Imagery courtesy of Stem
STEM AW26:
THE ELASTIC LOGIC OF WOOL
STEM, AN EMERGING FASHION LABEL BASED IN DENMARK’S CAPITAL, UNVEILED ITS FIFTH COLLECTION THROUGH AN INTIMATE PRESENTATION CENTRED AROUND A COMMUNAL FELTING TABLE. ATTENDEES WERE INVITED TO WORK WOOL BY HAND AS THE COLLECTION MOVED THROUGH THE SPACE, AND WE’RE SPREADING THE WORD.
Written by Asthetik Editorial Team
Wool lies across the table at Stem’s AW26 presentation in Copenhagen, still raw to the touch. Guests gather close, working the fibre by hand as the brand reveals its fifth collection. Titled To Wool, the offering centres on material and process, allowing wool to guide form through weaving, pleating, and pressure.
Set around a long communal table, the presentation unfolds at a deliberate pace. As garments move through the space, the act of making remains visible, grounding the collection in touch and time. Woven rather than knitted, the pieces carry a quiet elasticity shaped by structure alone; a gentle reminder of what can happen when attention replaces excess.
Stem’s material experiments began at a small scale, developed through handwoven studies that prioritised patience over speed. This season, parts of that research move into partial industrial production, translating a slow, considered process into a limited run of garments. Elasticity is built directly into the textile through yarn twist and weave tension, giving shape and movement to lines and pleats that feel purposeful rather than imposed.
Local wool plays a defining role in the collection. Danish yarn, spun domestically and long overlooked in clothing, becomes a central material after proving unexpectedly strong once twisted and woven. Introduced through the work of a shepherd tending a large flock in Denmark, the fibre finds form in a checked vest and pleated skirt where two brown tones meet. Each shade comes from a different sheep, and together they reveal how structure and elasticity emerge through material choice. The pattern follows the logic of the loom, recording decisions made under tension rather than serving as surface decoration.
Colour follows a similar logic. A restrained palette of off-white, deep blue, and brown comes from the availability of deadstock yarns sourced in Italy. Rather than seeking variation through colour, Stem focuses on shifts in weave and density, allowing pattern to move and change across the garment. Checks tighten and release as the structure shifts, while pleating and needle felting shape the surface through repetition and pressure. The result feels measured and precise, grounded in process rather than effect.
Accessories extend this logic. Scarves with disrupted checks, belts woven for multiple modes of wear, and pieces that move and flex alongside the body. Nothing feels decorative, but more so, everything is functional and expressive. Garments from past collections enter the brand's dialogue with a new, reinforcing continuity that upholds the artisanal processes over seasonal novelty that many labels of today fall victim to as they grow within the industry.
Beyond individual garments, Stem envisions a larger system. Stem Mill, in early-stage development in Denmark, combines production with research and pedagogy. Micro-spinning and agile manufacturing come together to create a laboratory where textiles are observed and played with while being understood from fibre to final product. The mill proposes a future of fashion built from material intelligence rather than abstraction.
To Wool resists the spectacle of it all. Its logic is intimate and deliberate. The result is a collection that feels alive, and a quiet demonstration of what attention and patience can yield.
Stem’s work considers how clothing can hold time and labour as clearly as it holds form. The hands-on presentation and the use of local wool come together as a quiet investigation into how material behaves when it is given space to lead.
In this collection, wool takes an active role in shaping the outcome. To Wool traces the relationship between fibre and body, leaving the process visible in the finished garments. Each piece carries a sense of how it was made, pointing toward a slower, more grounded approach to fashion.
