In 1976, in Varese, a town closer to the Alps than to any coastline, Paolo Dini began making clothes for the sea. Half a century on, that founding contradiction still explains Paul & Shark better than any campaign could: an Italian house shaped by salt air and northern light, led today by the third generation of the same family, with Andrea Dini at the helm.
The brand articulates itself through four pillars. Heritage, Modern Craftsmanship, Elegant Performance and Sense of Journey, and they read less as marketing scaffolding than as a description of how the clothes behave. Craft here is not preserved under glass; it is fed through technical research until cashmere can take on weather. Journey is treated as an attitude rather than an itinerary: movement, discovery, the pleasure of going somewhere.
Nowhere is this clearer than in the Icons, the small group of garments the house returns to each season. The Seaside Pullover came first. Water-repellent wool, distinguished by the spallotte, contrasting inserts set across the shoulders. The True Peacoat carries the maritime line into wool and cashmere, wide-lapelled and double-breasted. The Aliseo Blouson, named for the trade wind, fuses knit and woven cloth into a hybrid that shelters without stiffening. And then there is the Paolo Blouson, named for the founder, drawn to face wind and water. Another staple in the Paul & Shark collection is the Maestro, a cashmere car coat inspired by the figure of the mentor, he who teaches, guides, and accompanies us along the path of life. This garment embodies that philosophy as a timeless tailored representation of elegance, allowing the owner to express refinement and confidence in every moment.
For Fall/Winter 2026 the Paolo returns in pure cashmere with a waterproof, windproof membrane, its collar, cuffs and hem worked in an exclusive cashmere–wool knit, the palette softened to neutral beige. It anchors a season in which knitwear again leads, hybrids and Typhoon outerwear gain refinement, and colour runs from chocolate through deep blue alongside the unmistakable Paul & Shark blue.
From August 6 to 12, that world comes ashore at Bumblebee Point. Paul & Shark takes over the Boat House at Range Rover House Muskoka, Snøhetta’s study in architecture, landscape and restraint above Lake Joseph. Here Paolo’s Closet presents FW26 alongside the Icons. Fifty years in, the house is still doing what it set out to do. Paul & Shark dresses people with a unique combination of weather protection and effortless, Italian elegance that carries its own voice.
