DEW Magazine #59 The Regeneration Issue Spring 2026. In times of uncertainty, creativity does not disappear, it deepens. As this issue come together, Spring does not ask us to forget. It asks us to begin again.
There is something about spring that feels almost defiant this year.
We are used to speaking of the season in soft metaphors—rebirth, renewal, the quiet unfurling of possibility. But as this issue came together, the world beyond our pages felt anything but gentle. The ongoing conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran now stretching across borders, economies, and everyday life has reshaped not only geopolitics but the emotional climate we all inhabit. What began in February 2026 with large-scale strikes and rapid escalation has since rippled outward, disrupting global stability, trade, and even the rhythm of daily living.
And yet, here we are at the threshold of spring.
Regeneration, we realized, is not about erasing what came before. It is about what grows despite it.
In fashion, we are seeing a profound shift. Designers are no longer interested in escapism alone; instead, they are engaging with reality reworking materials, revisiting archives, and reimagining purpose. There is a visible return to craft, to longevity, to garments that carry meaning rather than momentary spectacle. Beauty, too, feels quieter, more intentional. Skin is allowed to breathe. Imperfection is no longer concealed but considered.
This is not a retreat. It is a recalibration.
In times of uncertainty, creativity does not disappear, it deepens. The collections in this issue reflect that: silhouettes that feel protective yet fluid, palettes that move between restraint and bloom, textures that echo both fragility and resilience. There is a sense that fashion is learning how to hold contradiction to be both armor and expression, both witness and escape.
Regeneration, then, becomes a more complex idea. It is not just the return of light, but the decision to seek it. Not just growth, but the courage to grow in fractured ground.
We do not ignore the world as it is. We carry it with us into the studio, onto the editorial story, into the clothes we choose to wear each day. Style, in this moment, becomes a language of response: how we adapt, how we endure, how we imagine forward.
Spring does not ask us to forget. It asks us to begin again. (Text Teuku Ajie)
CREDITS
Cover story Makiko Takizawa at NLINE in GAGAN
Photography Takeshi Takagi
Styling Minami Taira
Hair and Make-up Akihiro Motooka