{"id":1822455,"date":"2026-03-12T15:41:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T12:41:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1822455"},"modified":"2026-03-12T15:41:00","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T12:41:00","slug":"mask4mask-masquerade-was-having-a-moment-at-the-aw26-shows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1822455","title":{"rendered":"Mask4mask: Masquerade was having a moment at the AW26 shows"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1200\/0-323-1995-1330\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441485.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article class=\"main-article standard \">\n<div class=\"article-main-content article-wrapper has-media-but-its-an-image\" data-status=\"loaded\" data-primary-article=\"true\" data-url=\"\/fashion\/article\/69897\/1\/mask-trend-london-paris-fashion-week-aw26-fw26-matieres-fecales-mcqueen\" data-article-id=\"69897\">\n<header class=\"article-header has-portrait-image no-media\">\n<div class=\"wrapper dg-max-width\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<figure class=\"main-img has-figcaption\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"0.67\" data-template=\"Standard Article\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Masks on the AW26 runway\" class=\"img\" height=\"3000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1280\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441485.jpg\" width=\"2002\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"inner\"><span class=\"credit\">Photography Eric Aydin-Barberini<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"meta\">\n<div class=\"inner\"><time datetime=\"2026-03-12T15:41:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"12 March 2026\"><span class=\"month\">March<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"12\">12,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"titles\">\n<div class=\"tags\">\n<div class=\"sections\"><a class=\"category vertical - fashion\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\">Fashion<\/a><br \/>\n\/<br \/>\n<a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/feature\">Feature<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"standard-tag-container\"><a class=\"standard-category\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\">Fashion<\/a> \/<br \/>\n<a class=\"standard-series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/feature\">Feature<\/a><\/div>\n<h1 class=\"title\"><span>Mask4mask: Masquerade was having a moment at the <span class=\"nowrap\">AW26 shows<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n<div class=\"standfirst\">\n<h2>In London and Paris, masks were trending on the runways \u2013 but who is afforded the luxury of anonymity <span class=\"nowrap\">in 2026?<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-03-12T15:41:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"12 March 2026\"><span class=\"month\">March<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"12\">12,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-03-12T15:41:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"12 March 2026\"><span class=\"month\">March<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"12\">12,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/p>\n<div class=\"providers\">\n<div class=\"contributors\"><span class=\"contributor\" data-contributor-role=\"Text\"><span class=\"contributor-role\">Text<\/span><a class=\"contributor-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/user\/BenFreemann\">Ben Freeman<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article-body-container\">\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"dazed-gallery has-19-images \">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<header>\n<div class=\"info\"><span class=\"heading\">Masks on the <span class=\"nowrap\">AW26 runway<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"gallery\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumbs\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/gallery\/36837\/0\/masks-on-the-aw26-runway\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Masks on the AW26 runway\" class=\"img\" height=\"910\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-1365-910\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441488.jpg\" width=\"1365\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/gallery\/36837\/1\/masks-on-the-aw26-runway\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Masks on the AW26 runway\" class=\"img\" height=\"908\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-333-1362-908\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441487.jpg\" width=\"1362\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/gallery\/36837\/2\/masks-on-the-aw26-runway\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Masks on the AW26 runway\" class=\"img\" height=\"908\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-579-1362-908\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441489.jpg\" width=\"1362\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/gallery\/36837\/3\/masks-on-the-aw26-runway\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Masks on the AW26 runway\" class=\"img\" height=\"1330\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-323-1995-1330\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441485.jpg\" width=\"1995\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/gallery\/36837\/4\/masks-on-the-aw26-runway\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Masks on the AW26 