After quiet comes noise, it seems. In the wake of many seasons dominated by the expensive hush of quiet luxury, the push back has begun as we look to the optimism of a new year through bolder, louder alternatives. The fashion world is done, it seems, with muted restraint.
Newness was the buzz word across the spring/summer 2026 runways, as designers made their high-profile arrivals. Bold colour-blocking was made more wearable with neutral tones, 1980s-inspired power shoulders made a comeback, while other can’t-miss-me shapes – think bubble skirts and roomy harem pants – made an unexpected appearance, too.
As runway creations trickled into the shops and on to the streets, here’s what you be seeing more of in the year ahead.
Go for bold
Spring is about joy, and nothing inspires an upbeat mood quite like dazzling colour. Balenciaga offered looks in divine jewel tones such as scarlet, emerald and violet, while at Prada, show-stopping tones of canary yellow, turquoise blue and lime green were handled with ease. Dries Van Noten mixed pink, purple and orange to eye-popping effect, while Alaia colour-blocked fuchsia pink, teal and mustard with chocolate brown, black and white for easy wearability. Loewe offered legs clad in opaque yellow tights under an asymmetrical dress, as Gucci delivered great plumes of Klein Blue feathers. Even Saint Laurent embraced high saturation, through giant orange ruffles.
Anyone keen to embrace this colour-blocking trend can fold in a neutral for ease, while those brave enough to go for head to toe can just sit back and soak up the attention.
Statement skirts
Many designers made their debut on the runway this year, so naturally there were a lot of big ideas on show, with statement skirts one of the biggest. Feather-strewn, floor-length skirts were seen at Balenciaga and Chanel, dressed down with simple T-shirts, while Thom Browne opted for giant puffball skirts in great clouds of grey.
Bottega Veneta offered dense, shimmery fringing for its head turning skirts, while Loewe mixed its skirt covered in swinging trails of beads with a bomber jacket. Prada went for sumptuous, knee-length puffball skirts in rich colours, while skirts worn low on the hips were seen at Tod’s, Tory Burch and Chanel.
With so many styles to choose from, it’s a trend that’s easy to get on board with. Just keep the top understated, and let the skirt do all the work.
Desert tones
Think rich coppers, burnt sand and intense browns for the trend that could have been invented for the Middle East. Taking its cues from the sunset over sand dunes this is all about rich, sun-drenched tones from old gold to rich ambers.
At Chanel it appeared as a textured, almost spikey top in burnt ochre, against a hobble skirt in burnished copper, while Balmain delivered beautiful draping in decadent shades of mahogany. Proenza Schouler offered a slubby, hand-knitted dress in a deep maroon, while Altuzarra crafted a leather jacket in bitter chocolate and worn with harem pants. Told through warm, almost autumnal colours, this is celebration of the beauty of nature’s landscape.
The new neutrals
OK, maybe quiet luxury isn’t completely out the picture for the year ahead. The Pantone Colour of the Year 2026 is a shade of off-white called Cloud Dancer, described as a “calming influence”. It signifies calm, freshness and intentional simplicity, and stands as an antidote to the busy-ness all around us.
A soothing shade somewhere between a putty and bone, the new colour was prominent on the runways this year, including the shows of Emporio Armani, Jil Sander and Max Mara.
A second key neutral for spring is grey, seen on the big-hipped Marie Antoinette silhouette of Jonathan Anderson’s Dior, and as a utilitarian boilersuit at Prada. As if proving grey is anything but predictable, Ermanno Scervino offered it as dreamy layers of netting, Chloe delivered it in shiny satin, and Boss went for matt velvet.
While the runways had both of these colours worn head to toe, there is a simpler way to wear it. Simply swap it for white, navy or black staples for an instant wardrobe update without trying too hard.
All laced up
For spring 2026, lace proposed a feminine softness. Seen in a myriad ways, such as boho inspired at Chemena Kamali’s Chloe, molded into sculptural dresses at Erdem or as barely there shorts and bra sets at Dolce & Gabbana, the beauty of lace is that it can be used head-to-toe or as the briefest of touches to add a dash of feminine guile. Fendi used lace in shades of sorbet pink and yellow, while Alexander McQueen went for vampish black.
In addition to lace were ruffles, adding a voluptuousness to Saint Laurent, in ripples of orange nylon; at Louis Vuitton in gossamer grey, and in tones of nude at Alberta Ferretti. At Dior, meanwhile, there was a different approach, with ruffles tightly packed to create rounded mini skirts, shorts and even tops.
For anyone hoping to home in on this trend, look to Dolce & Gabbana’s stylebook, and let a wisp of lace peak out from an otherwise masculine fit, for a frisson of daring.
80s power move
Big shoulders are back it seems, bringing with them the heady excess of the 1980s. At Saint Laurent, the power shoulder was on full display, told through silky blouses and leather jackets all with padding that extended far beyond the natural shoulder. Bottega Veneta too embrace a wider silhouette, with coats tailored for extra width, and at Stella McCartney it was all about Miami Vice-style oversized blouson jackets.
A new generous outline was evident as trench coats at both Chloe and Givenchy, while Roksanda also got on board with her tailored suit with plumped up shoulders and roomy harem pants. Keeping things modern with new touches was Roksanda with a clutch sporting fringing that stretched to the floor.
The patchwork skirt
With its overtures of the handmade, there is something wonderfully low-key about the patchwork skirt trend, which looks set to be huge in 2026. Prada presented skirts pieced together from seemingly dislocated panels of bookish grey, heavy lace and ruffles in a pretty shade of lemony yellow. Fendi’s version was tone-on-tone, with a punchy turquoise pencil skirt softened with a frill of light blue pleats.
This is an idea that feels very individual, and is a beautiful way to stand out from the crowd.
Simone Rocha, meanwhile, leaned into her girly-ness, with a hooped skirt made from different pieces of sheer floral fabrics. At the other end of this scale was Maison Margiela, which paired its mouth grills with a draped pencil skirt in different floral fabrics, like layers of old wallpapers.
Artisanal touches
Another side of fashion’s new rebellion is a yearning for something beyond mass production sameness. Countless runways included elements that could only have been made by hand, with deliberate intent. Fashion has always been about hand work skills, but this season saw evening wear surfaces on day time staples. Loewe smothering a pair of orange jeans in microscopic fringing, while Miu Miu created a utilitarian apron from roundalls of yellow crochet.
At Dior, a pale dress was seemingly made from sheer petals, while another seems woven from great loops of ribbon, just as Stella McCartney used faux feathers spun from some clever new technology.
The message was pretty straightforward. Yes, machine-made clothes are cheaper, but nothing can outshine the timeless beauty of the handmade, and the ingenuity of people.
If this trend speaks to you, getting on board can be as simple as wearing a vintage costume jewellery brooch during the day (vintage brooches are definitely a micro trend) or tucking an embroidered scarf into a neck line. Wearing a piece of Palestinian tatreez (cross stitch) embroidery is ideal, as it chimes deeply in this region, while supporting women in the West Bank who create the unique design for a living.
