NAMESAKE officially unveiled its Spring/Summer 2026 collection at Paris Fashion WeekINNERCHILD. This season's designs are inspired by classic coming-of-age films such as Stand by Me, This Boy’s Life, and Jerry Maguire, turning fashion into an emotional playground that helps people reconnect with their inner innocence. The collection is rooted in childhood experiences with elements like school uniforms, scout outfits, and jerseysUniform, creatively deconstructed and reassembled through a contemporary lens. Drawing inspiration from childhood notebooks, the designs feature details like doodles, collages, and patches that showcase thoughtful creativity. These pieces are not just costumes for role play; they serve as talismans reminding us that the beauty of life should not be confined to its endpoints.
This season's fabric choices represent an emotional journey of exploration, intertwining technical fibers with sensory memories. The water stains, stripes, and oceanic motifs of the jacquard materials evoke carefree days by the sea, with these tactile sensations woven into every piece. Simultaneously, the design of the clothing silhouettes emphasizes the body's natural memory and instinctual joy. With elastic drawstrings and adjustable details, the lines of the garments stretch and contract, reminiscent of children running freely—capturing moments from the playground to the fields, from forest paths to emotional awakenings, embodying the essence of Happiness is expression..
In the realm of accessory design, the bags seamlessly blend the features of marine gear, messenger bags, and retro sports bags, marrying practicality with a narrative essence. The petite leather accents evoke images of championship flags, ship signals, and medals, as if imprinting a memory for every effort put in. Design elements like hooks, buckles, and rivets in the bags connect the history of the ocean and ships, while the leather ropes seem to weave together the core spirit of this season.
The design of the shoes begins with the brand's intimate story, featuring delicate creases on the upper, a textured raw waxed cord, and a laceless silhouette, reminiscent of a scout’s notebook that details the traces of adventure. The suede texture and vintage brush coloring pay homage to the father, while the number 3 subtly echoes the bond between brothers. Additionally, some styles are paired with the HUGO FORWARD and Zellerfeld collaboration featuring 3D-printed loafers, crafted from 100% recyclable TPU in a single print process, lightweight and quick-drying, perfectly embodying the casual yet thoughtful spirit promoted by INNERCHILD.
This season, the use of colors showcases faded yet vibrant hues reminiscent of nautical blues and greens, soft yellows, and blush whites, evoking memories of vintage amusement parks and summer vacations under the sun. NAMESAKE transforms global observations of Game and Public Happiness into a visual language that is soft yet resilient, capturing the essence of movement.
What’s grabbing attention is that this showcase has specially invited Grammy Award-winning rapper and producer Roddy Ricch as the music director, crafting an original score for this season. This marks his debut of integrating fresh music into a fashion show. Together with NAMESAKE's creative director Steve Hsieh, Roddy has reimagined the runway, where music and clothing flow harmoniously, with melodies breathing alongside silhouettes, awakening the childhood memories that reside within every heart.
At Paris Men's Fashion Week, NAMESAKE transformed the traditional runway into an emotional space filled with humor and vulnerability. The event featured the conceptual artist PZ Opassuksatit (PZtoday) as the installation artist, inviting the audience to reconnect with the curiosity of their childhood. The seating arrangement was made from vibrant, colorful pool floats, and elements that carried childhood memories were suspended in the air, filling the entire space with a sense of fun. The finale concluded with a giant billboard displaying a straightforward question that was rich in humor and provoked reflection.
In this age that pushes us to grow up too fast, the NAMESAKE 2026 Spring/Summer collection INNERCHILD invites us to slow down and reconnect with that unblemished version of ourselves. Through this collection, the brand evokes intuitive, fleeting yet intense joy, reminding us that whether it's the playful times at a water park, the adventures in an amusement park, or a compliment from a stranger, these precious moments, although they may have become memories, are always with us. This season, it feels like we’ve opened a door back to these joyful moments.
However, the significance of INNERCHILD goes beyond mere nostalgic escapism; it is also a reflection on how we maintain a distance from our past selves. As we grow, clarity is often replaced by complexity, and happiness is no longer as simple as it once was. NAMESAKE, through the questions posed this season, challenges our way of thinking: What if happiness has never truly left; it has merely turned into another form?.
