MCM Celebrates Taekwondo at Milan Fashion Week: Balance, Motion, and Art Reflecting 50 Years of Creativity

Sep 28, 2025

As Milan Fashion Week kicked off, German brand MCM presented an extraordinary runway show for its Spring/Summer 2026 collection, entirely inspired by the sport of taekwondo and its philosophy centered on precise movement, balance, and both mental and physical discipline. At the heart of Casa degli Artisti, the brand transformed the core principles of the sport into an immersive sensory experience, where each piece tells a story of motion, translating fluidity and strength into luxurious, contemporary design, coinciding with MCM's preparations to celebrate its 50th anniversary next year.

Milan Fashion Week has long served as the perfect platform for the brand to showcase its creative vision. This season, MCM delves deeper into the concept of balance in martial arts and its connection to creativity, drawing on its rich heritage of craftsmanship and innovation. The result is a unique collection that blends the strict discipline of taekwondo with MCM's limitless imagination, offering designs that embody both freedom and transformation.

Under the direction of creative director Dirk Schönberger, standout creations include oversized martial arts belts transformed into fabrics for off-shoulder dresses, featuring prominent pleats that reflect movement and control. A bright blue belt knot serves as the central element of a short dress, turning discipline into a sculptural design. The collection also highlights an outfit inspired by Zen culture, combining a tailored jacket, elegant shirt, and voluminous pleated trousers, where martial balance meets tactical precision.

Padded puffed jackets with structured shoulders and cinched waists, along with white jackets embellished with stitched taekwondo belts, add layers of depth and sophistication to the collection. The show concludes with a look inspired by martial arts masters, a double breasted formal jacket with a knot reminiscent of a traditional martial arts belt, paired with wide trousers that enhance fluidity of movement.

Creativity extends beyond design to materials. Cotton, canvas, and wool provide lightness and flexibility, while jersey ensures durability and strength for jackets and dresses. Each piece reflects MCM's philosophy that fashion goes beyond mere clothing, becoming a vital element that interacts with the body and enhances performance.

For the show, under the theme MCM: THE ART OF MOTION, Casa degli Artisti was transformed into a martial arts inspired space, featuring installations and sculptures that reflect taekwondo's philosophy. An innovative AI powered hologram, developed in collaboration with Capsa Studio, added a high tech touch highlighting the discipline inherent in motion.

Within this immersive environment, the brand also presented a curated selection of its leather goods for Spring/Summer 2026. These exclusive pieces will be unveiled at a private event on September 24, offering invited guests a chance to experience the next chapter in MCM's remarkable journey.

Bader Al-Kulaib

Sheikh Fahad Nasser Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah

Dr. Noura Almashan

Dr. Munira Al-Arouj

Nour Abdul

Eisa Alhabib

Deema Al-Ghunaim

Lama AlOraiman

Sheikha Dana Nasser Al Sabah

Nadia Bader Al-Hajji

Henadi Al-Saleh

Jafar Islah

Abdullah Ghazi Al-Mudhaf

Abeer Al Awadhi

Shahad Alsabeeh

Talal Al Ajmi

Faisal Alagel

Bader Nasser Al-Kharafi

Shaikha Al Majed

Farah Almutawa

Donna Sultan

Dana Al-Mutawa and Sheikha Sharifa Al Sabah

Laila Almutairi

Adel Alwasis

Hashim and Amna Naseeb

Dr. Abdullah Al Sumait

Shaikha Al-Hajeri

Shaima Hassan

Sheikha Bibi Al-Yousef Al-Sabah

Free Jabriya

Lulowa Al-Mulla

Salman Al-Kandari

Al-Jawhara-Al-Mahdi

Mohamed-El-Hemaly

Hussain Bumejdad

Soaad Al-Faqaan

Maryam Alrefaei

Abdulmohsen AlMarzouq‏

Dr. Faisal Al-Roomi

Noor Al-Nafisi

Shaymaa Al-Terkait

Khalid Muthafar

Dalal AlHajeri

Mahmoud Dawood Al Marzouq

Fahad Al Ghanim

Abdullah Behbehani

Sara Al-kattan

Dr. Manal Aldaihani

Ali Khajah

Raheel Al Roudhan