The Tamesis
A few years ago, Magda Butrym celebrated her 10th anniversary with an event called “Decade of the Rose,” which featured her fellow supermodel Malgosia Bela.
Bella returned to open Butrym’s show on Sunday, giving her most mature PFW presentation to date. Backstage, the designer said she encountered the collection, which is called “Zima,” Polish for “winter,” “like a big switch in my head.”
What’s the reason for that switch? Suddenly aware of the Polish New Wave, especially the 1969 film polovany na mushi Director Andrzej Wajda’s “Fly Hunt” is as inspired as its French counterpart. “It’s so emotional, light-hearted and relevant to today,” she said. Back in the day, the film attempted to settle scores by portraying central character Elena as a controlling, mantis-like creature. 2026 twist: Butrym resurrected Irena and her oversized sunglasses as a heroine who, as she said in the show notes, “claims that she does not project femininity.”
Ideas about how women can reclaim yard space through power shoulders, panniers and more have dominated the week, but Butlin was restrained in making the point. Yes, she had a practice in strategic padding, a continuation of her pre-fall collection, where she amplified volume by pushing bustle-like layers to the front, like a black taffeta bodice with ample layers and hidden pockets. As a designer who favors miniskirts, she was surprised to see skirt lengths stretched to mid-length or even near ankle length (“Not all women are 34,” she said). Knitwear is also a focus, including everyday wardrobe staples. Her signature Slavic details, such as hand-crocheted stitches or small headscarves, are lightly treated.
Butrym’s strongest looks focused on texture, such as a tailored black leather coat with a dark espresso croc-embossed belt, a roomy, glossy leather coat with a cropped silhouette and a high-waisted belt; and a handful of black shearling numbers. A black skirt and white sheath dress embellished with feathery fabric fringes and beads look chic and effortless. Butrym’s core passion is blazers, and here she offers a double-breasted, hourglass-shaped blazer worn with flowing trousers. A crisp, cropped jacket in shaved faux fur makes this season’s power statement without invading anyone’s personal space. It comes with a soft yet structured bag called Barbara, named after the designer’s old friend and ally. We bet these pieces will sell out quickly when the collection hits Magda Butrym’s new store on Mercer Street in September.
