Fashion has forever been a fun-house mirror of the world, exaggerating certain aspects of the zeitgeist rather than reflecting them exactly—it’s always been about the vibes. What resonated for fall was a kind of short-term thinking, pragmatic and people-pleasing, that suits a time of instability. The future is a great unknown but getting dressed every morning is something that brings purpose, comfort, and joy.
At Prada, 15 models wore four multi-layered looks each, peeling a layer off after every exit; and a ticking clock soundtracked Nicolas Di Felice’s investigation of “24 hours in the life of a Courrèges woman.” Designers translated the step-by-step approach to progress into a piece-by-piece, separates solution to dressing. (Essentially the American sportswear idea.)
Rather than focus on story telling, creative directors were engaged in problem solving. The plethora of good-looking coats, many in shearling, addressed a specific issue: cold temps and inclement weather. And while the media addressed communal desires for sex and romance with Heated Rivalry, “Wuthering Heights,” and Love Story, designers did so with body-con, peek-a-boo dressing, and frothy, historically-inflected fashions. A sense of things coming undone was conveyed by slashed and torn garments.
More wholesome, and a welcome respite from a sea of black and white, was the colorblocking trend, rendered in pop and muddy colors. Craft came to the fore as designers artfully obsessed over quotidian objects like subway tickets, buttons, ribbons, and puzzle pieces that they unexpectedly magicked into garments. Sartorial power plays took the form of classic menswear staples—the button-down-shirt and the tuxedo—updated and adapted for women.
Beyond the strapping shoulders of Saint Laurent’s le Smokings, a feeling of smallness prevailed this season. And it wasn’t just about Ozempic. So much feels out of one’s control in a world in chaos. No wonder Miuccia Prada decided to focus on form at Miu Miu, saying: “That you have your body and mind should be enough.”
Sex (or the Idea of It) Sells
Call it wish fulfillment in a time of what The Atlantic has called a “sex recession,” the body centered many fall 2026 collections, whether it was Gucci’s “walk of shame” show or the more subtle innuendo of Alaïa and Tom Ford.