Life Begins Beyond the Lobby
Review of Amiri Spring 2026 Men’s Fashion Show
By Angela Baidoo
THE COLLECTION
THE VIBE
Dressed to impressed, born to lounge, decoratively tactile
Character studies, over basic consumer metrics, is driving designers this Paris fashion week, as explained to The Impression backstage after today’s Amiri show, the creative director Mike Amiri said “We’ve been building up all these characters in the past few seasons, and I think it was now time to kind of mix up the whole world”, and in Amiri’s mind where better to find a cast of characters to represent his brand then a hotel? A transitory space where different worlds can collide – from music and the arts, to fashion and entertainment. Which is a pretty clever scenario to use as the starting point for a collection, as you can dress your ‘cast of characters’, who will have gravitated from all walks of life and lifestyles, for a departure or arrival, a black-tie ceremony, a round of golf, or a make-or-break round of VC-funding. But, most relevant to todays collection, a rooftop lounge or basement cocktail bar. There are endless scenes in which the stage can be set, with the designer having thought up the appropriate wardrobe to match, day or night.
Welcome to ‘Chateau Amiri’, where lovers of lounges and lounging – speakeasys as well as the art of relaxation – can rejoice, as spring 2026 provides the ultimate selection for escapism into the night or the morning after. A follow-on from his homage to Hollywood and the world of golden era entertainment the creative director was equally inspired by his friend, LA-based artist Wes Lang, who has in the past been known to hole-up at the infamous Chateau Marmont to go deep on the creative process. While the storytelling of Lang’s experience as a hotel resident was a key influence for todays invitation – an ornate key fob, satin sippers, and the ubiquitous branded pen – the artists use of birds, which he illustrated onto the Marmont’s stationary, was to became a whimsical motif used throughout the show on both tailored blazers and bomber jackets, as well as the plumes of said birds to trim the tuxedo shirts. And if you looked close enough you could spot one in the ivy climbing up one of the many pillars recreated for the ‘Hotel Amiri’ terrace-cum-showspace experience.
The evolution of the ‘AMIRI archetypes’ is well under way, as they are now entering a season where they have perfected their polish, and are steadily emerging into a world where their desires are met and they are confident in their ability to step into any persona of their choosing. Next spring they will have the pick of New Money business baron, rising sports star, start-up savant, seasoned actor, global artist, and established modelpreneur. In Hotel Amiri the tailoring is fluid and flecked with elegant embellishment, loungewear is retro-fitted and it’s appeal for a trip to the lobby is heightened by its rendering in plush velvets and quilted satins. Leather outerwear becomes an everyday option in the rich shades of burnt toffee and butter yellow, while suede is embossed with exotic animal textures. Meaning each of his characters can find “a solution to dressing up without dressing too formally, and I feel like if you mix loungewear in a certain way, it has that certain kind of ease to it naturally” as Amiri said post-show.
The idea of spending an extended amount of time in a hotel played a part in how the designer imagined the wardrobes of his characters would evolve. From an initial formality – as was seen in the 1970s inspired three-piece suit opening the show – to a gradual relaxing of formal dress codes – enter argyle polo knits, stonewashed denim, ribbed jersey, and smoking jackets – reflecting a sense of being at ease with the rhythm of ‘Hotel Amiri’.
THE DIRECTION
THE QUOTE
We’ve been building up all these characters over the past few seasons, and I think it’s now time to mix up the different worlds. And the best place to do that is a hotel, where we can play with the silhouettes, the shades, the fabrications, as these characters, and the craft are important to me.
Mike Amiri, creative director, Amiri
THE WRAP UP
It’s testament to the community-building power of Mike Amiri, that with every reinvention of his namesake brand his customers – famous and non – trust his vision and adapt their style to align with the new narrative.
This current iteration is one that pulls from a time when dressing up was de rigeur and men peacocked with the smoothness of silk. Elevated suit – check, co-ordinating accessories – check, a dash of daring in the form of embroidery or embellishment – check. In this new era of refinement there is an acknowledgement that to look ones best, gain entry into the velvet-roped world of after-hours bars, and possibly attract a stone-cold fox, how you put your look together, from head-to-toe is a full-time job. And with Hotel Amiri, the designer is stealthily attempting to show his characters how to take to the task like a sport, by bringing back the good times via escaping through the hotel lobby.
