Pauline Dujancourt isn’t afraid to break some eggs for AW26

For millennia, spinning, weaving, and knitting have been the domain of women. The craft became a powerful symbol of femininity, finding parallels within classical mythology. After all, it is within women that new life is stitched together as if by magic, but their power extends well beyond that. Penelope used the creation of a shroud as an excuse to keep suitors at bay while she awaited Odysseus. In Ovid’s Metamorphoses, a woman called Philomena, who was a victim of rape and had her tongue cut out to silence her, utilised her loom to tell her story through a tapestry and seek justice. Centuries later, textiles and clothing continue to communicate and reflect the experiences of women. London-based Parisian designer Pauline Dujancourt is a perfect example of that, with the topic of womanhood guiding her designs since the inception of her brand in 2022.

For her Autumn/Winter 2026 collection ‘Walking on Eggshells’, the CSM grad takes inspiration from history, exploring the stories of women who were accused and condemned for witchcraft, hoping to instead commemorate and celebrate feminine power. Inspired by images of so-called witches “at home in their beds in the dark, making lace with wooden bobbins”, Dujancourt connects personal experiences of crafting with her team of knitters to embrace the magic observed when female communities unite. Indeed, Dujancourt and the artisans she collaborates with have a supernatural ability to use techniques like intricate crochet and macramé cross-hatching to transform knitwear into youthful, fashionable pieces. Reviving and refreshing the craft, Dujancour’s innovative approach to knitwear has earned the former LVMH Prize finalist numerous accolades, including the ELLE UK ‘Generation Next’ award, and support of the Paul Smith Foundation and the British Fashion Council’s NEWGEN initiative.

Continuing Dujancourt’s fascination with avian imagery, models walk down a runway covered in broken eggshells, every step a signifier of rebellion against societal expectations. The Pauline Dujancourt woman is windswept, swathed in layers of protective fabric, ready to face the world. She is a storm brewing, an electric vision in smoky black, slate grey, a whisper of seafoam green and lilac rebelling against the caricature of the witch. Dujancourt breathes an unexpected lightness into the fabled figure, adorning her with playful puffed sleeves and feminine full skirts. While maintaining the label’s signature ethereal aesthetic embodied by gowns executed in pleated chiffon silk changeant and embellished with intricate lace, Dujancourt ensures that the collection features wearable pieces, such as fashionable knitted hoods, cosy fingerless gloves, and office-appropriate midi skirts, showing a commercial awareness and ambition. After all, the daughters of witches who were never persecuted walk – and shop – amongst us.