Magda Butrym saw winter as an attitude rather than a forecast for fall 2026. She named the collection “Zima,” which means “winter” in Polish. The right amount of exoticness was already enough for the audience to anticipate how the Magda Butrym girls, known for their love of sensual, colorful dresses, would style themselves for the snowy season.
The Warsaw-based designer looked to the cool allure of Irena from Andrzej Wajda’s comedy film “Hunting Flies,” a heroine, played by Małgorzata Braunek, whom Butrym described as “easy and sexy,” and whose lived-in sensuality and nonchalant confidence shaped the collection. Those retro big sunglasses served as a direct tribute to the character of Irena, whom Butrym compared to the Polish Kate Moss.
It was an interesting shift from earlier, print-led, dress-centric seasons. Outerwear became the core proposition here. Long leather coats tied at the waist, rounded-shoulder overcoats, duvet outerwear with cinched leather bodices, and fur-trimmed trenches built a wardrobe of protection with a romantic, Polish touch.
The palette stayed largely monochrome, allowing bouclé, crochet, faux fur, shearling and dense knits to carry the drama. She lowered the heel and lengthened the hemline, rethinking her signatures as practical city uniforms ahead of the brand’s New York store opening in September.
Midi dresses, easier shoes and layered looks targeted women who walk, work and repeat, “not just occasionally,” she said backstage. Casting women of different ages also helped reinforce her focus on longevity over novelty as the brand grows.
The new bag of the season was Barbara, a mini top-handle style born from a friend’s insistence on something smaller, adding a layer of poise and seriousness to the Zima heroines.