The changing of the fashion seasons gives one a chance to craft a new persona. For winter, menswear designers posited their own takes on character dressing, one which riffed on the tenets of traditional sartorialism with a preppy, sporty – and oftentimes colourful – twist.
Such was the starting point of our November 2026 menswear fashion story, which saw London- and Paris-based photographer Luke Gooden and stylist Guy Miller capture A/W 2026’s spirit of easy elegance – where classic tailoring and outerwear meets elements of utility, from toggle fastenings and parka-style hoods, to a proliferation of pockets.
A/W 2026’s menswear is all about character dressing
Coat, £1,695, by Dries Van Noten
Through it all, elements of colour and play: the vivid red of a Dries Van Noten overcoat, cut with oversized storm flaps; the exaggerated cuff of a Prada shirt, peeking out from beneath the sleeve of a technical parka; or the easy, sporty cut of tailored trousers from Loro Piana and Wooyoungmi, the latter featuring the kind of zip pockets one might find on track pants.
Gooden, who says he uses ‘the shapes, sounds and conversations’ to influence his photography, says the story was about ‘crafting characters and narratives’. ‘It’s all part of the act,’ he says. ‘The images are the final result of a built up symphony, orchestrated long before they reach the pages, and sung once seen.’
Discover the story below.
Jumper, £520; trousers, £765, both by Piacenza 1733. Shoes, price on request, by Loro Piana. Boxer shorts, £49, by Sunspel. Socks, £21, by Pantherella. Ring, £2,010, by Bunney
Coat, £1,100, by Margaret Howell. Top, £580, by Cecile Tulkens. Trousers, £750, by Dries Van Noten
Coat, price on request, by Loro Piana. Top, £300, by Cecile Tulkens. Roll-neck, £375, by Lemaire. Trousers, price on request, by Wooyoungmi. Ring, £5,640, by Bunney
Coat, £3,590; trousers, price on request; gloves, £755, all by Burberry
Top from Little Brownings. Shirt, price on request, by Margaret Howell. Trousers, price on request, by Stone Island. Leggings (underneath), £370, by Cecile Tulkens. Shoes, £1,170, by Prada. Socks, £21, by Pantherella
Jacket; trousers, both price on request, by Jil Sander
Jacket; roll-neck; trousers; hat; shoes, all price on request, by Loro Piana
Jacket, £915; trousers, £380, both by Herno
Shop the story
Models: Gideon Adeniyi at Next London, Arthur Vaughan at Elite. Casting: Concorde Casting. Hair: Michael Harding using Bumble & Bumble. Make-up: Sarah Edenborough. Photography assistants: Sam Robbins, Tommy Aucott. Fashion assistants: Minna de Bagota, Leonie Dennett. Production assistant: Danielle Quigley.
A version of this article appears in the November 2026 Art Issue of Wallpaper*, available from 8 October in print on newsstands, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today