KNWLS opens purpose-built pop-up at The Painting Rooms during London Fashion Week

KNWLS, the label led by Charlotte Knowles and Alexandre Arsenault, opened a temporary, purpose-built pop-up at The Painting Rooms in London for London Fashion Week, running to the public from February 20 to February 23, 2026. FashionUnited reported the space as the brand’s first owned physical retail experiment, offering an edit of core and exclusive spring/summer 2026 pieces alongside artworks, vintage furnishings, a curated book library and social programming.

The Painting Rooms provided the setting: a 19th-century studio where West End backdrops were once painted, as described by WWD. Vogue and FashionUnited documented the interior curation in detail — vintage furniture was curated by Steph Wilson’s Altar, wall pieces included figures by Anousha Payne and framed floral work by Emilie Pria, and additional artworks by Shaan Bevan were on display. Studio Nocturne compiled a selection of rare books for the library, while garments hung on custom concertina rails attributed to Margulies. Vogue and WWD also exhibited an image series shot by Aidan Zamiri that spotlighted KNWLS’s autumn/winter 2026 imagery; FashionUnited’s page carried photography credited to Rachel Douglass.

Product on offer was anchored in SS26. FashionUnited and Vogue confirmed that shoppers could buy an edit of KNWLS core and exclusive SS26 pieces at the pop-up. WWD identified the label’s latest season by name as Ballistic and framed the season as a toughening up of Victoriana; WWD quoted Charlotte Knowles directly: "The goal was to elevate the collection" and "This season, we started from historical references and silhouettes."

KNWLS framed the installation as more than retail. Vogue quoted the duo saying, "It felt exciting to think about a new way of telling our story - one that doesn’t just revolve around Knwls, but also around everything that feeds into it and shapes the brand." FashionUnited described the site as rooted in a universe defined by a "calm, concerted place" and as a tribute to the brand’s community, honouring the "extensive creative networks that colour the brand and fuel its purpose."

Programming underscored the experiential aim. WWD listed "plenty of clothes, parties and even a Pilates class" and both WWD and CNN reported that Knowles and Arsenault hosted a morning Pilates session in the space. CNN also noted KNWLS’s partnership with Nike, which began in 2025, and quoted Alexandre Arsenault: "That’s what people want these days, they’re craving something physical."

Founded in 2017 and rebranded to KNWLS in 2021, the label was an LVMH Prize 2022 finalist and has lately moved between runway and alternative presentation formats, making a Milan debut last season before returning to London with this pop-up in place of a traditional show. The Painting Rooms installation consolidated the brand’s collaborators and creative contributors into a single, browsable environment and marked KNWLS’s first owned foray into physical retail during the AW26 calendar.