The art of movement in MCM's SS26 collection We discussed this with the brand's Chief Brand Officer, Dirk Schönberger

The new SS26 MCM collection, presented during Milan Fashion Week, draws deep inspiration from the philosophy of Taekwondo, a discipline founded on movement and balance, with a union of European and Eastern aesthetics that tells the story of the brand advancing toward its 50th anniversary, which will be celebrated next year. The principles of control, respect, and fluidity of this martial art have indeed informed both the design language of the collection and the immersive environment of Casa degli Artisti, where it was presented. For the SS26 collection, the brand has expanded the scope of its heritage of craftsmanship and innovation. The result is a harmony between the disciplined movements of Taekwondo and the limitless creativity of the brand's global identity, which has expanded thanks to the new Korean ownership that has made the Munich brand a truly international entity. «Taekwondo is about strength and control», Dirk Schönberger, Chief Brand Officer, explained to us. «I like this idea as an attitude for a collection. The inspiration comes from MCM's heritage between Munich and its Korean owners: these two worlds collide in this collection. The idea was to take an Asian martial art and combine it with Western-inspired tailoring. These were some of the first thoughts we had when we created this collection.»

Under Schönberger's guidance, MCM proposed garments that reinterpreted martial elements with a luxurious touch. A wide martial arts belt transformed into a strapless dress that wrapped the body in sculpted folds. A bright blue Taekwondo knot defined a short dress and transformed a symbol of restraint into a focal point. A Zen-inspired outfit, minimalist, combined a clean-lined vest, an impeccable shirt, and wide pleated pants, for a disciplined yet fluid look. Quilted bomber jackets featured defined shoulders and cinched waists, while a boxy white jacket was born from stitching martial arts belts and united tradition and innovation. There was also a tailored double-breasted blazer, embellished with a martial knot and paired with wide-leg pants that captured the fluidity of movement. «For the bags, we had a black and white design with stitching on a leather belt and a knot», Schönberger explained. «Our 3D diamond bag had a boxy shape, which I found exciting for leather goods, with studs adding a punk touch. For men, it was the bomber jacket over a tailored suit. For women, it was the white-black dress with a dynamic belt that seemed to move around the body. These pieces told the story.»

The collection's materials brought the theme of movement to life. Cotton, canvas, and wool united durability and softness, while technical jersey imparted tactile structure to vests and dresses, which appeared full of energy. Each garment reflected MCM's philosophy that clothing must go beyond function and became an extension of the wearer's movement and personality. «The classic journey, like large suitcases, inspired us», Schönberger continued, «but movement is part of everyday life. Our collections focused on functionality for daily moments, like going to work. It wasn't just practical: we wanted to mix classic luxury, like leather bags, with a modern and youthful touch, breaking with traditional ideas of a woman's handbag.» The collection fused craftsmanship with explicit technological innovation, with construction techniques that created lightness and elegance. «It was in the construction. We wanted to defy gravity, especially with the women's dresses. For men, it was more controlled, with a focus on craftsmanship, stitching, and layering. I wanted to create something elegant and elevated, so the technological aspect in ready-to-wear remained in the background», said the Chief Brand Officer.

And the exhibition space, called MCM: THE ART OF MOTION, amplified this kinetic theme. Casa degli Artisti transformed into a design dojo, where immersive installations and narratives turned movement into art. An AI hologram, inspired by Taekwondo and developed with Capsa Studio, represented the heart of the experience. A union of East and West with MCM's global identity at its center. «Next year we celebrated our 50th anniversary. Founded in Munich, MCM gained popularity in New York's rap and hip-hop scene in the 80s. When Mrs. Kim acquired the brand 20 years ago, Korean pop culture arrived. It was like an airplane that departed from Munich, with stops in New York and Korea, collecting influences from every culture. MCM was not just German or Korean: it is global. We drew inspiration from hip-hop, German craftsmanship, Korean pop culture, and high-tech ideas. They seemed opposite, but their friction and challenge united them.»

For the future, MCM aimed to expand and embraced its multicultural roots through diverse collaborations to celebrate, next year, a very important anniversary. «For our 50th anniversary next year, we planned collaborations in sports, music, art, industrial design, and fashion», Schönberger finally anticipated to us. «These projects, from different continents and cultures, showed MCM's universe. This multicultural approach, which united diverse identities under the MCM umbrella, was exciting.»