As a teenager, Albert Kriemler grew up traveling to fabric fairs with his family, founders of the Swiss fashion house Akris , and occasionally attending the fashion shows of Yves Saint Laurent, whose legendary art -inspired collections brought Vincent van Gogh, Georges Braque and Piet Mondrian to life on the runway.

Is it any wonder Kriemler, creative director of Akris since 1980, frequently turns to art to nurture his creativity?

His zesty fall 2026 Akris collection , for example, was the fruit of a collaboration with Colombian artist Olga de Amaral, whose large-scale textile works, often covered in gold or silver leaf, emboldened him to stretch beyond his usual comfort zone of luxurious understatement and go all out with shine, color and texture.

A look from the Akris fall 2026 runway Isidore Montag/Courtesy of Akris

He first drew a direct line between his fashions and art with the brand’s first Paris runway show in 2004, which was inspired by the colors of Swiss-French painter Félix Vallotton.

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