When all else fails, fashion rarely fails to deliver a sense of excitement. The Fall/Winter 2026 season proved that the industry is still very much alive – at least for now. Between high-stakes creative debuts, emotional farewells, and runway spectacles designed to get the cultural conversation going, the calendar felt particularly stacked this season.

There was no shortage of shows to anticipate. Demna unveiled his long-awaited first collection for Gucci, while Jonathan Anderson continued shaping his vision at Dior. Meanwhile, Pieter Mulier delivered his final collection for Alaïa – an emotional highlight of the season as the designer thanked the atelier for their hard work by featuring images of the staff. Add to that a calendar filled with headline-making front rows, viral runway moments, and a renewed sense of experimentation, and the result was a season that reminded us why fashion weeks still matter.

With the season drawn to a close, we’ve rounded up some of the key trends spotted across the runways – from maximalist fur statements to bold explorations of leather craftsmanship.

Whether faux or real, fur emerged as one of the season’s most dominant visual statements this season. Of course, real fur still remains incredibly controversial, with most houses no longer using the material. However, designers embraced the material in exaggerated proportions, dramatic silhouettes, and unexpected textures.

At Saint Laurent, creative director Anthony Vaccarello reaffirmed his reputation as a master of outerwear. Oversized fur coats cut with broad shoulders and sweeping lengths added a sense of glamour to the collection. The show was pure Saint Laurent: unapologetically opulent and sexy.

At Prada, Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons approached fur from a more conceptual angle. Models walked the runway multiple times, each pass revealing fewer layers and different styling combinations. Fur appeared as subtle accents rather than the main character, with leopard-print trims along jacket zippers, tactile calf-hair coats, and plush collars that added depth and something unexpected to the looks.

Elsewhere, designers leaned fully into maximalism. Acne Studios presented oversized fur collars, while Bottega Veneta pushed proportions even further with bold coats that seemed too good to be true – engineered for pure visual impact. Louise Trotter continues to wow us, as she takes full advantage of Bottega Veneta’s top-tier craftsmanship.

Skinny jeans have been slowly but surely making their way back into the fashion conversation, and this season confirms it. After years dominated by wide-leg and relaxed silhouettes, skinny jeans leapt back onto the runway this season. Their return wasn’t nostalgic, it was a new take on the silhouette through a more polished, tailored lens.

At Gucci, Demna styled ultra-slim denim with sharp blazers and structured outerwear, giving the look a sleek, almost corporate edge fit for office sirens everywhere. The result felt more deliberate and refined (and perhaps also more comfortable?) than the casual skinny jeans we remember from the early 2010s.

Acne Studios also toyed with the skinny jeans. Back in the day, the Swedish brand was known for their tight fitting denim, so it feels almost like a full-circle moment seeing it re-appear on the runway.

 If this season is any indication, skinny jeans are returning not as a mass trend, but as a styling tool – for now.

Tailoring remained a cornerstone of the Fall/Winter 2026 season, though designers pushed the traditional suit into new territory through sculptural cuts and unconventional styling. At Saint Laurent, the tuxedo took centre stage. Anthony Vaccarello delivered razor-sharp evening tailoring: sleek black jackets, satin lapels, and elongated trousers that leaned into the house’s signature sensuality. Oh, to be a Saint Laurent woman.

At Max Mara, the mood was quieter but equally powerful. Sculptural blazers and oversized camel suits emphasized structure and proportion, demonstrating the impact of subtle tailoring choices.

Meanwhile, Demna’s debut at Gucci introduced a more feminine take on suiting. Perfectly tailored blazers were paired with knee-length pencil skirts, striking a balance between contemporary femininity and corporate apparel.

 At BOSS, we also saw some great suiting for both men and women, with a lot of intentional layering, using scarves and shirts to create more dimension.

Beyond specific garments or silhouettes, one of the most noticeable trends this season was texture. Designers used contrasting materials and new techniques to create pieces that felt like visual masterpieces. At Loewe, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez toyed with rubber-like materials inspired by inflatables, as well as ruffles, sequins and plenty of other textures that felt unexpected and exciting. At Off-White, lace was mixed with denim, and soft velvet fabrics with metal eyelets, playing with contrast.

At Chemena Kamali’s Chloé, textures ruled supreme. From chiffon dresses in bold colours to intricate knitwear and fringe trims, the designer continues to create unexpected combinations that end up working so well.

This season texture became a tool for storytelling, adding dimension to otherwise simple silhouettes. It is striking on the runway, but when you get up close with the pieces you see all of the small details that truly make the piece – something that feels exciting as physical retail becomes increasingly difficult.

It’s impossible to discuss leather without mentioning Bottega Veneta. Long celebrated for its craftsmanship, the brand once again demonstrated just how versatile the material can be. Under creative director Louise Trotter, the house pushed leather into new territory, crafting intricate pieces such as pleated leather trench coats and crocodile-embossed tuxedo jackets that made us do a double take to see if it really was leather.

At Gucci, embossed leather also made a strong showing. Demna referenced the house’s late-1990s and early-2000s era under Tom Ford, presenting sleek silhouettes in exotic-inspired textures that combined the brand’s heritage with Demna’s signature unexpected styling.

Meanwhile, Burberry offered a darker, moodier vibe. Creative director Daniel Lee paired quilted biker jackets in supple leather with sharply structured leather skirts, reinforcing the brand’s identity balancing British heritage with modern edge.