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2026 Fall/Winter Major Trends Traversing Fantasy and Reality!
To briefly summarize the past 2026 spring/summer collections, it was a season that challenged “styling that isn’t swayed by algorithms.” For the upcoming 2026 fall/winter, the fashion world took that one step further. It headed to a land of fantasy where one can momentarily escape reality, leaving behind both the physical and digital worlds. That realm was full of original storytelling and whimsical imagination. Nicolas Ghesquière of Louis Vuitton called it “a new folklore for the future.”
The fashion industry is becoming increasingly corporatized, and creative directors of brands are under greater pressure to perform than ever before. Even in that atmosphere, this season the creative directors proved that they can still fully deploy their creativity and enjoy the pleasure of creating new worlds.
Louis Vuitton 2026 F/W RTW
Louis Vuitton 2026 F/W RTW
It’s probably appropriate to begin this story with Ghesquière’s Louis Vuitton collection. It was held at the summer palace of the French queen Anne d’Autriche, which for a day was transformed into a moss-covered, fantastical space for the show. That was thanks to the production design by Jeremy Hindle, who worked on films like Top Gun: Maverick and the Apple TV thriller series Severance.
The show opened with a sculptural cape inspired by the Turkish traditional garment called the kepenek. The kepenek is a thick felt, tent-like overcoat worn by shepherds to withstand cold and storms; it looks almost like a basket woven from bamboo. The silhouette itself, reminiscent of a giant bat, gives a surreal feeling. Various looks followed, and many featured sheep-motif embellishments by Ukrainian artist Nazar Streliaiev-Nazarko. “Ghesquière told us to dream, or at least to step out of our comfort zones in fashion.” That’s the verdict of Nicole Phelps, global director of British Vogue.
Loewe 2026 F/W RTW
Loewe 2026 F/W RTW
Loewe’s Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez set a uniquely playful tone for the show with enormous sewn dolls. Guests arriving at the venue were greeted by works from artist Cosima von Bonin. The collection that followed was overall full of vivid color and unabashed cheer. Runway looks included citrus-hued 3D-printed latex dresses, garments with teddy-like textures, and outerwear inspired by inflated life jackets. “What mattered most to us was the joy of making,” McCollough told Vogue. As he said, there was nowhere in the show a sense of seriousness or “quiet luxury.”
Gabriela Hearst 2026-2027 F/W RTW
Givenchy 2026-2027 F/W RTW
That isn’t to say every fantasy had to be wildly unreal. The runways of Gabriela Hearst, McQueen, and Givenchy were strongly tinged with a gothic mood reminiscent of the medieval era. This mood, too, has the power to lift you out of everyday reality.
Gabriela Hearst staged looks that could have come from a Brothers Grimm fairy tale. Models with windswept hair walked the runway in fluttering capes. At McQueen, Shaun McGuire proved where the brand’s roots lie with femme fatale corsets and subtly diffused lace. Sarah Burton, formerly of McQueen and now leading Givenchy, added an antique oil-paint texture to eveningwear through rich botanical embroidery and Art Deco–style jewelry. Art Deco is an artistic movement of the 1920s–30s characterized by geometric and decorative simplicity. This motif was picked up at Valentino as well, appearing like a modern-girl for the digital age.
Dior 2026 F/W RTW
Chanel 2026 F/W RTW
But in the end, no creative figure can live only in fantasy. Sooner or later you have to return to reality. The key may be finding escapes within everyday life. Jonathan Anderson at Dior matched the brand’s emblematic Bar jacket with roomy jeans, and Matthieu Blazy at Chanel reinterpreted metallic bouclé into a relaxed sensibility. These looks register subtly, like a presence in a Friday-night cocktail bar. You can also hear this nuanced sense of reality in Miuccia Prada’s words: “I want to make clothes with humanity and tenderness, poetic feeling, romance. We are small beings, but that is enough in itself.” – Joy Montgomery, Shopping Editor
New Era of ‘Ladylike'
(From top left, clockwise) Chanel, Dior, Balenciaga, Kallmeyer, Proenza Schouler 2026 F/W RTW
Literally. The ladylike look refers to an elegant, feminine, “lady-like” style—think neat top-handle bags, gloves, and understated tailoring. It might be an expression full of stereotypes. But in 2026 the term has taken on a new meaning. As seen in Jonathan Anderson’s reinterpreted Dior Bar jacket and Matthieu Blazy’s reworked Chanel skirt suit, the basic shapes remain elegant but the mood is closer to everyday wear than before. Anderson paired the Bar jacket with loose jeans, adding a modern twist to an iconic silhouette. Blazy rendered Chanel’s signature bouclé texture in boxier cuts. On the runway he styled long shirts untucked and left out naturally rather than tucked in—realizing a ladylike that feels everyday and comfortable.