runway\" class=\"img\" height=\"1224\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-338-1836-1224\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441486.jpg\" width=\"1836\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/gallery\/36837\/5\/masks-on-the-aw26-runway\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Masks on the AW26 runway\" class=\"img\" height=\"578\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/591-83-867-578\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441483.jpg\" width=\"867\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-footer\">Gallery \/ 19 images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>The AW26 fashion month saw a new trend emerge on the runways: a resurgence of masks and a return to the masquerade. Over the last few weeks, it\u2019s been mask4mask across the fashion capitals, with up-and-comers like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/tag\/oscar-ouyang\"><span>Oscar Ouyang<\/span><\/a><span> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/69710\/1\/thevxlley-aw26-fw26-london-fashion-week-lfw-daniel-del-valle-debut\"><span>Thevxlley<\/span><\/a><span> in London incorporating the masquerade in their collections, as well as brands like Julie Kegels, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/vaquera\"><span>Vaquera <\/span><\/a><span>and Mati\u00e8res F\u00e9cales featuring their own interpretations in their shows. Though it might just seem like a reference or stylistic embellishment, masks have a new meaning in the year 2026. With the sinister growth of surveillance culture, hiding is a luxury only few can afford. But if you\u2019re lucky enough to get away with it, how do our behaviours shift when we\u2019re afforded anonymity?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The masquerade ball as we know it traces back to 15th-century Venice, where Carnival transformed the city into a theatre of collective anonymity. The bauta \u2013 a stark white mask with a jutting jaw, worn with a black cape \u2013 became the great social equaliser, its blank face making noblemen and servants indistinguishable from one another. As Venetian society was rigidly stratified, the masks at Carnival were used as a way to let Venetian people exhale. Under it, you could gamble, flirt, explore (unethical) non-monogamy, cross class lines, and move through the city without consequence. The mask didn\u2019t just conceal the face \u2013 it suspended the social order to which your identity was tethered. By the 18th century, the masquerade had spread across Europe, becoming a fixture of aristocratic entertainment, though it always retained the frisson of transgression underneath the spectacle.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Fast forward to the 20th century, and masks began appearing on the runway. They have have long been a staple of certain fashion houses: for SS93, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/maison-martin-margiela\">Maison Martin Margiela<\/a> used cotton muslin veils to create an eerie, translucent silhouette of the face, introducing a motif that would resurface in the brand\u2019s world for decades to come. Similarly, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/alexander-mcqueen\">Alexander McQueen<\/a>\u2019s infamous AW96 <em>Dante<\/em> show debuted the now-iconic crucifix mask, where Christ\u2019s final moments sat in three dimensions between the eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"73dcd6d3-a2ea-4658-b0df-b40b00eef6b3\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441496.JPG\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"0.67\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Masks on the AW26 runway\" class=\"img\" height=\"3000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441496.JPG\" width=\"2000\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"caption\">McQueen AW26<\/span><span class=\"credit\">Courtesy of McQueen<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/saul-nash\"><span>Saul Nash<\/span><\/a><span>\u2019s AW26 show, aptly titled <\/span><em><span>Masquerade<\/span><\/em><span>, happened this January in Milan. The designer took the concept somewhere more intimate, but still firmly rooted in his home city of London. The starting point was <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/notting-hill-carnival\"><span>Notting Hill Carnival<\/span><\/a><span>, a tradition where costume is never just decoration, but a form of becoming. From there the designer traced a line to Venice, and then back again to the city he grew up in. The result was a collection that included no traditional masks, but questioned other types of \u2018mask\u2019 we wear.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>A tracksuit was printed with the silhouette of a suit, a piece of clothing that Nash designed as a means of social camouflage, dressing for a room that might not otherwise let you in. \u201cA form of masquerade in your own life,\u201d\u00a0 the designer said in his show notes. \u201cA medium to embody who you want to be.\u201d Where the Venetian bauta mask collapsed class distinctions through anonymity, Nash is doing something adjacent but distinctly contemporary: using clothes to navigate the codes and hierarchies of a city like London, where disparate demographics regularly rub up against one another.