The Fashion Week circuit is here again, and it is livelier, energetic and more aspirational than ever. Beginning with New York Fashion Week and moving to London Fashion Week under the oversight of Laura Weir, new CEO of British Fashion Council's, and then on to Milan starting today, every show has felt refreshed, yet maintained its traditional glamour and prestige.
From one end of the pond to other; from timeless elegant designs to luxury streetwear and culture shakers, the shows presented a pleasant sense of ongoing surprise, adeptly delivering the feeling of refinement and reinvention. Here are some trends from this Fashion Week circuit which we can all expect to set the tone for the outfits of 2026's Spring Summer season.
STRUCTURED SILHOUETTES
Calvin Klein/Erdem rtw/Kate Barton
These Fashion Week shows have given us some jaw-dropping tailored looks consisting of bold structured outfits with unmissable silhouettes. The corset look just might be around for longer than envisaged, as designers around the world take the inspiration to experiment more with layers and structure. Designers like Repetición, Alaïa and Kate Barton each integrated structure in their own ways, delivering some stunning looks as pictured above.
THINK VIBRANT, BRIGHT, NEON!
Tory Burch/Erdem rtw
The SS26 fashion weeks have definitely leaned into the spirit of Spring, renewal and rejuvenation. Fashion houses across London and New York Fashion Weeks like Tory Burch, Tove and Erdem added some shocking charm to their collection with bright neon oranges, lemon greens and yellows. The colour shows we were treated to at these fashion week events also coincide quite well with Pantone's colour predictions for LFW SS26, which features a lot of deep vibrant hues.
CHEERLEADER-CHIC IS BACK
Calvin Klein/Kevin Germanier/Christian Siriano
Ready, okay! From leather pompom tassels by Calvin Klein to Altuzarra's fringed woolen 2-piece set and Christian Siriano's full body sheer suit with fringe detail down the front, designers have put a new spin on back-to-school energy, serving up looks that can serve as streetwear, elegant outfits or powerful business attires. Get ready for a spring Summer collection featuring lots of playfulness expressed through fringe, pompom, tassels, and more.
PATTERN MIXING AND COLOUR BLOCKING
Marni/Christian Siriano/Chopova Lowena
Maximalism is inching back onto the scene as displayed by designers like Burberry, Libertine, Anna Sui and Brandon Maxwell who flouted all fashion norms with their bold introduction of colour blocking, pattern on pattern, and full voluminous silhouettes that bring all the drama. The pattern-mixing trend also harmonises quite well with another trend we observed at the fashion weeks: the milkmaid trend, characterised by florals, puffy sleeves, gingham and delicate details like bowties and rosette appliqués.
YELLOW SUNSHINE
Simkhai SS26/Craig Green/Unfinished Business, Tolu Coker
Definitely a part of the vibrant colour trend but needing its own category for the many variations of the hues represented across the New York and London shows, yellow has been a star of show at the SS26 circuit. From deep mustard to soft pastel and calming butter hues, we've seen yellow put to work by fashion houses like Burberry, Carolina Herrera, Tolu Coker and Paul Costelloe, all brilliantly channelling sheer romance, adventure and classic elegance.
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