The Tamesis
Carlota Barrera’s Fall 2026 collection, Shuffle Play, treats clothing as something that is passed from one person to another, changing along the way. As the designer explains, it explores “the emotional residue of inheritance,” focusing on garments that have been preserved and worn beyond their original context. The idea is simple: clothes don’t start with us or end with us.
The silhouette felt a little off – the sleeves were too long, the waist was a bit tight, and the collar didn’t quite fit – like it had been borrowed from someone else and had never been adjusted. These details give the collection a quiet sense of history without feeling nostalgic. There is an emphasis on use rather than memory, on how clothes continue to exist and function over time.
Classic tailoring is the foundation, but it’s undermined by printed details, layered elements and textures that don’t quite match. Some garments reference pieces that no longer exist, while others combine different fabrics, including reversible designs that change depending on how you wear them. This adds practicality but also reinforces the idea of clothing as flexible items.
The color palette is kept muted—browns, navy, greens, greys—with just a few bright shades. Accessories such as mohair scarves and knitted hats create a softer, more relaxed vibe, balancing the structure of the tailoring.
Nothing is an exact match, and that’s the key to this series. It’s like an amalgam of different moments and different owners – what Barrera describes as “a wardrobe that was assembled almost randomly, like pressing shuffle on a playlist.” The result? The collection feels personal, ongoing, and developed over time rather than being fixed in one season.
