7 Trend Predictions for A/W26 Runway – Part 1: Styling, Silhouettes, and Vibe

The mens and couture shows have just wrapped up and honestly? It was TASTY. So many surprises, new colours, textures, materials, patterns, styling choices, makeup moments and the shoes!!! It was a whirlwind, and while I don’t usually deep-dive into menswear here (I am for the girls and for the girls only), this season felt impossible to entirely ignore.

Shows like DSquared and Dior completely stole my attention. Neon yellow wigs aside, JW Anderson delivered colour, accessories and full-blown 90s glamour - with a very Versace-esque energy, just filtered through an Anderson lens. It got me thinking: if this is what menswear is serving, then womenswear is about to be very exciting.

So before arguably the biggest shows of the year kick off, I’m breaking down the trends I predict will dominate the A/W26 Ready-to-Wear runways. Split into two parts this first instalment focuses on styling, silhouettes and Vibe– the foundations of how we’ll be dressing next season.

Let’s get into it.

1.Neons & Club Classics (2000s after-dark)

The 2000s club revival isn’t subtle, and A/W26 won’t be pretending otherwise. Menswear already embraced sequins, beading and unapologetic shine (Dior did this soooo well!) – and womenswear will take that energy and run with it I’m 100% certain. 

This is neon for winter nights out. Acid greens, hot pinks, electric blues paired with black tailoring, oversized coats, or sheer layers. Funky coloured tights feel like a key player here - a blue leg with a chic pointed toe heel?!?! So elegant, yet equally quirky - funky chic we call it. 

What’s most exciting for me is the “one-of-one” feel: handmade embellishment, DIY aesthetics, pieces that look collected rather than curated.

This trend is undoubtedly my favourite and is all about rejecting quiet luxury and dressing like YOU want to - because frankly, blending in is so boring.

2.Lace Poking Out (Or a Lace overload…) 

Lace has been flirting with visibility for a while, but A/W26 feels like the season it stops being an understated styling tool and becomes the main event. Lace peeking out from under knits, tailoring, leather, or denim feels inevitable – and ever so elegant, but it’s been done many times before. 

Delicate lace layered under sharp coats, spilling from trouser hems, or used excessively in unexpected silhouettes. Maybe it’s pleated, or perhaps it’s ruffled, maybe it's plaited. Paired with boots, oversized outerwear, or severe tailoring.

Whatever form it’s in, it's coming and it’s going to be AMAZING. 

3.Tailored Leather & The Funnel Neck

Tailoring is getting stricter again – but not in a corporate way. For A/W26, I’m predicting a wave of leather-led tailoring, with structured, intentional cuts designed to make the wearer feel undeniably powerful.

Think trench coats buttoned all the way up, funnel necks framing the face and adding an air of mystery, and silhouettes that feel controlled rather than casual.

Menswear has already embraced this authoritative approach, and womenswear will follow suit with sharp shoulders, cinched waists and commanding collars. Double denim? More like double leather. 

This trend sits firmly in the ‘elegant, cool girl’ camp - funnel necks, dark wash denim, leather layers, strong accessories. Composed, controlled, and quietly intimidating (as she should be).

4.Inside-Out Tailoring (Nothing to Hide)

One of the most interesting shifts happening is the exposure of what’s usually hidden. Inside-out tailoring e.g. visible pockets, linings, seams is set to become a big thing this season.

Instead of concealing construction, designers are now highlighting it, showing their process and leaving it exposed. Two colours, two fabrics, two jackets in one. Menswear already experimented heavily with this, and womenswear will likely take it further with coats, blazers, and trousers that look unfinished or mid-construction. 

It feeds into the wider appreciation of craftsmanship and imperfection. You’re seeing how the garment is made, and that transparency feels very now with the increasing importance of transparency in the industry. It also gives wearers a sense of intimacy with their clothes, like you’re in on the secret rather than just consuming the final product.

5.Funky shirts & 3D Details 

Plain shirts are boring. For those that dare to show a shirt this season I’m begging it isn’t flat, plain and boring. Sewn on appliqués, ruffles, smocking, pleats, and exaggerated textures! Pick one, any one and DO IT. 

Menswear already showed a willingness to treat shirts as sculptural pieces rather than basics. Thank god. Womenswear will follow with pieces that feel crafted, almost handmade. These shirts won’t necessarily be loud in colour, but they’ll be loud in detail.

They’re the kind of pieces that do the talking for you – paired with simple trousers or layered under tailoring. It’s a return to tactility, to clothes that make you want to reach out and touch them, a statement shirt never goes amiss! 

6.Layering that looks accidental but is fully intentional:

Layering for fun is coming back. Cropped jackets over long blouses, shirts spilling past hems, mismatched proportions that somehow work. This trend thrives on contradiction and experimentation,  polished yet thrown together, intentional yet effortless. 

Expect layers that feel personal, like you got dressed in a rush but somehow nailed it. The key is fun: sheer over opaque, short over long, tailored over floaty. So many combos to play with! 

7.Imperfection as styling points: 

Perfection is officially boring. A/W26 is shaping up to be the season where imperfection becomes the new perfect. Untucked shirts, exposed seams, frayed hems and deliberately “off” proportions are being styled with intention rather than carelessness.

Prada’s A/W26 menswear show nailed this concept perfectly – shirts splashed with coffee stains and finished with raw, fraying hems, yet styled alongside oversized, pristine cufflinks. It was so wrong it felt… right.

That contrast is exactly what makes this trend exciting. The tension between something messy and something immaculate creates depth, personality and realism. Womenswear will thrive with this idea through undone tailoring, visibly worn fabrics, mismatched finishes and styling choices that feel human rather than hyper-curated.

Clothes that look lived-in, touched, and slightly chaotic. It’s not about looking sloppy – it’s about rejecting polish in favour of character. Fashion that feels imperfect, but oddly perfect.

Part 1 wrap up: 

And that’s only half of my predictions - Part 2 will discuss my 7 hottest trend predictions for pattern, colour and textures - all the trends that are about to steal the spotlight.

See you in part 2! 

With love, 

Mimi x