2025-26 Fall & Winter Ready-To-Wear Fashion Trends
Fashion Trend Report
The Fall/Winter 2025–26 runways delivered more than just trends—they offered a study in contrasts, craftsmanship, and cultural reflection. This season, designers moved beyond spectacle, leaning into tactile richness and thoughtful storytelling. From New York to Paris, collections unfolded like narratives stitched in lace, leather, faux fur, and nostalgia. What emerged was a fashion landscape shaped by emotion, irony, and reinvention—a reawakening of classics with a sharp, modern edge. Here's your front-row seat to the season’s most defining moments.
1. Nostalgia Without a Time Stamp
Designers embraced the past without pinning it to a single era. Runways became time capsules blending decades.
At Dior, silhouettes hinted at historical play—Tudor doublets, Elizabethan ruffs, redingotes, knickerbockers—yet nothing felt theatrical.
Alice and Olivia gave Shakespeare a modern twist, blending poetic drama with commercial appeal. Voluminous lace skirts, denim suits with ruffled collars, cocktail dresses, and quote-embroidered sweaters kept the collection playful and wearable.
Bora Aksu channeled 19th-century imperial romance inspired by Empress Elisabeth of Austria. Layered tulle and vintage lace gowns felt both haunting and whimsical.
Alexander McQueen turned Victorian gothic into high-glam fury. High collars, corsets, and crimson lace conjured a dark opulence.
Erdem showcased 1950s nipped-waist dresses and suits, cocoon coats and sheath dresses.
Fendi revived the ’80s power dress in quilted leather and banana shoulders.
Prada twisted ’60s mod into sculptural outerwear with florals and flattened bows.
Brandon Maxwell played in the polished ’80s space with structured coats, swingy midi leather skirts, and oversized shirting.
Anna Sui’s collection bridged eras, blending 1930s silhouettes with Gen Z’s thrifted, layered aesthetic. Eclectic pairings—Fair Isle, brocade, leopard, and vintage jewels—channeled a playful, personalized charm.
Giambattista Valli channeled late ’60s nostalgia with fluid boho silhouettes and elongated, tailored forms. Rich textures and graceful movement echoed the era’s spirit through a modern, luxurious lens.
2. The Return of Fur
Faux fur and shearling roared back to center stage in all their plush, cozy glory. This season’s fur wasn’t about real pelts, but creative substitutes that delivered maximum texture and drama.
Fendi proposed removable faux-fur stoles and collarless coats.
Miu Miu treated fur like vintage treasure — tossed over shoulders or clutched like heirlooms, paired with candy-color socks and glimmering lurex knits or slip skirts.
Prabal Gurung reimagined faux fur as urban armor—oversized coats designed not for special occasions but for coffee runs with couture-level flair.
Elie Saab leaned into his signature regality, with high-glam floor-sweeping gowns beneath fur-trimmed jackets and grand faux fur coats.
At Dolce & Gabbana, the message was clear. Fur is back and bolder than ever. Their Milan show featured shearling-lined army coats, bomber jackets, and even fringe-accented ponchos.
Prada took a sleek, controlled approach. Trimmed edges and subtle inserts in fur peeked from coat linings and dress seams.
Fur met fantasy in Rocha’s world of romantic rebellion. Fur tails peek from beneath skirts and faux-hares swing at the hip.
Shredded faux fur became sculptural accessories, and synthetic fuzzy bras were even created.
Blumarine leaned into softness with faux fur draped over sheer, lacy layers.
Michael Kors embraced cold-weather indulgence with voluminous teddy coats.
Rabanne showcased fur-trimmed kilts bouncing with dangling tails.
Alexander McQueen stitched together contrasting shearlings into short evening jackets that resembled angel wings.
Chloé embraced whimsy with coats exaggerated trims.
Swishing faux fur tails dangled from accessories, evoking the whimsical chaos of tiny creatures darting across the runway.
Gabriela Hearst showed ethical alpaca-wool coats that were so plush and oversized.
Sacai spliced utilitarian jackets with shearling panels.
Ermanno Scervino paired lingerie-inspired dresses with shearling coats or parkas.
Alaïa crafted sculptural fur coats with sleek ensembles, reviving glamour for the warrior woman.
Nina Ricci’s fur stoles and trims added a whimsical pop to her Parisian chic.
Kim Shui refined ladylike looks with delicate fur edges.
LaPointe upgraded classic knits with fur-covered blazer sleeves.
MSGM paired micro-minis with giant Mongolian coats.
Gucci went lean and sleek with faux-fur jackets and coats in slim silhouettes.
Etro embraced its boho roots with oversized, floor-grazing fur coats and gigantic fur hats.
Ferragamo paired furry skirts and long fur coats with sheer and satin.
Acne Studios offered modernist fur in the form of minimalist collarless shearling coats. Bally crafted hybrid silhouettes as leather midi skirts erupted into plush fur at the hem.
In short, fur was everywhere—and not just in the ways we expected. Whether it came cropped, cascading, or cunningly faux, Fall 2025 confirmed one thing: when it comes to cold-weather style, fashion's fluffier instincts are very much alive.
3. Neck Drama: Collars That Command Attention
Faux fur and shearling roared back to center stage in all their plush, cozy glory. This season’s fur wasn’t about real pelts, but creative substitutes that delivered maximum texture and drama.This season, the neckline wasn’t just a design detail — it was a proclamation. Oversized collars, Elizabethan ruffs, high-sculpted turtlenecks, and jabots turned necklines into centerpieces.
Alexander McQueen led with theatrical chin-grazing ruffled collars that framed the face in a striking echo of Elizabethan grandeur.
