“La Dama del Cacao”: MAQU’s AW2026 Capsule Turns Cocoa Waste into a New Fashion Material

With AW2026, Maqu pushes the idea of “quiet luxury” beyond silhouette and into substance. Titled La Dama del Cacao, the new capsule explores contemporary Peruvian minimalism through textile research, regenerative production thinking, and a materials-first design philosophy—unveiled in Berlin during Berlin Fashion Week on January 30, 2026.

The collection combines alpaca yarns, organic cotton, and engineered biomaterials, created through hand knitting and artisanal machinery. The intent is wearability with longevity: pieces designed to adapt to different bodies and styling contexts, rather than follow a single seasonal moment.

Its defining innovation is Cacao Leather, a bio-based vegan material developed in Peru using waste from the cocoa industry, then coloured with achiote pigment. Instead of treating heritage as decoration, Maqu uses process and sourcing as the aesthetic—where cultural memory and biotechnology meet on the same surface.

The palette stays grounded in nature—beiges, cocoa browns, earth tones, and calm blues—supporting a restrained wardrobe language in which texture, finish, and material integrity do the heavy lifting.

Maqu Lab’s live presentation at the Peruvian Embassy in Berlin was paired with an accompanying art exhibition, framing the capsule as both a fashion release and a research statement. Pre-orders begin February 2 during Berlin Fashion Week, with wider online and retail availability expected from September 2026.