The AW26 fashion month is in full swing – and there’s been plenty of action on the runways. With the unofficial fifth fashion week, Copenhagen, taking place in late January and established brands becoming increasingly willing to step outside the boundaries of the traditional fashion weeks – Valentino, for example, is eschewing Paris in favour of standalone show in Rome this season – it seems fashion fans never need wait long for their next hit of runway chic.

Which is all well and good – unless you’re a writer attempting to cover said shows. To keep things simple, I’ll be bringing you the latest and greatest from the AW26 collections in one place, updating this page over the next few weeks to bring you the most interesting, noteworthy and trend-setting looks of the season as they happen. You’re welcome.

Louis Vuitton

The natural world and the way we, as humans, interpret it, live in it, and manipulate it for own purposes provided the starting point for one of Nicolas Ghesquière’s most experimental collections for Louis Vuitton to date. Presented in an abstract facsimile of fields and mountains, created by Severance set designer Jeremy Hindle, the collection interrogated the human instinct to turn elements of nature – fur, wool, silk, rattan – into forms of indetity through fashion.

Accordingly, looks took their cues from traditional costumes. Tweeds and tartans were abstracted and spliced to signify belonging to the LV tribe; oversized basket hats, shearling-trimmed Mongolian Deels, thick shaggy knits and exaggerated outerwear silhouettes referenced nomadic lifestyles intrinsically intertwined with the natural world; and cutting-edge savoir-faire saw 3D printing, resin and innovative materials deployed to create details including mineral-style buttons, antler shoe heels and vegetable fur. In a season where the overall vibe has been one of playing it safe, Ghesquière has shown once again that he’s a designer willing to take commercial risks in service of creative satisfaction.

McQueen

Perhaps it's the pervading reach of social media. Perhaps it's the increasingly performative nature of our political moment. Perhaps it's the disconnected nature of a life dominated by screen. Whatever the reason, McQueen's Sean McGirr was one of a not insignificant number of designers who felt driven to interrogate the disparity between our interior selves and outward projections with his AW26 collection. Or, as he put it in his show notes, "We’re always on; always curating, consuming, performing and being watched. More and more, we crave something intimate, visceral and real.”

This may sound ironic coming from the creative director or what is, undeniably, one of the most theatrical of fashion houses but McQueen's legacy of armour-like clothing lends itself well to this concept, offering up literal cracked veneers betraying the delicate, tactile interior beneath. Voluminous 3D flowers burst from beneath the strictures of a '60s silhouette, the traditional structure of a Savile Row suit is softened with a waterfall collar, intricate lace is trapped between layers of organza – destined to be seen and admired, but never truly experienced.

Lanvin

Lanvin celebrates a cetenary of its menswear colelctions this year and, for artistic director Peter Copping, it's a celebration that's carrying across to all parts of the house. Accordingly, the AW26 collection was embued throughout with the vibe of 1920s Paris, while Copping took the codes of classic mens tailoring and gave them a feminine twist. Broad-shouldered blazers were elongated and paired with calfskimming skirts, silk-lapelled tux jackets were transformed into crystal-embellished overcoats, and cinched waists, scultpural silhouettes, fringing and delicate embroidery abounded.

Elsewhere, fabrics oscillated between the sumptuous opulence of velvet, silk taffeta and faux fur, and the hardy functionality of wool, tweed and leather, recalling once again the interplay between amsculinity and femininity, playfulness and practicality. Accessories, meanwhile, were a talking point in their own right, with exaggerated cloches referencing Jeanne Lanvin's beginnings as a milliner, the signature Lavin Compagnon bag reworked with layers of Art Deco-inspired leather, and stoles and gloves calling to mind the accoutrements of eras past.

Schiaparelli

In the opening paragraph of the show notes for his AW26 collection for Schiaparelli, creative director Daniel Roseberry voiced the struggle that fashion designer's have grappled with since the commercialisation of clothing: "Fashion is a major business, but it’s also the ultimate forum of self-expression and fantasy. Both things are true at the same time — but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t an inherent tension between these two truths." There is, perhaps, no fashion house that has examined this tension more explicitly than the famously meta Schiaparelli and, with a major V&A retrospective of founder Elsa Schiaparelli's life opening at the V&A this month, Roseberry is no doubt keenly aware that his stewardship is about to be immortalised in a museum.

AW26, then, was an almost introspective interrogation of Roseberry's own struggle with this contradiction. The simultaneous blessing and limitations of designing for a house with such recognisable codes; the expectation to deploy the kind of boundary pushing creativity Schiaparelli is known for while also offering collections people will actually wear (and buy). This translated into looks manifested as physical contradiction. ‘Impossible’ knitwear juxtaposing Aran cable knits with illusion tulle, laminated spiral cut silk gowns that give the impression of corsetry while being completely malleable; the intimate allure of the signature Schiaparelli keyhole motif placed at its most visible atop shoes. Arresting, paradoxical, and undeniably Schiaparelli, then.

Off-White

For his AW26 outing for Off-White, unambiguously named Mr. Davis, Ib Kamara took inspiration from time spent in the Miles Davis archives. "I was particularly captured by when Miles met Betty Davis," wrote Kamara in his show notes. "I believe a woman can change a man’s universe completely, and both Miles’s music and his style became incredibly experimental in this era."