Luisa Spagnoli took a softer approach, adorning models with floaty white ruffles that echoed Medici collars.
Chanel riffed on the Renaissance Medici collar with delicate white lace, crowning its signature tweed suits with a touch of historical romance.
Toga introduced classic white office shirts featuring oversized collars that sprouted from the neck and fell over the lapels.
Ralph Lauren embraced dramatic old-world glamour through white Victorian lace jabots, set against equestrian blazers for that aristocratic air.
Christian Dior brought back white foulard shirts and Bermuda-style knickers with dangling cuffs.
4. Bow Statements: Romance Tied and Exaggerated
This season’s bows were outsized, avant-garde, and placed in unconventional spots – turning up at necks, waists, even trailing from hems. This trend brought a whisper of whimsy, injecting playfulness into even the most polished outfits.
Chanel reclaimed its signature satin ribbon with obsession: tied, embroidered, printed, and perched — every bow a code of femininity.
The black satin bow at the neck of a silk blouse is, undeniably, a signature—if not legally Chanel’s, then indelibly so in spirit.
Givenchy played with exaggerated bows tied at the waist or erupting from the neck.
At No. 21, they were described as “invasive,” transforming from delicate accents into bold declarations. Oversized and confrontational, they appeared at the décolletage or jutted from the hips of skirts.
Nina Ricci used color-blocked bows attached to the waist of a blazer, each bow adding a pop of contrasting color to the look.
Valentino positioned elegant satin bows at the base of deep-V necklines, across collars, down the fronts of dresses, and as delicate jacket ties.
Huishan Zhang delicately used ribbons across different outfit presentations—sometimes as small, subtle details on dresses, and other times gathered with ribbons toward the hemline.
Acne Studios treated bows as art, pipe-cleaner loops on boiled wool like soft sculptures.
Alice and Olivia stayed true to it's playful DNA with perky little bows accenting everything from neck to belt lines on party dresses.
Designers revisited the pussy-bow blouse and dress with a self-aware charm, blending nostalgia with modern edge.
In some looks, bows served as sweet accents, bringing a touch of innocence to otherwise refined and elegant ensembles.
Delicate ribbons tempered bold silhouettes, offering a soft counterpoint to statement-making garments.
5. Waist Emphasis: The Waist Is Back
The hourglass silhouette made a powerful comeback. Designers cinched, corseted, and belted waists to celebrate feminine curves with modern confidence. Whether through actual corsets, bustiers, wide belts, or clever tailoring like peplums, the waist became the focal point, nodding to vintage femininity but with a 21st-century attitude.
Ermanno Scervino combined bustier tailoring with whispery chiffon.
At Dior, the New Look silhouette returned with cinched waists. Corsets, or rather parts of them, are designed to zip in or out of the front of jackets, coats, and parkas.
Givenchy offered a strong but soft shoulder, a curved arm with a twisting “couture seam,” and a well-defined, cinched waist coats, dresses, and suits.
Balmain highlighted the waist via pronounced peplum tops and jackets, exaggerating the hips and shoulders so the waist appeared even tinier – true 80s power-dressing revival.
6. The Belt Resurgence: Cinch & Statement
This season, belts didn’t follow outfits — they defined them. Designers blew up belt proportions, layered multiple belts together, or crafted belts so wide they doubled as corsets.
Schiaparelli presented belts in lavish layers, turning them into a statement of opulence.
Max Mara added leather belts over its signature coats and monochrome knit dresses, bringing a sculptural, waist-defining moment to its minimalist looks.
Chloé cinched flowing prairie dresses with rustic, double-buckled belts, fusing boho femininity with a hint of Western toughness.
Ralph Lauren showed classic Ralph tailoring accented by equestrian saddle-inspired belts over chiffon maxi dresses and jackets.
Emporio Armani went for wide glossy patent or velvet belts in jet black, wrapped them over suits and satin dresses.
Isabel Marant is so into the layered belt look; the brand created a skirt to resemble just that!
Broad, obi-style belts layered over jackets for a cinched waist or used as a focal point on outfits.
Bally took it literally, with thick leather belts that replaced bustiers.
At Coperni, long dresses featured adjustable belted garter hybrids that controlled both the slit height and hemline.
Belts served as bold focal points, anchoring layered ensembles with definition. They added structure to fluid silhouettes and elevated the overall look.
Coach showed ultra-long belts, letting the ends hang loose.
Jil Sander also let ultra-long belts dangle to the floor.
7. Jewels That Dress You: Brooches
Designers this season wove jewelry right into the garments, from glittering brooches as focal points on dresses to dangling charms trimming hems and collars.
Beautiful brooches pinned to dresses, sweaters, and outerwear. These eye-catching accents not only add a personal touch to any outfit but also offer a unique opportunity to showcase individuality and craftsmanship.
Miu Miu peppered prim cardigans and skirts with playful crystal brooches and pins.
Prada strung dangling charms from knitwear – tiny robots, hearts, and flowers hanging off a sweater’s neckline.
Ralph Lauren pinned brooches to Elizabethan frilled high-neck blouses.
Carolina Herrera went for classic elegance with oversized floral pins on dresses and jackets.
Moschino adorned dresses with floral embellishments and brooches—some real, others playfully printed on paper and pinned like the real thing.
Isabel Marant embraced boho sparkle, with the sprinkles of jet beading and jingle jangle of charms on oversized safety pin brooches.
Brandon Maxwell turned safety pins into statement-making adornments by using them to ruch the hems of its knitted tops. Tory Burch draped the sweaters across the shoulders and secured them with a golden brooch.
Brooches punctuated the looks with a final flourish—subtle yet deliberate nods to nostalgia and refinement.