Exclusive first look at Bataković’s FW 2026 collection and its Loro Piana collaboration

The days when classic minimalism ruled fashion and proportions played it safe are long gone. As Coco used to say, “Fashion is architecture: it is a matter of proportions.” In the contemporary moment, that architecture is transforming: through asymmetry, drama, and deliberate imbalance, it finally abandons its obsession with restraint and symmetry. The message? Proportions are no longer about balance, but about courage. From voluminous sleeves that appear to float in the air, to sharply tailored blazers with deliberately exaggerated shoulders and even larger lapels that verge on theatricality, the fashion world has embraced a new aesthetic language: playful proportions. At last, individuality takes center stage, while notions of quiet luxury, simplicity, and elegance are boldly reimagined.

With this narrative, the Serbian brand Bataković introduces us to its new Fall/Winter 26/27 campaign and collection, which will be presented exclusively at the Marcona3 showroom in Milan, one of the key addresses for selection and international distribution of contemporary luxury fashion. Ivana Bataković, the brand’s founder and creative director, mentions at the very beginning of our conversation a key word when it comes to design and her authorial signature, recognizable through the blend of strict construction, subtle references to uniforms, and a femininity that never tips into decorativeness: consistency.

“Although individual pieces can emerge as a response to a specific moment or need, each of our collections develops as a process, with a clear internal logic and a consistently preserved brand DNA. That very consistency has, in a short time, become its most important value. In the new collection, we further deepen our own philosophy, focusing on longevity, tactile luxury, and a clear silhouette, freed from seasonal trends. This means that the pieces must make sense both today and several seasons from now, without losing identity or strength. We are not chasing novelty at any cost; if it appears, it speaks more about a kind of upgrade of our vision than about a change of direction.”

The new collection brings an even more pronounced architecture of tailoring, but with greater softness to make wearing it even more comfortable. The focus was on redefining the shoulders, precisely constructed yet freed from rigidity, with carefully controlled volumes that allow for movement and ease.

“We worked on the balance between structure and fluidity: coats, jackets, and blazers retain a clear form, but through construction and material choice they appear calmer. The details remain recognizably Bataković, but are more restrained and precise: less decoration, more pure construction. Every seam, finish, and line has a clear function, in the spirit of the less is more principle.”

In the Bataković wardrobe, statement outerwear is one of the main pillars. The iconic bomber in the FW 26/27 collection remains one of the key pieces, now further refined through proportions, shoulders, and finishing, with a pronounced sense of luxurious functionality. The carry-over Francis coat from previous seasons continues to live on as an archetypal brand piece that transcends temporal markers, a fact confirmed by the trunk show on the Moda Operandi platform, where these very pieces stood out most prominently over the past year.

However, perhaps the most significant aspect of the new campaign is the fact that Bataković Belgrade is, for the first time, presenting a complete knitwear collection, entirely produced in Italy, in collaboration with the Loro Piana brand. The finest suri alpaca and cashmere, along with premium blends of wool and merino wool, are not merely in service of the material here, but also dictate the design itself: tactility, drape, weight, silhouette, and durability. “This collaboration deepens what we have been building from the very beginning: quality over quantity. Each piece is conceived as a long-term value, a statement within the wardrobe. Form and material together shape identity, while luxury is present in every line: sophisticated, subtle, yet very powerful. Soon, the entire Loro Piana team will join us in Belgrade for a special event dedicated to this collaboration, where we will experience the material in its full dimension, in the spirit of the luxury both brands share.”

Finally, I am curious about how the Bataković brand interprets quiet luxury today. “For us, quiet luxury is the absence of the need to prove anything. It is a piece that lasts, that does not become outdated, and that carries the inner confidence of the person wearing it. Without logos, without noise, without seasonal trends, just essence. A flawless relationship between material, form, and proportion. Details are present, but unobtrusive and visible to those who know how to look carefully. And above all, investing in quality, because material and cut make the difference and endure over time.”

Photo: Dušan Reljin
Art director: Riccardo Ruini
Merchandising strategy: Luigi Bernasconi
Styling: Marko Mrkaja
Models: Vanja Dragojević i Ana Plisnić