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"25aa94d9-275a-4898-a496-b40b00ef09c6\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441500.JPG\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"0.8\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Masks on the AW26 runway\" class=\"img\" height=\"3000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441500.JPG\" width=\"2400\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"caption\">Saul Nash AW26<\/span><span class=\"credit\">Courtesy of <span class=\"nowrap\">Saul Nash<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>When I asked CSM grad Ouyang about his whimsical and almost mischievous masks, designed by milliner Noel Stewart, he responded in the same vein. \u201cIt\u2019s like shielding identity \u2013 you\u2019re trying to blend in, and blending into something that you\u2019re hiding behind at the same time.\u201d Elsewhere, Ouyang noted an interesting resistance when revealing the masks to his cast. \u201cWhen you tell established models, their agents actually don\u2019t want them to be behind a mask.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span>\u201cWe\u2019re always on; always curating, consuming, performing and being watched\u201d \u2013 Se\u00e1n McGirr<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span>The face, it turns out, is currency. This season, nobody understood this better than <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/tag\/sean-mcgirr\"><span>Se\u00e1n McGirr:<\/span><\/a><span> at the McQueen show in Paris, McGirr sent masks down the runway that appeared to be porcelain recreations of the models\u2019 own faces \u2013 a replication, instead of a concealment. Some models carried the masks in one hand, as if their own face had become an accessory to be picked up and put down. And on closer inspection, the porcelain was cracking, flaking at the edges, with the perfect veneer beginning to give way. \u201cWe\u2019re always on; always curating, consuming, performing and being watched,\u201d McGirr said in his show notes. \u201cMore and more, we crave something intimate, visceral and real.\u201d Maybe the mask isn\u2019t just hiding something, but reminding us of the performance of being seen.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"06d92e08-47b2-4231-bc1f-b40b00ef0199\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441498.JPG\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"0.67\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Masks on the AW26 runway\" class=\"img\" height=\"3000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441498.JPG\" width=\"2000\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"caption\">McQueen AW26<\/span><span class=\"credit\">Courtesy of McQueen<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>While these interpretations of masks may be intriguing, most of the pieces mentioned are simply not accessible to the everyman. Parisian brand Mati\u00e8res F\u00e9cales winked at this, naming their AW26 collection <\/span><em><span>The 1%<\/span><\/em><span>, as they sent models down the runway with dollar bills taped across their eyes, without any eye slits, blinding them in the process. The money masks were a provocation, but also an admission: that wealth affords the upper classes the luxury of being hidden, but also the luxury of being blinded from what\u2019s happening in the world. The mask that began as the great equaliser, the thing that made a Venetian nobleman and a servant temporarily the same, has come full circle. At Paris Fashion Week, it\u2019s now in the hands of the very people who benefit most from being unrecognisable. The anonymity is real, but so is the price of entry.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>In fashion, the mask is chic, it\u2019s cool, it\u2019s having a moment again. The anonymity that it provides can feel like a luxury, especially in an era when your TikTok account \u2013 or even worse, your LinkedIn \u2013 can get you recognised on the street, and tech companies spy on our every digital move. Rather than becoming a tool of the 1 per cent, as\u00a0Mati\u00e8res F\u00e9cales suggested, perhaps masks could once again be a way of dissolving the class hierarchy, just like they were in 15th-century Venice. But remember, the mask can\u2019t hide you completely: it just lets you choose what else to show.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span>Scroll through the gallery at the top of the page to see all the masks on the AW26 runways.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. 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data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"ZIM F26 FOH_STILLS_2x3_03\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-222-1279-851\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441170.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">ZIMMERMANN celebrates trailblazing women for AW26\u00a0<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"swiper-slide list-element\">\n<div class=\"scard-latest__section\">\n<div class=\"card-latest__wrapper\"><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/69868\/1\/alysa-liu-louis-vuitton-aw26-fw26-paris-fashion-week-pfw-nicolas-ghesquiere\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Alysa Liu at Louis Vuitton AW26\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/79-75-1921-1278\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441318.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Alysa Liu makes her Paris Fashion Week debut at Louis Vuitton<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/69879\/1\/miu-miu-aw26-chloe-sevigny-gillian-anderson-pfw-paris-fashion-week\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Cho&#235; Sevigny walks Miu Miu AW26\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/47-20-636-423\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441295.