Sometimes I watch a haute couture show and find myself asking the same question: are designers trying to make beautiful clothes, or are they trying to create art? It is a difficult balance to achieve because once fashion leans too far into conceptual territory, it can become impossible to imagine anyone actually wearing it. Schiaparelli's Fall/Winter 2026 Haute Couture collection managed to do something much harder. It proved that couture can exist somewhere between both worlds and shows when fashion stops being clothing and becomes art.

Creative director Daniel Roseberry has built a reputation for challenging what fashion can be. His collections rarely ask whether something is wearable first. Instead, they ask how clothing can make us think, feel, and reflect. 

The show began in black and white, a decision that quietly built anticipation for what was to come. The opening tailoring was elegant, sharp, and incredibly wearable. One of my favourite early moments was Look 2, where chunky gold jewellery and a statement belt grounded the outfit in trends we are already seeing everywhere. It reminded me that even haute couture can influence everyday fashion. You could easily imagine elements of these looks making their way into street style long before the gowns themselves ever would.

As the show progressed, the craftsmanship became almost impossible to comprehend. Look 6 immediately stood out through its dramatic silhouette and extraordinary embroidery. The sharply tailored black satin jacket was paired with low-rise trousers requiring more than 11,000 individual embroidered elements and 3,850 hours of handwork, combining satin stitch, baroque pearls, beads, rhinestones, and embroidered floral hosiery. Those numbers are almost impossible to imagine, yet they become easier to understand once you see the garment moving down the runway. It was months of craftsmanship walking in front of you.

Look 6

Then Schiaparelli reminded everyone why couture exists.

Look 7 completely shifted the conversation by presenting what almost appeared to be two dresses at once. From the front, the model wore a glamorous corseted silhouette. From behind emerged an entirely different vision, where a sculptural white face seemed embedded into the garment itself. It was strange, unsettling, and absolutely fascinating. Fashion like this is important because it surprises us. It makes us stop and ask, What am I looking at? More importantly, it makes us wonder what was happening inside the designer's imagination while creating it. Fashion is supposed to challenge our expectations, not simply repeat what we already know.

Look 7

That feeling continued through Looks 9 and 10, where exaggerated black sculptural forms curled away from the body like oversized strands of hair, while another look transformed the model into something almost creature-like. Beautiful? Maybe not in the traditional sense. Memorable? Absolutely.

Then, the collection softened. Light pinks, lilacs, mint greens, shimmering satins, feathered ball gowns, and glossy latex-like textures introduced an entirely different mood. Combined with the beauty styling and dramatic movement of the gowns, the presentation transformed into a complete theatrical experience.

One of my favourite looks of the collection was Look 27. More than anything else, it demonstrated that clothing can literally resemble fine art. It immediately reminded me of something that could have dominated this year's Met Gala red carpet. The wearer almost disappeared, allowing the garment itself to become the artwork.

Look 27

Look 28 came a close second. Its rich colouring, remarkable craftsmanship, and sculptural construction was like watching a living sculpture move down the runway. I kept thinking of a mermaid princess stepping onto land for the very first time getting ready to marry her human husband. It was mythical without becoming costume-like, balancing fantasy with impeccable couture technique.

Look 28

Look 30 instantly felt destined for the red carpet, which it literally was. Just hours after leaving the runway, the gown was already making headlines after stylist Law Roach selected it for Zendaya to wear at the premiere of The Odyssey. That moment perfectly captured why couture still matters. These garments are never just runway pieces. They are carefully timed cultural moments. Every appearance is intentional, every placement calculated, and when everything aligns, a single dress can become global fashion news overnight. 

Photo by Mike Marsland/WireImage)

That is what Schiaparelli understands better than almost anyone working in fashion today. Couture is not simply about making the most expensive clothes in the world. It is about making people stop, stare, question, and feel something.

Whether you see these garments as clothing or as sculpture almost becomes irrelevant. The fact that we are still debating the answer after the show is exactly what makes great couture unforgettable.