creative director Pieter Mulier, the campaign stars Hailey Bieber, with the model styled in a series of sculptural, body conscious styles with an emphasis on sculptural forms and tactile textures.
Dame Helen Mirren is the newest face of Stella McCartney’s Ryder bag
Stella McCartney has released the latest edition of its Ryder Portraits series, starring none other than Dame Helen Mirren. The cruelty-free handbag takes on a structured curvilinear silhouette, executed either woven or smooth soft animal-free fabric and finished with a brass lock.
Alysa Liu is officially a Louis Vuitton girl
Louis Vuitton has announced Alysa Liu as its newest house ambassador. The 20-year-old American figure skater and two-time Olympic gold medalist was selected for her confident, expressive attitude to her craft and fearless style, which parallels the contemporary vision of audacity the storied maison is ushering in.
“Stepping into this new chapter as a Louis Vuitton ambassador is an honour and a privilege, especially for a figure skater to be recognised in this way, and I take so much pride in that,” shared Alysa Liu. “As a figure skater, I’m an athlete, I train hard, I skate fast, but when I’m performing, I want to show you how soft I can be. As a Louis Vuitton ambassador, I get to show you my style, strength and softness because I know that luxury is in the details, and the same goes for choreographing a program and designing a collection. Life is all about connection, and Louis Vuitton has made me feel included. It’s a really empowering feeling to be part of something so artistic.”
Stella McCartney unveils world’s first plant-based feather alternative
Stella McCartney has proposed an ethical alternative to traditional feathers. Developed in collaboration with UK-based startup Fevvers, the material deviates from conventional plastic-based faux feathers and is composed of plant-based materials. The company is currently withholding details on the exact type of plants used and processing undertaken to prevent copycats, however the end result offers the same fluffy texture and billowing movement as real plumes.
Learn more about Fevvers via Stella McCartney.
Burberry and Hunza G collaborate on a swimwear capsule
Burberry and Hunza G have teamed up, applying the former’s instantly recognisable tartan pattern to the latter’s signature one-size-fits-most crinkle-cut swimwear. The collaboration takes on a subtle tone, with largely monochromatic styles trimmed with Burberry checks. Rendered in a colour palette of black, white, metallic cocoa, and red, there are one-piece, bikini, and tube top styles, each cut from stretchy crinkle-cut fabric that fits from a UK size 6 to 18. The capsule collection also introduces a dedicated motif that reimagines the Burberry Knight as a seahorse and is accompanied by a campaign starring Bridgerton actress Simone Ashley and model Alva Claire, shot by Ryan McGinley.
“Our approach to material and craft is shaped by a relationship to the elements – pieces you can wear in and out of the water,” shared Daniel Lee, chief creative officer at Burberry. “Bringing that together with the heritage of Burberry felt natural, to create something special that feels effortless,” added Hunza G founder Georgiana Huddart.
Explore Burberry x Hunza G via Burberry.
Want to stay abreast of all the new and noteworthy developments in the fashion world? Find all our fashion news coverage here and catch up on previous editions of On Thread below:
- On Thread: Fashion News To Know In January 2026
- On Thread: Fashion News To Know In February 2026
- On Thread: Fashion News To Know In March 2026
- On Thread: Fashion News To Know In April 2026
Words by Arabella Johnson and Esmé Duggan