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Miu Miu AW26: Chlo\u00eb Sevigny and Gillian Anderson just walked at PFW<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/gallery\/36828\/0\/kiko-kostadinov-aw26-women-s\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Kiko Kostadinov AW26 women\u2019s\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-578-2312-1538\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441256.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Kiko Kostadinov is taking flight for AW26<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"swiper-slide list-element\">\n<div class=\"scard-latest__section\">\n<div class=\"card-latest__wrapper\"><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/69876\/1\/chanel-aw26-matthieu-blazy-butterflies-pfw-paris-fashion-week\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Chanel AW26 \" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-105-1476-982\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441189.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Chanel AW26: Matthieu Blazy\u2019s butterflies are ready for the ball<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/69845\/1\/inside-an-exclusive-celebration-for-the-semi-finalists-of-the-lvmh-prize\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\">\n<p class=\"optional-paragraph\">LVMH Prize 2026<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"LVMH Prize semi-finalists 2026\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-313-958-637\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/0\/1440619.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Inside an exclusive celebration for the semi-finalists of the LVMH Prize<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/69833\/1\/catch-sza-in-an-internet-cafe-for-vans-off-the-wall\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\">\n<p class=\"optional-paragraph\"> vans<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"SP26_Lifestyle_Authentic_SZA_09\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/198-121-1577-1049\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/0\/1440464.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Catch SZA in an internet cafe for Vans Off The Wall<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"swiper-slide list-element\">\n<div class=\"scard-latest__section\">\n<div class=\"card-latest__wrapper\"><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/69861\/1\/alexander-mcqueen-aw26-fw26-paris-fashion-week-pfw-sean-mcgirr\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"McQueen AW26\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/381-68-1639-1090\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441140.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">McQueen AW26 was a Hollywood horror show<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/gallery\/36823\/0\/noir-kei-ninomiya-aw26\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Noir Kei Ninomiya AW26\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/313-0-2082-1385\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441087.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Rodents ruled the runway at Noir Kei Ninomiya AW26<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/69855\/1\/jean-paul-gaultier-aw26-duran-lantink-paris-fashion-week-pfw\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Jean Paul Gaultier AW26\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-300-2312-1538\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/0\/1440982.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Jean Paul Gaultier AW26: Duran Lantink is back for round two<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline\" data-newsletter hidden>\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"dazed-gallery has-19-images \">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<header>\n<div class=\"info\"><span class=\"heading\">Masks on the <span class=\"nowrap\">AW26 runway<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"gallery\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumbs\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/gallery\/36837\/0\/masks-on-the-aw26-runway\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Masks on the AW26 runway\" class=\"img\" height=\"910\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-1365-910\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441488.jpg\" width=\"1365\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/gallery\/36837\/1\/masks-on-the-aw26-runway\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Masks on the AW26 runway\" class=\"img\" height=\"908\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-333-1362-908\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441487.jpg\" width=\"1362\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/gallery\/36837\/2\/masks-on-the-aw26-runway\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Masks on the AW26 runway\" class=\"img\" height=\"908\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-579-1362-908\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441489.jpg\" width=\"1362\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/gallery\/36837\/3\/masks-on-the-aw26-runway\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Masks on the AW26 runway\" class=\"img\" height=\"1330\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-323-1995-1330\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441485.jpg\" width=\"1995\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/gallery\/36837\/4\/masks-on-the-aw26-runway\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Masks