Loewe Wool Blend Blazer
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Aigoldi Vintage Loose-Fit Wide-Leg Jeans
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Givenchy Draped Wool Mohair Skirt
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COS Fluid Wool Boiled Shirt
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Art Deco–Style Eveningwear
(From top left, clockwise) Khaite, Kallmeyer, Rabanne, Conner Ives, Chanel 2026 F/W RTW
The 2020s are completely different from the 1920s. Comparing the records of the past and our stories in the present, that’s undeniable. Still, designers turned their gaze back a century to seek inspiration. They brought the refined, intricate sensibility of Art Deco—a defining artistic style from 100 years ago—to eveningwear for awards and parties. In truth, Art Deco silhouettes and finishes have a timeless appeal. Delicate bead embroidery would have dazzled on red carpets today just as it did on stages a century ago. Some fashion houses took a direct approach: Lanvin and Prada’s beaded tunic dresses are prime examples. Others paid homage in a subtler way with decorations and lace that recall the modern girls of that era. It was a welcome shift away from the extreme minimalism of recent seasons’ “quiet luxury.”
Body Wooster Fringe Dress
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Doen Vivian Lace-Trim Silk Satin Top
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Zara ZW Collection Jacquard Scarf Robe
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Alaïa Black Tux Round Wool Slacks
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The Power of Styling
(From top left, clockwise) Ferragamo, The Row, Loewe, Prada, Johanna Parv 2026 F/W RTW
What characterizes fashion-content algorithms on social media is that they endlessly produce special and unique styling formulas. But in reality we’re all watching the same thing. We copy content meant to express individuality, and everyone ends up wearing the same clothes and looking ordinary. Is there a way to beat the algorithm? Look to Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons and it might be possible. They had 15 models in the Prada show, each wearing four looks that transformed in real time. They demonstrated that instead of buying new clothes when you don’t know what to wear, it’s better to fill your closet with versatile pieces you’ll keep and wear in many ways. For example, a skirt that’s midi length at the office but can be shortened to a mini for after-work outings. Or a camisole that’s great layered under long-sleeve tops by day and worn alone for weekend evenings. Express your various selves with a single, multipurpose item.
Marks & Spencer Cotton-Rich Funnel-Neck Parka Coat
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Anne et Dor Adah Crewneck Cardigan
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Prada Pleats Rush Stitch Midi Skirt
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With Nothing Underneath The Classic
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Playful Proportions
(From top left, clockwise) Stella McCartney, Chanel, Givenchy, Celine, Jil Sander 2026 F/W RTW
The runway is like an experimental ground for proportions. Examples include trains that trail like flowing water behind a walking model, paniers that add volume to skirts, and peplum details that cinch a blazer at the waist. As Matthieu Blazy proved in his second Chanel ready-to-wear collection for the 2026 fall/winter show, silhouettes can leave a strong impression with just slight adjustments—sometimes more impactful than overt transformations. Blazy focused this season on lowered waistlines, visible in looks combining oatmeal sweater vests with pleated skirts, ornate coordinated sets, and stiff long-sleeve dresses with deep V-necks. Meanwhile, Sarah Burton at Givenchy presented several tight-fitting double-breasted jackets that raised the waistline up above the hips. Though the heights differed, both approaches were interesting experiments.
Loewe Asymmetric Dress
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Simone Rocha Hooded Cropped Plush-Trim Shell Bomber Jacket
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JW Anderson Fold-Over Trousers
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Totême Tie-Waist Jersey Top
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A Return to the Body
(From top left, clockwise) Gucci, Alaïa, Valentino, Khaite, Jil Sander 2026 F/W RTW
Peter Muhliere departed Alaïa after the 2026 fall/winter season. In his final Alaïa collection he focused most of all on the body itself rather than on clothes. “These are clothes for real people, not just for imagery,” Muhliere told Vogue. “What I told my team was to reduce, and reduce again. No bags, no jewelry. Only beauty and the clothes, and shoes that look barefoot. That’s what Azzedine Alaïa stood for.” In tribute to the brand’s founder Alaïa and the body-hugging bodycon silhouette, Muhliere presented pared-back designs: midi and mini tank-dress lengths, clingy long-sleeve maxi dresses in skin-like lightweight fabrics, and more. Jean-Paul Gaultier, Schiaparelli, Fendi, and Gucci offered similar short, bold, and taut dresses. It was a welcome variation on the oversized silhouettes that have dominated fashion cities this season. – Alice Carey, Senior Shopping Editor
Massimo Dutti 100% Cotton Raglan Short-Sleeve T-Shirt
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Simone Rocha Ribbon-Ring Asymmetric Midi Skirt
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Floreflore Vivi Organic Cotton Jersey Midi Dress
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Marks & Spencer Knit Scoop-Neck Drape Maxi Drop-Waist Dress
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Published: August 31, 2026
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