On Wednesday, COS continued its streak of impactful runway shows, unveiling the spring/summer 2026 collection at a bathhouse in Seoul, South Korea, with the stars of the spring 2026 campaign, Alexander Skarsgård and Gyuyoung Park, sitting front row with Emma Roberts, Thai singer Mile Phakphum Romsaithong, and Korean singer Sohyun Kim, all of whom drew a crowd of devoted fans to the brutalist venue located on the outer edge of the city.
According to the London-based brand’s design director, Karin Gustafsson, the film American Gigolo (1980), starring Richard Gere and Lauren Hutton, was revisited during the design process for the spring collection. “I love that effortless dressing that is also elegant,” she told Who What Wear after the show, referring to the film’s lauded wardrobe. “[Spring 2026] was rooted in classics, but it had that volume that made it effortless in a way.” The collection’s name, Cinematic Beauty, was a direct result of the film’s impact on its creation. “We really wanted to create this strong feeling of a character,” she added.
To offset the ’80s lean of the film and its costumes, Gustafsson also looked toward the ’90s, especially the minimalism the era is known for. Think clean lines and neutral colors as well as silhouettes that are signature to the time, like pencil skirts and slinky knits. During the making of the collection, Gustafsson recalls listening to American music from back then, name-dropping Pixies in particular. “I love music from the ’90s, so I always listen to that,” she said.
Keep scrolling to see the COS S/S 26 collection for yourself. While you’re at it, shop the see now, buy now pieces that will sell out first.
COS Spring/Summer 2026
See Now, Shop Now
On the car ride from our hotel to the after-party and dinner that followed the show, everyone seemed to be thinking the same thing. We were scrolling on our phones through the collection, which had just gone live on COS.com. After more than a month spent studying the fall runways following an especially difficult winter, watching a lightweight, airy collection like this one debut was like a reward, and everyone wanted to claim theirs before it became too late. Both of my favorite items had already earned “low stock” notices, and they weren’t the only ones.
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