on the AW26 runway\" class=\"img\" height=\"1224\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-338-1836-1224\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441486.jpg\" width=\"1836\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/gallery\/36837\/5\/masks-on-the-aw26-runway\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Masks on the AW26 runway\" class=\"img\" height=\"578\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/591-83-867-578\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441483.jpg\" width=\"867\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-footer\">Gallery \/ 19 images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>The AW26 fashion month saw a new trend emerge on the runways: a resurgence of masks and a return to the masquerade. Over the last few weeks, it\u2019s been mask4mask across the fashion capitals, with up-and-comers like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/tag\/oscar-ouyang\"><span>Oscar Ouyang<\/span><\/a><span> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/69710\/1\/thevxlley-aw26-fw26-london-fashion-week-lfw-daniel-del-valle-debut\"><span>Thevxlley<\/span><\/a><span> in London incorporating the masquerade in their collections, as well as brands like Julie Kegels, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/vaquera\"><span>Vaquera <\/span><\/a><span>and Mati\u00e8res F\u00e9cales featuring their own interpretations in their shows. Though it might just seem like a reference or stylistic embellishment, masks have a new meaning in the year 2026. With the sinister growth of surveillance culture, hiding is a luxury only few can afford. But if you\u2019re lucky enough to get away with it, how do our behaviours shift when we\u2019re afforded anonymity?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The masquerade ball as we know it traces back to 15th-century Venice, where Carnival transformed the city into a theatre of collective anonymity. The bauta \u2013 a stark white mask with a jutting jaw, worn with a black cape \u2013 became the great social equaliser, its blank face making noblemen and servants indistinguishable from one another. As Venetian society was rigidly stratified, the masks at Carnival were used as a way to let Venetian people exhale. Under it, you could gamble, flirt, explore (unethical) non-monogamy, cross class lines, and move through the city without consequence. The mask didn\u2019t just conceal the face \u2013 it suspended the social order to which your identity was tethered. By the 18th century, the masquerade had spread across Europe, becoming a fixture of aristocratic entertainment, though it always retained the frisson of transgression underneath the spectacle.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Fast forward to the 20th century, and masks began appearing on the runway. They have have long been a staple of certain fashion houses: for SS93, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/maison-martin-margiela\">Maison Martin Margiela<\/a> used cotton muslin veils to create an eerie, translucent silhouette of the face, introducing a motif that would resurface in the brand\u2019s world for decades to come. Similarly, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/alexander-mcqueen\">Alexander McQueen<\/a>\u2019s infamous AW96 <em>Dante<\/em> show debuted the now-iconic crucifix mask, where Christ\u2019s final moments sat in three dimensions between the eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"73dcd6d3-a2ea-4658-b0df-b40b00eef6b3\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441496.JPG\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"0.67\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Masks on the AW26 runway\" class=\"img\" height=\"3000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441496.JPG\" width=\"2000\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"caption\">McQueen AW26<\/span><span class=\"credit\">Courtesy of McQueen<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/saul-nash\"><span>Saul Nash<\/span><\/a><span>\u2019s AW26 show, aptly titled <\/span><em><span>Masquerade<\/span><\/em><span>, happened this January in Milan. The designer took the concept somewhere more intimate, but still firmly rooted in his home city of London. The starting point was <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/notting-hill-carnival\"><span>Notting Hill Carnival<\/span><\/a><span>, a tradition where costume is never just decoration, but a form of becoming. From there the designer traced a line to Venice, and then back again to the city he grew up in. The result was a collection that included no traditional masks, but questioned other types of \u2018mask\u2019 we wear.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>A tracksuit was printed with the silhouette of a suit, a piece of clothing that Nash designed as a means of social camouflage, dressing for a room that might not otherwise let you in. \u201cA form of masquerade in your own life,\u201d\u00a0 the designer said in his show notes. \u201cA medium to embody who you want to be.\u201d Where the Venetian bauta mask collapsed class distinctions through anonymity, Nash is doing something adjacent but distinctly contemporary: using clothes to navigate the codes and hierarchies of a city like London, where disparate demographics regularly rub up against one another.