Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/1543791
For readers less familiar with the work of Leon Polk Smith, how would you describe it, and what about it drew you to use it as a point of departure for Spring/ Summer 2026? What fascinates me about Leon Polk Smith is his radical simplicity. A few essential decisions—line, shape, and color—create work that feels incredibly present. His color pairings, especially, stunned me; each "color correspondence," as he called his two-colored works, feels surprisingly new. I also love that for him, everything begins with the line. That became the starting point for a collection focused on cuts and geometric lines. You and Smith have both balked at the idea of being called minimalists, yet both of your bodies of work seem to be invested in exploring things like simplicity and repetition. Can you delve a bit into this paradox? I always insist: I'm not a minimalist. My fabrics—cashmere, silk, and denim—are maximal. Minimalism is often perceived as strict, reduced, or cold, and for me that idea is too limited. It's about using form and fabric to bring the person into light, and about focusing on essentials in order to refine them further. The trapezoid has become a hallmark of Akris, rooted in references to the apron, architecture, and proportion. How does that shape evolve beyond recognition into three dimensions? I've always been fascinated by how something so architectural could feel light. This season, it finally transforms into something almost weightless: organza embroidered like a floating collage of trapezoids, developed with [celebrated embroidery company] Forster Rohner in St. Gallen. A perfect segue for my next question, which is about fabric: Materials seem to play a central role at Akris. What was the starting point for this collection? Fabric is where every collection begins. Here, it started with denim, the most utilitarian material, elevated through color. The idea was a pairing that feels surprisingly chic in Leon Polk Smith's vibrant palette. What I love about double denim is that it works like a suit. It creates the same sense of being put- together: intentional, but still casual. After more than a century of Akris, how do you balance the need to evolve without losing the house's unique point of view? In fashion, a personal signature and point of view are essential. You must cultivate your own language while continuing to evolve. For us, craft is at the core of everything we do, but craft only has meaning if it moves forward. It's not about exclusivity or nostalgia. It's about going back to the roots and using that foundation to create something modern. That's how heritage stays relevant. The Rose brooch in progress: crafted from titanium and ethical 18-carat rose gold, paved with rubies AT RIGHT "Organza embroidered like a floating collage of trapezoids," says Kriemler of this look developed with local embroidery house Forster Rohner. BELOW A look designed in dialogue with the Leon Polk Smith Foundation FROM TOP At the St. Gallen studio, a look from the Spring collection, in progress; Kriemler sketching; the new Alice bag set against boxes of buttons put- still casual. century of the losing the view? signature and You must language while us, craft is we do, but moves exclusivity or back to foundation modern. That's relevant. The Rose brooch in progress: crafted from titanium and ethical 18-carat rose gold, paved with rubies progress; sketching; the new Alice bag set against boxes of buttons