We caught up with Holly Humberstone in Paris right before the British singer-songwriter announced Cruel World…So It Ends, a deluxe edition of her critically acclaimed second album, arriving November 13 with five brand new tracks.
Photographed by Rita Castel-Branco as she gets ready for the Maison Margiela show in Paris, Holly Humberstone stepped into the world of the house’s Co-Ed Fall Winter 2026 collection. Wearing look 13, a fluid technical fabric sculpted into an Edwardian silhouette, hand-painted with bianchetto and cracked open once dry to reveal a distinctive, flowing texture. Amethyst and rhinestone wax earrings, a wrap ring and heel-less bianchetto pumps complete the look. An exclusive moment with Holly, captured just before the show.
Alongside Paris Fashion Week, Humberstone shared “Too Cute To Be Lonely”, an euphoric, dancefloor-leaning alt-pop track inspired by ABBA, Madonna and Robyn, offering a first glimpse into the brighter, more expansive direction of the new material. The song arrives with a new music video directed by Silken Weinberg, who has worked with Humberstone and her sister Eleri Humberstone to build the enchanting dark fairytale universe surrounding Cruel World. Rather than closing the story, “Too Cute To Be Lonely” opens its next chapter, continuing the visual narrative established by the album. For Humberstone, that evolution reflects a change in herself, too. “To me the fairytale doesn’t end, it just turns a page to a new chapter,” she stated. “Cruel World was a journey of self-discovery and finding my confidence in my voice, the songs within So It Ends feel more confident and self-assured.”
Released in April, Cruel World debuted at No. 4 on the UK Albums Chart and has amassed more than 83 million streams. The deluxe edition follows a summer of international festival appearances including Reading & Leeds, Summer Sonic, Mad Cool and Governors Ball. Humberstone will bring the record to the UK and Ireland in January 2027, with Chloe Qisha joining as support, culminating in a headline show at London’s O2 Academy Brixton on January 26.
Holly Humberstone before Maison Margiela show captured by Rita Castel-Branco in Paris for VEIN MAGAZINE
Credits:
Photography by Rita Castel-Branco
Styled by Lauren Anne Gloves
Make-up: Grace Ellington
Hair: Jadah Dale
