The fashion calendar’s most exhilarating stretch has returned, with Spring/Summer 2026 fashion weeks rolling through New York, London, Milan, and Paris.
This season arrives with extra anticipation: 15 creative directors are taking their bows at major houses, including Matthieu Blazy at Chanel, Demna Gvasalia at Gucci, Louise Trotter at Bottega Veneta, and Pierpaolo Piccioli at Balenciaga.
And while 2025 has hardly been serene, the mood on the runway was anything but bleak, with designers turning their backs on the austere “quiet luxury” trend, instead chasing joy in moments of maximalist expression.
Not Your Mother's Prep
Preppy style is always lurking in the background, but this season it came back looser and with a noughties twist. Tory Burch, Toteme, Ralph Lauren, Tibi, and Celine all took a turn at reworking the classics.
Tory Burch gave her polos and pleats a relaxed edge, adding pops of lemon yellow and lavender to an otherwise neutral palette. Emphasising a longer torso with casual tanks and below-the-knee pleated skirts, the collection had a softer, more relaxed feel. Brandon Maxwell made prep look Texan and easygoing, pairing check-print trousers with oversized blazers and layering shirting under jumpers worn with rumpled, casual ease.
Feathers and Fringe
Spring/Summer 2026 was irresistibly tactile. Feathers, tassels, fur, and fringe swept across the runways, extending last season’s flirtation with fur and building on the “boho chic” revival of the year. Designers as varied as Ashlyn, 16Arlington, Brandon Maxwell, and Ulla Johnson leaned into texture with confidence.
At 16Arlington, plumage met punk, as feathers mingled with studs and sequins in earthy shades of black, brown, and beige. Ulla Johnson went full-on romantic, layering feathery flourishes with ruffles, tassels, and abstract prints that hinted at painterly bohemia.
Entrenched
The trench coat, fashion’s perennial darling, returned this season with exaggerated proportions and unexpected textures.
Prabal Gurung’s collection leaned into romance, draping trenches in satin pastels with bold jolts of red and yellow, keeping its signature details while exploring knee-high belting and casually elaborate collars. At Coach, Stuart Vevers sent out trenches in distressed leather and bleached denim.
Bring The Harem
Harem trousers, also known as balloon pants, floated through shows from Altuzarra and Ralph Lauren to Michael Kors and Adam Lippes. Loose, languid, and happily boho, they looked ready for both work and wandering.
Altuzarra’s version gave the nod to 1940s and 1980s tailoring, pairing the silhouette with sharp blazers and cinched leather jackets. Michael Kors styled balloon trousers with cropped jackets and flowing shirts in sun-bleached neutrals.
Architectural Minimalism
Even in a season defined by maximalism, minimalism found its voice via shape and structure. Some designers leant on architectural lines to let form, rather than embellishment, carry the look.
At Tibi, Amy Smilovic and Traci Bui-Amar drew on brutalism, paring down separates to their strongest forms and anchoring them with workwear staples. At Calvin Klein, Veronica Leoni used a single focal point to make her point, whether that was a padded shoulder or a monochrome wash. Minimalism here is not about silence but about sharpness.
From the October edition of Wanted, 2025
