Designers at Debenhams returns for SS26 with Ashish’s second drop starring Kim Cattrall

Designers at Debenhams is back for SS26 with the second collection by LFW designer Ashish Gupta, who designs under the label ‘Ashish’, and with actress Kim Cattrall returning to front it.

The first Ashish collection for Debenhams, which marked the return of the Designers at Debenhams concept after years of dormancy, launched in October 2025, with style icon Cattrall playing to the camera in typically glamorous fashion.

Now, drop two, which launches on 13 March, expands the narrative. Where the debut embraced high-impact glamour, this second chapter softens the focus - without losing its edge. It’s described as “garden party dressing reimagined for the city - and for the after-dark invite that inevitably follows”.

Dan Finley, CEO of Debenhams Group, said: “The response to our first Designers at Debenhams x Ashish collaboration was phenomenal. With this second drop, we are building on that energy and reaffirming our commitment to bringing directional, design-led fashion to customers across the UK.

“This is just the beginning of an exciting pipeline of collaborations that will continue to define the next chapter of Debenhams.”

Florals are reimagined through engineered knits and intricate intarsia techniques, “bringing depth and dimension to every piece”, while featherlight knitwear forms the foundation of the range, designed to move effortlessly between occasions.

The colour palette leans into soft pastels and powdery hues, punctuated with flashes of high-shine sparkle, and silhouettes are clean and minimal, allowing texture and embellishment to take centre stage.

Diamanté detailing catches the light against matte yarns, while unexpected fabric pairings - vinyl with denim, crystalline embellishment with soft knits - “create a tension that feels distinctly contemporary”.

Key pieces include embellished straight-leg jeans, cropped knit tops adorned with delicate floral motifs, and a statement vinyl trench coat inspired by the humble shower curtain, described as “a witty nod to Britain’s famously changeable weather.” It’s classic outerwear reworked with tongue firmly in cheek.

Describing his latest collection for Debenhams, Ashish Gupta said: “Building on the glamour of last season’s Designers at Debenhams collaboration, this collection explores florals reimagined through lightweight engineered knits and intricate intarsia effects, punctuated with diamanté embellishment to create unexpected contrast.”

Kim Cattrall added: “There’s something wonderfully joyful about this second Designers at Debenhams x Ashish collection. It’s glamorous, yes, but it’s also playful and self aware. It embraces femininity and sparkle without apology. That’s what makes it feel modern.”

Launched in 1993, the Designers at Debenhams concept was retail’s original disruptor - long before high-street collaborations became a template. Designers including Jasper Conran, Matthew Williamson, Henry Holland, Betty Jackson, and more have all lent their names and signature designs to it in the past.