Thom Browne’s Fall 2026 show unfolded beneath Rodin’s The Three Shades, a set of watchful figures, their bronze forms suspended above the gates of San Francisco’s Legion of Honor. It was an intentional setting for a collection concerned with movement, endurance, and the long pursuit of excellence. Staged just days before Super Bowl LX as part of the GQ Bowl, the show bridged sport, philosophy, and fashion with Browne’s signature rigor.
Inspired by Dante’s Inferno, the presentation traced the human journey through discipline and imagination. Actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II narrated select cantos as models moved steadily across the courtyard, their silhouettes layered and deliberate. NFL players, including DeAndre Hopkins and Justin Jefferson, appeared among the cast, underscoring Browne’s ongoing fascination with athletics not just as spectacle, but as a metaphor for craft.
The clothes themselves were classic Thom Browne, refined yet restless. His signature grey anchored the collection, rendered through layers and layers of coats, kilts, parkas, tailoring, and knits in new proportions. Custom wool flannels, compact high-twist suiting, Donegal tweeds, and structured cashmere knits formed a foundation that felt both scholarly and utilitarian. Outerwear carried a sense of journey: waterproof cashmere blousons, oilcloth shells, melton wool parkas, and shearling duffles cut with bold volume.
Texture and technique took center stage. Fair Isle knits reworked with intarsia snowflakes and mountain scenes added moments of quiet whimsey, while Prince of Wales checks, gun club tweeds, and embroidered cable detailing elevated traditional suiting into something almost architectural. Pleated skirts at varying lengths, mini, knee, and pencil, were integrated seamlessly into many of the looks reinforcing Browne’s continued dismantling of conventional menswear boundaries.
Footwear echoed the collection’s functional elegance. Hiking soles returned on longwing brogues and boots, reinforced with metal toe bumpers in Thom Browne’s signature red, white, and blue. Accessories followed suit, with new iterations of the Bolton bag introduced in distressed leather, supple calfskin, and backpacks designed for movement.
For the finale, coats were removed and slung over shoulders by backpack straps, a subtle gesture suggesting endurance and the road ahead. Completing the narrative was Browne’s debut collaboration with ASICS: a limited-edition GEL-KAYANO 14 worn by each model during the finale, the brands first true design partnership with a sneaker brand set for release on March 2nd.
In a city defined by hills and horizons, Browne delivered a collection that felt quietly monumental. Less about spectacle, more about persistence, Fall 2026 reaffirmed his belief that style, like excellence, is built layer by layer, over time.
Discover the collection below.
Photos courtesy of Thom Browne