An English Summer moment, framed in Milan.
For Spring/Summer 2026, dunhill returns to the verdant grounds of the Giardini Poldi Pezzoli to present a collection rooted in regal British elegance and rock’n’roll irreverence. Held within the private garden of the Museo Poldi Pezzoli, the show celebrates tradition, tailoring and the timeless appeal of English dressing – through the lens of an Italian Summer evening.
This season draws on a dual heritage: the tailored aristocracy of the Duke of Windsor and King Charles III, and the insouciant style of bohemian icons like Bryan Ferry and Charlie Watts. With silhouettes ranging from precise city tailoring to relaxed cocktailwear, the collection speaks in contrasts – ceremony and ease, discipline and decadence – and is defined by hand craftsmanship.
Key pieces include Glen check car coats lined in tattersall, bonded linen suits softened by sun-faded pastels, and haberdashery in irreverent gelato shades. English-milled fabrics – wool-linen blends, silk-cotton twills – are cut with precision and finished with hand-rolled seams and monogrammed cuffs. The Davies driving sneaker returns in supple suede, nodding to a rich motoring legacy.
Backstage at the show, British Summer tradition met irreverent flair. Stark Madras jackets, bright cable knits, and linen-cashmere polos came together in bold, blocky compositions – evoking the vivid visual language of the sporting season: from Wimbledon to the Alfred Dunhill Padel Classic.
Checks were abundant. Oversized glen check blazers layered over tonal shirting, cotton trousers paired with a smaller-scale version of the same pattern – a play of scale and texture. Among them, a standout houndstooth jacket, rendered in a soft silk-wool blend, offered a nod to classic menswear, reimagined for sun-drenched ease.
Throughout, a tension between the aristocratic and the bohemian. The precision of tailoring met the looseness of 1970s hedonism – an insouciance echoed in Macclesfield-print scarves, candy stripes, and gelato shades of dull pink, pale lavender, and washed pistachio. Regal roots, undone with bohemia.
Among the guests were friends of the House from stage and screen, including actors Corey Mylchreest, Michiel Huisman, Amir El-Masry and Mark Strong, alongside emerging talents Tosin Cole, Nabhaan Rizwan and Akinola Davies Jr. Their presence brought contemporary refinement to a setting steeped in tradition – underscoring the House’s dialogue between legacy and modernity.