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"25aa94d9-275a-4898-a496-b40b00ef09c6\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441500.JPG\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"0.8\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Masks on the AW26 runway\" class=\"img\" height=\"3000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441500.JPG\" width=\"2400\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"caption\">Saul Nash AW26<\/span><span class=\"credit\">Courtesy of <span class=\"nowrap\">Saul Nash<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>When I asked CSM grad Ouyang about his whimsical and almost mischievous masks, designed by milliner Noel Stewart, he responded in the same vein. \u201cIt\u2019s like shielding identity \u2013 you\u2019re trying to blend in, and blending into something that you\u2019re hiding behind at the same time.\u201d Elsewhere, Ouyang noted an interesting resistance when revealing the masks to his cast. \u201cWhen you tell established models, their agents actually don\u2019t want them to be behind a mask.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span>\u201cWe\u2019re always on; always curating, consuming, performing and being watched\u201d \u2013 Se\u00e1n McGirr<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span>The face, it turns out, is currency. This season, nobody understood this better than <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/tag\/sean-mcgirr\"><span>Se\u00e1n McGirr:<\/span><\/a><span> at the McQueen show in Paris, McGirr sent masks down the runway that appeared to be porcelain recreations of the models\u2019 own faces \u2013 a replication, instead of a concealment. Some models carried the masks in one hand, as if their own face had become an accessory to be picked up and put down. And on closer inspection, the porcelain was cracking, flaking at the edges, with the perfect veneer beginning to give way. \u201cWe\u2019re always on; always curating, consuming, performing and being watched,\u201d McGirr said in his show notes. \u201cMore and more, we crave something intimate, visceral and real.\u201d Maybe the mask isn\u2019t just hiding something, but reminding us of the performance of being seen.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"06d92e08-47b2-4231-bc1f-b40b00ef0199\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441498.JPG\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"0.67\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Masks on the AW26 runway\" class=\"img\" height=\"3000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441498.JPG\" width=\"2000\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"caption\">McQueen AW26<\/span><span class=\"credit\">Courtesy of McQueen<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>While these interpretations of masks may be intriguing, most of the pieces mentioned are simply not accessible to the everyman. Parisian brand Mati\u00e8res F\u00e9cales winked at this, naming their AW26 collection <\/span><em><span>The 1%<\/span><\/em><span>, as they sent models down the runway with dollar bills taped across their eyes, without any eye slits, blinding them in the process. The money masks were a provocation, but also an admission: that wealth affords the upper classes the luxury of being hidden, but also the luxury of being blinded from what\u2019s happening in the world. The mask that began as the great equaliser, the thing that made a Venetian nobleman and a servant temporarily the same, has come full circle. At Paris Fashion Week, it\u2019s now in the hands of the very people who benefit most from being unrecognisable. The anonymity is real, but so is the price of entry.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>In fashion, the mask is chic, it\u2019s cool, it\u2019s having a moment again. The anonymity that it provides can feel like a luxury, especially in an era when your TikTok account \u2013 or even worse, your LinkedIn \u2013 can get you recognised on the street, and tech companies spy on our every digital move. Rather than becoming a tool of the 1 per cent, as\u00a0Mati\u00e8res F\u00e9cales suggested, perhaps masks could once again be a way of dissolving the class hierarchy, just like they were in 15th-century Venice. But remember, the mask can\u2019t hide you completely: it just lets you choose what else to show.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span>Scroll through the gallery at the top of the page to see all the masks on the AW26 runways.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/69897\/1\/mask-trend-london-paris-fashion-week-aw26-fw26-matieres-fecales-mcqueen&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1200\/0-323-1995-1330\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441485.jpg&#8221;] Photography Eric Aydin-Barberini March\u00a0 12,\u00a0 2026 Fashion \/ Feature Fashion \/ Feature Mask4mask: Masquerade was having a moment at the AW26 shows In London and Paris, masks were trending on the runways \u2013 but who is afforded the luxury of anonymity in 2026? March\u00a0 12,\u00a0 2026 March\u00a0 12,\u00a0 2026 TextBen Freeman Masks [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,76],"class_list":["post-1822455","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-dazeddigital-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1822455","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1822455"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1822455\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1822455"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1822455"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1822455"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}