London, & Other Stories this Spring

Two weeks after its quiet online debut, the Spring 2026 collection from & Other Stories feels less like a seasonal drop and more like a mood shift. Under the direction of Chief Creative Officer Jonathan Saunders, the brand taps into the spirit of 80s and 90s new-wave youth culture, translating nostalgia into something distinctly contemporary.

Saunders looks to London’s restless creative pulse, evoking girls gathered in an apartment, dressing for themselves rather than for spectacle. The reference points are familiar, exaggerated shoulders, voluminous trousers, flashes of cherry red and electric blue. Yet the execution resists costume. There is no irony here. The mood is direct, optimistic, and grounded in clothes designed to move through real life.

For Luxembourg readers navigating hybrid workweeks and city weekends, that practicality matters. Tailoring in fine Italian wool sits alongside barrel-shaped trousers and hooded layers. Pure silk blouses are styled with denim. Cashmere twin sets feel polished but unpretentious. It is a wardrobe built on contrast, structure against softness, polish against ease. The trench with pronounced 80s shoulders might nod to power dressing, but paired with relaxed silhouettes it becomes less about dominance and more about self-definition.

Colour is central to the collection’s renewed relevance. Saunders describes it as graphic and stimulating, and it shows. Cherry red and ochre yellow cut through a base of grey and beige neutrals, offering a jolt of energy without tipping into excess. In a European climate that often leans minimalist, this controlled vibrancy feels refreshing rather than overwhelming.

There is also a subtle recalibration of femininity at play. Fluid silk dresses with scarf prints and layered knits tied over wide-shouldered blouses suggest a woman comfortable with contradiction. She can embrace volume without losing shape, nostalgia without surrendering to it. The campaign, photographed by Oliver Hadlee Pearch, reinforces this intimacy. The models appear connected and unguarded, styled by Isabelle Sayer with a light touch that prioritises personality over pose.

Available globally in selected stores and online, the collection arrives at a moment when consumers are increasingly selective. The question is no longer what is trending, but what endures beyond the scroll. Spring 2026 answers with pieces that invite repetition and reinterpretation.

In that sense, the new wave Saunders proposes is less about revival and more about release. Clothes that acknowledge the past yet refuse to be trapped by it. For a generation balancing ambition with authenticity, that feels like perfect timing.

Photo – ©H&M