Emerging womenswear designer Petra Fagerström often begins her practice with a narrative that challenges stereotypes placed on women. Last season, for her MA Design graduate collection from Central Saint Martins, she explored the rise of conservative ‘trad wife’ influencers on social media and, in 2022, her ITS Contest application collection was inspired by her grandmother, who was a Soviet military parachuter.
For the Autumn/Winter 2026 presentation – titled ‘Everything I Did For You’ – the starting concept similarly explored a different context in which women can often be villainised.
The collection began with Fagerström drawing on her own experience growing up as a protégée skater, and she used the ‘coach–skater’ or ‘mother–daughter’ dynamic (as they are often the same) as a starting point for the work.
“I wanted to bring some nuance to the ‘stage mum’ or ‘coach character’ because in culture they’re always super villainised. Rather I think it’s someone who reminisces about the past and wants to give her daughter something that she had or didn’t fully have.” She explained to L’abbeye after the show.“There’s always nuance to these stories, especially if someone is seeking beauty; it can lead to the mother–daughter relationship becoming toxic. But I do think it’s nice to bring a different story.”
Fagerström acknowledges that not everyone who views the collection will understand this deeper narrative. However, she hopes most “get a further sense of the type of woman she is creating in her work and understand her more.”
This figure skating narrative does manifest in the physical garments; however, they are by no means a reference to the literal costumes of the sport. Instead, key pieces such as the technical white puffer were inspired by Fagerström’s skating coach, Andrea Dohani, “who was always in a full monochrome black or white puffer” she explains. Additionally, it’s a nod to the team uniform she wore as a child – which was also a long white puffer coat. “I don’t know why we were always wearing white,” Fagerström added. “It’s very impractical.”
Additionally, the designer’s technical practice was furthered this season through reiterating the construction of key silhouettes – she often uses unconventional construction within outerwear to establish a stronger visual language. Again, this was seen in the white technical puffer, which was constructed to sit open to reveal a graphic floral print, and also in the green bomber that cradled the models arms and through the introduction of tailoring for the first time.
Another standout piece was the sequin dress. This was a last-minute garment “that appeared out of nowhere the day before the show”, she explains. It was originally meant to be a skirt but through the efforts of “four people working on it at once” it was transformed into a gown.
Fagerström’s signature lenticular technique also made a return. This is a material manipulation that she developed whereby she pleats the fabric by hand. She often incorporates a generated motif on the pleats that, as the wearer moves, almost appears to be moving or holographic.
In previous seasons, the lenticular pleats were “more conceptually integrated, but this time it was more of a visual tool,” she explains. “I was trying to capture the feeling of vertigo. So when you are shifting focus as you move, you get this sense of almost being a bit dizzy, and I wanted to bring that sense of spinning and movement into the collection. I thought that the lenticular could be a fun way to incorporate that.”
Fagerström still has “a lot coming up and is not resting yet.” However, she feels the presentation was “quite special.” Though key technical innovations have now been embedded as more visual concepts, the attention to detail and storytelling paired with impeccable craft skill is what keeps Fagerström as the name to watch. There’s no doubt she’ll be up there with the greats in the future.
Credits
Written by Grace Robinson