Camperlab SS26
This season, Camperlab (yes, that Camperlab), under the visionary direction of Achilles Ion Gabriel, unveiled its SS26 collection, marking a compelling new chapter for the brand and a bold step away from its experimental roots in footwear to a full-fledged fashion label. The show was a vivid exploration of instability, distortion, and sensory overload, all wrapped in the brand’s hallmark commitment to conscious consumerism and thoughtfully constructed wardrobes.
Held in a uniquely evocative setting, a car park transformed into a pulsating nightclub atmosphere complete with smoke machines and flashing green lights. The show embodied an intentional, determined shift from the quirky to the avant-garde. This was no ordinary runway, it was a lived experience of apparel as fragmented stories stitched into fabric.
The collection itself spoke in distorted silhouettes and surreal textures, where denim suits twisted houndstooth patterns and shrunken, folded shirts challenged conventional forms. The garments folded and unfolded with intentional imperfection, inviting wearers to rethink the rigidity of fashion and embrace dynamic fluidity instead. What struck most profoundly was the way Camperlab’s footwear retained its iconic innovation while merging seamlessly into this wider sartorial vision. Spiky sneakers juxtaposed with square toed, knee high cowboy boots painted a picture of contrast and cohesion, firmly anchoring the collection to its roots but propelling it decisively forward into new territory.
The colors were deliberately washed out, with faint, off-tone palettes that enhanced the show’s immersive, dreamlike quality. Materials played with the senses; rubber, leather, plastic, and synthetic textiles shifted between weightless and swollen, dull and raw, echoing the theme of a world in flux and the nuanced complexity of identity.
True to The Fashion Edit’s ethos and the spirit of conscious fashion, Camperlab’s SS26 collection provokes deeper reflection. It asks us to consider not just the aesthetics of our wardrobe but the fluid stories, emotions, and ethical imperatives woven into each piece. This is fashion that isn’t just worn but lived, a mirror to the fractured yet hopeful human experience in these times. With Camperlab's SS26, Achilles Ion Gabriel has not just designed a collection, he has ignited a movement. And as conscious consumers and fashion lovers, we are invited to follow that path with open eyes and open hearts.
Camperlab website
