A Colour Palette Inspired by Nature
For the 2026 women’s sportswear collection, I wanted to design around green as the main colour. It was an important challenge, as green had never been a colour I particularly identified with, and I was not entirely sure how to incorporate it authentically into the María Vega universe.
That was when Aqua Sky came into the picture — a soft, light blue-green with low saturation that conveys freshness, calm and serenity. Although this shade is often associated with summer, I believe that, thanks to Costa Rica’s climate, it is a colour that can be enjoyed throughout the year.
The next challenge was finding the right combination. I began exploring different shades within the same colour family until I selected a deeper green to create balance, along with a contrasting colour that would enhance the main shade. This is how the collection’s final colour palette came together: Storm, an intense blue-green that evokes mystery, sophistication and stability, paired with Purple Magic, a deep purple that adds strength, personality and an elegant contrast.
The Collection Design Process
Once the colours had been defined, I reached one of the moments I enjoy most when developing a collection: beginning the sketching process. This is when ideas start to take shape, and I make decisions about the silhouettes, volumes and lines that will bring each garment to life.
I must admit that, after the previous year’s collection, I felt as though my creativity had run out, and I experienced a creative block.
I believe that, at some point in their career, every designer goes through a stage like this. That is why I decided to trust my design style once again: creating playful cuts, symmetrical patterns and garments constructed from multiple pieces, almost like a puzzle that gradually comes together with every stitch.
Garment Design
I wanted to experiment with new patterns, and that led me to incorporate the half-circle skirt, whose formula I used to develop the flounces of the tennis skirt in the collection and achieve the fluid movement that characterises this type of skirt.
For the blouse, I chose a raglan sleeve, a type of sleeve that extends in one piece from the neckline and creates a diagonal seam running from the underarm to the collarbone. Unlike a traditional sleeve, it eliminates the shoulder seam, providing greater comfort and freedom of movement.
For this garment, I also incorporated a very fine linear pattern inspired by pinstripe fabrics, traditionally associated with classic tailoring. Combined with a polo-style collar, the result is a women’s sports blouse with a casual yet sophisticated feel.
For the women’s tennis dress, I designed a princess seam on the front, extending from the shoulder to the waist. I continued these seams down into the skirt and then separated the sections to create greater fullness and volume, adding movement and dynamism to the silhouette.
With the sports shorts, I also wanted to maintain the vertical lines introduced in the dress. In both the shorts and the dress, I incorporated piping to manually recreate the pinstripe effect, reinforcing the visual concept that connects the entire collection.
A New Textile for the Workshop
For this collection, I also introduced a new textile to the workshop’s fabric selection: Zaga, a fabric with a textured surface created by small perforations that not only provide a distinctive finish but also enhance the garment’s breathability.
Why Is It Called the Saga Collection?
The collection is named Saga Collection. The name was born as a play on words that refers, on the one hand, to the new textile incorporated into both the collection and the workshop, while also alluding to the ongoing saga of designing, creating and reinventing myself with every new collection.
Who Was the Saga Collection Designed For?
The 2026 Saga Collection was created for women who enjoy tennis and are looking for sportswear that goes far beyond functionality. With this collection, my intention was to find the right balance between comfort, versatility and elegance — creating garments that allow you to move with freedom and confidence while expressing your style and personality both on and off the court.
By María Vega