Runway
Outsiders Division's "Kindergarten Riot," highlights the brand's bold and humorous statement against rigid societal norms to advocate for ageless play and reclaimed vulnerability. Impeccable tailoring that proves growing up is inevitable, but giving up imagination is optional.
Updated 02:27 pm EDT, October 27, 2025
Published 01:01 am EDT, October 28, 2025
Photo Courtesy: 080 Barcelona Fashion
Outsiders Division's "Kindergarten Riot," highlights the brand's bold and humorous statement against rigid societal norms to advocate for ageless play and reclaimed vulnerability. Impeccable tailoring that proves growing up is inevitable, but giving up imagination is optional.
Updated 02:27 pm EDT, October 27, 2025
Published 01:01 am EDT, October 28, 2025
Photo Courtesy: 080 Barcelona Fashion
For 080 Barcelona Fashion, Outsiders Division created its Spring/Summer 2026 collection, named “Kindergarten Riot.” This collection was inspired by the idea of a riot of color and playfulness that one might find in a kindergarten, blending “tweed, color, and humor to reclaim the freedom of ageless play. The brand focused on vibrant colors, tweed textures, and exaggerated silhouettes, creating a collection that is both playful and sophisticated.
Outsiders Division "Kindergarten Riot" collection during 080 Barcelona Fashion Week SS2026 - October 2025
One outfit especially stood out. It was a color-blocked leather jacket in vibrant, Lego-like colors, paired with a pair of casual striped pants featuring a button-front and a deep pink belt. The jacket was beautiful and playful, and the look, although exaggerated for the runway, could be imagined as a mischievous and sophisticated one on the streets of Europe.
Another eye-catching look featured a playful candy red sweater with an adorable kitten embroidered on the front, paired with a sunshine yellow short skirt adorned with feathers that mimicked a ballerina’s tutu. These looks are not just fascinating due to their color and styling, but also because of the brand’s playful and humorous approach to fashion. Looking more closely, one sees impeccable tailoring and a thoughtful approach to being amusing while still maintaining a high level of fashion.
However, beyond clothing, this collection is a bold statement against societal norms. We live in a society that demands we grow up quickly, hide our tenderness, and disguise our vulnerability. Alonso’s garments suggest the opposite idea that adults should play again, explore again, and reclaim the freedom of experimenting with who they are, regardless of the date on their passport. It is catnip for those who refuse to conform, a rebellion against the status quo.
Outsiders Division presents a reminder that growing up is inevitable, but giving up imagination is optional. We look forward to more fun and beauty from this brand.
Created in 2012 in a Barcelona art gallery by David Méndez Alonso. Under the motto of “Adults who haven’t grown up,” Outsiders Division uses emotions as a tool to draw collections that include a long list of clothing and accessories. Contradiction is always present in his self-proclaimed “Preppy-Punk” designs, which link subculture and pop through the unrestricted use of color and imagination.
David Méndez Alonso is a multidisciplinary artist and fashion designer from Galicia, Spain, who founded Outsiders Division in 2012. Known for his “preppy-punk” aesthetic, Alonso uses his brand to celebrate artistic freedom and the imagination of those who refuse to “grow up.” Alonso studied Fine Arts at university and describes his portfolio as a playground. He works in many different media, including installations, sculptures, paintings, and ceramics. His art is a central component of his clothing brand.
The brand believes that time is not linear. Inside every adult lives a curious child, and inside every grandparent, a young soul that refuses to fade. This collection is born from a paradox: the combination of two different age groups may initially seem contradictory, but when blended, it reveals a new way of looking at fashion.
Alfonso imagines a world where grandchildren trade coats with their grandparents, where school socks coexist with tweed jackets, and where the innocence of play intertwines with the seriousness of tradition. From that friction emerges something new, which is Alonso’s aesthetic of “preppy-punk” that obeys neither age nor rules. Dressing can be an exercise in layers and blends that, when united, tell different stories.
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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