At New York Fashion Week, Palomo Spain unveiled Eighteen, a Spring Summer 2026 collection that recast the designer’s theatrical DNA into a tender meditation on youth, ceremony, and sartorial coming of age.

The show opened with christening-white ensembles, lace-trimmed, soft in volume, and imbued with an air of ritual that set the tone for a lineup steeped in delicacy. Babydoll silhouettes, puffed sleeves, and ankle-grazing skirts leaned toward innocence, while precise lace inserts and tonal embroidery supplied a handcrafted intimacy that balanced sweetness with sophistication. Fabrics – cottons, organzas, and chiffons – were chosen for their ability to hold shape without heaviness, emphasizing airiness and refinement.

Proportion drove much of the drama. Cropped jackets and cinched bodices gave way to full skirts and peplums, creating silhouettes that were ceremonial yet wearable. Volume was applied sparingly but effectively: rounded shoulders, cocoon backs, and puffed details served as punctuation rather than excess. Leather trims, belts, and inserts introduced subtle toughness, ensuring the collection didn’t dissolve entirely into romance.

The palette favored pastels and softened primaries against antique whites and creams, later warming into sapphire blues and jewel tones embroidered with Swarovski crystals. These crystal-studded gowns and capes were the most theatrical, modern interpretations of eighteenth-century grandeur executed with precision and polish. Accessories, including Vivas Carrión’s rabbit-ear hats, injected a playful, surreal twist that underscored the storybook mood without breaking its spell.

Construction underscored Palomo’s technical rigor. Seams doubled as decoration, bias cuts allowed gowns to skim and move with ease, and inset panels generated volume with invisible underpinnings. Tailoring remained sharp in cropped trousers and fitted blazers, ensuring balance between structure and softness. Styling stayed refined and understated so that silhouette and embellishment remained the narrative’s focal points.

With Eighteen, Palomo Spain pivoted toward a more commercially legible yet still fantastical register. Where previous collections courted provocation through gender play, this one offered an accessible, polished vision of rites of passage – optimistic, romantic, and technically assured. It was a collection less about confrontation than charm, proof that theatricality can whisper as effectively as it shouts.