Christian Juul Nielsen debuted his Resort 2026 collection for Aknvas at his New York City Garment District offices.
Entitled “Once Upon Tomorrow,” this collection from Aknvas is a tribute to craftsmanship, texture and storytelling—three elements that lie at the heart of his work. Surfaces take center stage: rich faux furs, tactile embroideries, layered fabrics. These are emotional pieces, meant to be worn with a sense of drama, fantasy and modern elegance.
Following the success of Fall ’25, which drew heavily on Danish royalty and historical references, he wanted to evolve the narrative. This season, the same girl steps out of the past and into the present. Who is she today? What’s her world like? Where is she going?
Nielsen has brought her into “the now” but hasn’t let go of the fairytale—he still embraces fantasy and Scandinavian mythology but has styled these inspirations for a contemporary woman. Neilsen looked to ballet dancers and imaginary Nordic princesses, then reimagined them with a modern, urban sensibility.
Having worked in couture for years, embroidery is second nature to Nielsen—and this season, he pushed the technique further. Layering matte and shiny sequins in varied sizes, he embroidered them in abstract patterns in dark chartreuse and black, and experimented with heat-molded sequins and bugle beads to create snow-like textures sculpted into draped forms.
Nielsen’s background includes extensive work with real fur, particularly through his collaborations with Saga Furs in Denmark. “Although this season is fully faux, I approached every piece as I would in couture—with precision and technique,” Nielson said. He printed leopard motifs onto faux mink, created scarves in mixed textures that resemble “fox backbone stripes” and referenced raccoon skins to add variety to the accessory offerings.
Nielsen also turned fil coupé lamé inside out, achieving a forest-snakeskin effect that ties back to gloves and styling throughout the collection.
In the end, “Once Upon Tomorrow” is a rich holiday collection for the woman ready to celebrate—to feel powerful, feminine and entirely herself.
