Runway
Mans AW26/27 runway was a whimsical yet highly crafted exploration of metamorphosis, drawing profound inspiration from the butterflies in Van Gogh's paintings.
Updated 01:38 pm EDT, March 22, 2026
Published 08:32 am EDT, March 22, 2026
Photo Courtesy: © IFEMA MADRID
Featured Image: Gustavo Stutz
Mans AW26/27 runway was a whimsical yet highly crafted exploration of metamorphosis, drawing profound inspiration from the butterflies in Van Gogh's paintings.
Updated 01:38 pm EDT, March 22, 2026
Published 08:32 am EDT, March 22, 2026
Photo Courtesy: © IFEMA MADRID
Featured Image: Gustavo Stutz
Mans, formerly known as Mans Concept Menswear, is a cheeky and fashion-forward brand founded by Jaime Álvarez. Jaime was born in 1994 in La Luisiana, Seville, a charming, historical town in the province of Seville, characterized by its unique 18th-century origins and a relaxed, but traditional Spanish atmosphere.
Mans AW26/27 during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid | March 2026 | Photography: Gustavo Stutz
Jaime established the label in 2017, immediately after graduating from the Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) in Madrid. He imbued the brand with his passion for different artistic disciplines from his childhood. Thus, Mans became defined by its fusion of traditional artisanal tailoring with an avant-garde aesthetic. Jaime seeks to bridge the gap between traditional Savile Row suiting, the precision of Japanese pattern making, and his own experimental urges.
The name “Mans” is a tribute to his maternal grandfather, whose German surname was DeMans. His grandfather’s devotion to tailored elegance was a primary inspiration for the brand. Jaime is known for a more lissome approach to masculinity, often incorporating pastel colors, flowing fabrics, romantic details like feathers or sheer tops alongside structured tailoring. The result is a cool menswear aesthetic that strikes a balance between classic Savile Row tailoring and a playful, youthful flair.
Mans new collection is certainly whimsical and avant-garde, but oh-so-lovely and strongly rooted in craftsManship. clean silhouettes, and innovative fabrics. The AW26/27 collection is inspired by the ideas that arise from the butterflies in Van Gogh’s paintings and the traditional precision of tailoring. The butterfly wings inspired clean silhouettes, fluctuating necklines, and volumes that suggest movement.
One of the particular romantic flashes that catches the eye is the consistent use of traditional Japanese attire, such as the Obi, which serves as a brilliant and beautiful sash throughout the collection.
Materials seen in this season’s outfits include the specific cotton used for pharmacists’ lab coats. This fabric serves as a silent tribute to Jaime’s childhood spent with his grandfather in the family pharmacy. It is a memory transformed into a real-world substance, and in turn, used to fuel the designer’s new garments.
The imagery of butterflies also appears throughout the collection as both a symbol and a unifying thread. The butterfly represents transformation, memory, and rebirth. All these elements coexist within a collection that seamlessly blends technique, culture, and emotion. In this collection, Jaime ensures that every garment represents a metamorphosis. He uses his memories to create innovative designs that transcend tradition, offering modern, hip new looks that embody the idea that masculinity can come from multiple perspectives. The collection is an invitation to wear stories and dreams.
The fabrics also support the idea of metamorphosis. Wool and leather provide structure, cashmere offers softness and warmth, while silk lends luster and fluidity. I was especially impressed by the use of chiffon, which lent the collection an air of transparency and airiness and reinforced the ideas of lightness and freedom.
A specific example of all this hyperbole is a magnificent combination of blazer, shirt, trousers, and tie that frankly made me swoon. I adore the juxtaposition of euro-preppy with Mans’ emphasis on romance, and how Jaime pushes the boundaries of what is fashionable without neutering a male point of view. The blazer is a traditional camel wool with slick lines and a single button, which is apropos, because you would not want to hide the mint-green pleated trousers in leather.
One would think leather would be heavy, but Jaime, through color and his own genius, gave these trousers an airy, flowing style. The shirt and tie were beautiful reminders of the traditional, but the Obi transcended the outfit into the sublime. The sequined Obi used mint green as its foundation color, but then was embellished with delightful tiny flowers in cream, lilac, and a darker moss. This was the epitome of Mans new take on menswear.
Another outfit was deceptively clean and simple, with a cropped white jacket paired with dark forest green wool felt that gave the impression of dark undergrowth beneath soaring trees. The jacket had a mandarin straight collar and was presented with an exaggerated lapel rigidly crossed over the chest, so that a shirt was unnecessary. This outfit was both carefully tailored and so youthful and masculine. It was a revelation in its simplicity of cut and complexity of design.
A final look that needs to be discussed is a saturated sun-yellow leather jacket with small horizontal beige stripes, giving it depth and style. It was matched with a preppy striped sweater vest in the same sun-yellow and a deeper caramel color. The shirt was a pale dusty blue and had a high collar that transitioned into a loose tie. This design maintains a masculine motif while still showing a more delicate sensibility.
The future of Mans will be defined by a strategic transition from a purely menswear label to a comprehensive fashion house offering clothing for both men and women. In 2024, the brand unveiled its first womenswear collection. In addition, Jaime is determined to establish dedicated physical shops to provide a tactile, boutique experience. Jaime Alvarez has shown with his collection that he will be a beautiful force to be reckoned with in the fashion world.
Recovering from an obsession with Italian-designed menswear, Alfonso decided to take a deeper look into women’s fashion to see how our relationship among clothing, society, and business has changed. Educated as an economist with an MBA, he travels between Chicago, Miami, and Mexico on a search to see what happens next to fashion.
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