With fashion month’s bi-annual arrival, the style set turns its gaze toward what’s next. February’s shows made it clear that autumn/winter 2025 will revel in whimsygoth flourishes, sweeping faux furs, silky vintage-inspired silhouettes, funnel necklines, and romantic drapery. Yet while these trends trickle into wardrobes, fashion’s upper echelon is already looking ahead - designers are deep in creation mode for spring/summer 2026, preparing to unveil the next wave of inspiration in the coming weeks.
Copenhagen Fashion Week 2026, held in August, teased a revival of playful design, spotlighting flip-flops, Bermuda shorts, and polka dots as key trends to watch. Still, the Big Four, New York, London, Milan, and Paris, remain the ultimate arbiters of style, their runways dictating the mood and momentum of the year ahead.
WGSN, the global authority on trend forecasting, is renowned for predicting the shifts that shape fashion, lifestyle, and consumer behaviour. Trusted by designers, retailers, and brands alike, the agency’s data-led insights influence everything from collections to commerce. For spring/summer 2026, WGSN's Catwalks Senior Strategist Kim Cupido has spotlighted the runway trends poised to define the season. Read on to discover the key trends worth keeping on your radar.
SS26 Runway Trend Predictions:
Romance (Nu Romantic & Haunted Cabaret)
Kim Cupido says: "Romantic aesthetics will continue to infuse collections, and for SS26, this will take two distinct directions. The first story, one we’ve named Nu Romantic, will use soft volumes, dusted pastels, delicate lace and 3D floral trims to give pieces a heirloom look. Opposing this will be a darker, more subversive take on romance themes, using layered sheers and distressed edges to give an unpolished direction to theatrical and boudoir-like aesthetics, creating a theme we’ve dubbed Haunted Cabaret."
Summer of Prints
Kim Cupido says: "The use of prints on the catwalks has increased over the last two seasons, and we foresee that this trend will continue in the SSS6 collections as an effective way to refresh best-selling styles and silhouettes. Resort-ready prints, including painterly florals, hothouse blooms, summery stripes and modern mariner patterns will bring a bold and playful look to collections. We expect to see labels investing in dots and spots, reflecting their versatility and timelessness."
The Eighties
Kim Cupido says: "Eighties influences will infuse partywear and tailoring. Padded shoulders will be pivotal for this design direction. Silky fabrics, pussy bows and soft bubble volumes will give occasion-ready pieces an opulent yet sophisticated glamour. For tailoring, strong shoulders will highlight the cinched waists, giving blazers a fresh, power-dressing silhouette after seasons of slouchy shapes."
Nu-niforms
Kim Cupido says: "Updates to officewear trends continue to be important to labels because they are integral to consumers’ wardrobes. Like the menswear collections in Milan, Paris and Copenhagen, we expect the womenswear collections to recontextualise office attire, especially for new generations entering formal work environments. Expect palettes and patterns to be kept fairly traditional, while labels experiment with shape and silhouette for sartorial classics like tailoring and the button-down shirt and introduce pieces with versatile work and leisure styling adaptability into officewear assortments."
