Mark Baigent: “Colour may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of my brand. Still, each season, I subtly incorporate tones that reflect our commitment to neutrality and gender inclusivity. For Spring/Summer 2026, I’m pushing this signature further; using colour not to disrupt the brand’s dark aesthetic, but to deepen it, creating a more refined and sophisticated atmosphere.

This season, colour emerges in three distinct expressions. First, through a bold stripe. Second, with a ruffle-line print. And third, a unique dot-dye motif created entirely using a batik stencil technique. This experimental print, named ‘Noda’, the Indonesian word for ‘stain’, was developed in close collaboration with batik master Mr. Gun, who brings over thirty years of experience to the craft.

Together, we transformed traditional batik into something abstract and modern. These prints have now become a hallmark of the brand. Mr. Gun shares my passion for preserving artisanal heritage while pushing it into contemporary design."

Take a look here for a glimpse inside Mr. Gun’s studio and the production of the SS26 prints.

Mark Baigent: "Both the vertical and freely placed prints are offered in a deep basalt grey
and a rich malacBoth the vertical and freely placed prints appear in deep basalt grey and rich malachite green—two signature hues that flow throughout the collection. More than just aesthetic choices, these colours form a unifying thread and a quiet rebellion against the traditional gender codes so often embedded in palette. Grounded by black tones, they become a visual language of fluidity, defiance, and emotional depth—qualities Sappho recognized as true forms of power.

This collection is a love letter to that power. Not the kind that dominates, but the kind that dares to feel. To uplift. To desire. To disrupt. To endure.

The past months have been undeniably difficult. For some, silencing. For others, a reckoning. For many, a clear signal of uprising. Across East and West, one thing is certain: power structures that once operated discreetly now reveal themselves, unapologetically.

So I ask: how do acts of harm come to be seen as heroic? Why is violence normalised? And how can I, as a minority artist, push back against systems that overlook our citizenship, dismiss our agency, and fail to protect us—when all I have is my art?

The Greek poet Sappho of Lesbos became the anchor of this collection. In Fragment 16, she questions the glorification of war and masculine ideals of heroism:

“Some say an army of horsemen, some of foot soldiers, some of ships, is the most beautiful thing on the black earth. But I say it is whatever one loves.”

In that simple line, Sappho redefines value—not through conquest, but through love. She reminds us that power lies in raw emotion, tenderness, and beauty. That resistance can take the form of art.

Like her, I claim agency through presence. I resist not with force, but through creation. I design for those whose stories are often erased. My medium is cloth; my language, form and colour. This collection embodies the same quiet defiance Sappho evokes: rawness, emotional truth, and love.

The silhouettes in SAPPHICA flow with ease, guided by instinct more than symmetry. The fabrics—linen blends, airy cottons, and silks—become both skin and armour, through melancholic hues and raw-edge finishes. Hand-felt textures retain the marks of their making, embracing the distressed and imperfect. Just as Sappho’s fragmented verses speak through their silence, these garments find poetry in what is unrefined."

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We are showing Mark Baigent's SS26 collection at Curate in New York, form September 12th to 14th.

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