Ranra Copenhagen Spring 2026 Collection
On a list of things associated with summer—the coconut-y smell of sun lotion, the repetitive croak of cicadas, the sound of surf—rhubarb probably doesn’t rank in the top 100. Unless you are speaking with Ranra’s Arnar Már Jónsson and Luke Stevens, that is. Back in Copenhagen where they made their runway debut as Zalando Sustainability Award winners, the Reykjavík- and London-based designers brought more than clothes to the city, a foodie’s haven. Keen cooks both, they enlisted the help of local chefs to concoct a rhubarb-based brew that was heated in huge pots and offered to guests. The audience might have been divided on the taste of said brew, but there was no doubt as to the excellence of the collection the duo served up.
The intimate setting allowed for close viewing of clothes in the nature-inspired colors Ranra is known for. The weightlessness of custom-developed materials, like a silk-linen fabric woven in a rip-stop pattern, was balanced by luxurious leathers, some shiny and smooth, others matte and with a granular texture. The basic proposition was a jacket, often with utilitarian/outdoors detailing and shorts or pants (the opening trousers, based on aviator’s gear, had seams at the knee that altered the fit in a delightful way). Scout-like scarves accessorized many outfits. As always, layering was key—see the last exit, an unstructured blazer over a suede vest, striped shirt, and pants.
Though the designers said that David Byrne and Joseph Bueys were their lodestars, those influences were not immediately evident. There was a soft undoneness to the way the clothes were worn and to the crumpled debonair slouch of the young models who walked so slowly they might have been enrolled at a zombie pajama camp.
Jónsson and Stevens felt the call of Hypnos as did so many menswear designers this season. There were lots of striped pants, and one jacket that looked like it was worn inside-out (Stevens explained it was a sly homage to early Comme des Garçons). Slippers, lace-up not-quite-sneakers made of the cotton-poly fabric used for many of the garments, and a great pair of hybrid moccasin boots grounded the looks. For all the earthiness of Ranra’s work, which is always connected in some way to Iceland, the clothes have a lyric, poetic quality. Going forward Jónsson and Stevens want to bring “more of the world around Ranra” to life, whether that’s with a cabin in which to host people or with culinary delights, or, as it happened today, with magic potions both gustatory and visual.