Accordingly, Off-White's co-ed show was an exercise in disrupting classic fashion codes. Menswear was embued with a genderless quality via flared trousers, figure hugging knitwear and a sharp juxtaposition between structured and slouchy silhouettes. Womenswear, meanwhile, channelled Betty Davis' unapologetic sex appeal, playing with transparency, micro hemlines, and traditonally romantic lace rendered in bold 'look-at-me' shades. There was, of course, also reference to the late founder of Off-White, Virgil Abloh, with Kamara explaining his motivation is always to continue the brand's legacy of shaping taste and culture, rather than enforcing a 'right' or 'wrong' way to dress. It is this, one suspects, that will help Off-White maintain its status as one of the most exciting fashion brands on the scene for many seasons to come.

Dior

Never knowingly understated, Jonathan Anderson presented his sophomore womenswear collection for Dior in an imitation park constructed over the le bassin octogonal in Paris' Jardin des Tuileries, even going so far as to decorate the pond itself with artificial lilies, blurring the boundaries between the natural and the fake, the organic and the manmade. Blessed with a beautifully crisp and clear March afternoon, the collection itself also drew inspiration from the French capital's most formal park and, in particular, the habit décent dresscode, requiring visitors to wear clothing appropriate of their social rank, it enforced when it first opened to the public in 1667.

This idea of the gap between public persona and interior life is as meta as anything we've seen from Anderson – what is the runway show, after all, than the purest expression of clothing presented specifically for public viewing and entertainment – and, on the catwalk, translated to a parade of characters reimagining the many roles a woman might embody. The showgirl dressed in ruffled skirts and silk Bar jackets; the businesswoman in tailored tweed and court shoes; the party girl in polka dot cocktail dresses and statement feathers; the casual weekender in oversized denim and a nice top. Overlaid with the nipped waists, exaggerated hips, and military styling borrowed from his Louis XIV inspiration, Anderson may be pointedly revealing the artifice inherent in every fashion choice - but when the clothes are this good, who doesn't want to play pretend?

Ferragamo

A louche, languid, nostalgic take on 1920s glamour informed British-born designer Maximilian Davis' AW26 collection for Ferragamo. A continuation from previous seasons, which have also drawn on aspects of the decade in which the Ferragamo brand was born, for AW26 the figure of the sailor provided a cornerstone, recurring in motifs including laced necklines, nautical hues and classic sailor's collars. “That’s something that both Salvatore [Ferragamo] and my own family experienced – he left his home in Italy for America before returning home, and my family moved from Trinidad and Jamaica to Manchester,” explained Davis. “They all crossed the water to discover new beginnings.”

Paired with a loose, less formal take on tailoring, these utiliatrian garmetns were juxtaposed with a sepia-toned reimagination of the decades' iconic eveningwear. Hues of gold, bronze, olive and brown took on the sheen of silk and the gauziness of chiffon across voluminous silhouettes that at once exaggerated and underplayed the traditional Flapper uniform. “It’s a translation of trying to imagine something from the past,” added Davis. “In the original moment, it would have been vibrant – but now we are seeing it through the haze of history.”

Gucci

"This collection, and my overall vision for Gucci, is built around a sense of pragmatism: products that can be enjoyed by a variety of people, that enrich their lives and make them feel great, that can stand on their own, without the need for pseudo-intellectual justifications," wrote Demna, in the show notes for his debut collection for Gucci. Reading between the lines: if you were hoping for more of the opulence we saw from the brand under Alessandro Michele or the high-concept high fashion offered by Sabato de Sarno, you're going to sadly disappointed.

Whem Demna has offered up, however, is a collection of extremely wearable, borderline minimalist looks that owe much more to Gucci's Tom Ford era than anything that has come since. Named Primavera, meaning 'spring' (confusingly for an autumn/winter collection), the vibe is undoubtedly one of a slate washed clean, a fresh start. Rendered almost entirely in a monochrome palette, with flashes of vibrant floral thrown in for good measure, the new Gucci woman walks through the world with a renewed sense of ease, lightness and confidence. And a great bag and fabulous coat, of course.

Max Mara

Historical figures have long provided rich inspiration for the fashion world — but rarely do designers look as far back as 1081 in search of a muse. For AW26, Max Mara takes its cues from Matilde di Canossa (or Matilda of Tuscany): a powerful Italian diplomatic and military leader, a peace broker between the church and monarchy, and an important patron of the arts who ruled her empire from the castles above Max Mara's hometown of Reggio Emilia.

On the runway, this translated to a rich, earthy palette of greys, browns, blacks, burgundies and, of course, Max Mara's classic camel, while silhouettes were broad shouldered and flowing, with hooded capes, tunic-necked overcoats and figure-hugging maxi dresses among the collection's stand out pieces. As ever, natural materials abounded across a collection largely comprised of cashmere, mohair and alpaca and imagined as armour for the modern woman. Or, as the Max Mara show notes put it, "the unflappable, fearless and victorious Queen, not of the battlefield, but of the boardroom."

Fendi

One of the most anticipated debuts of the season, Maria Grazia Chiuri sent out of a message of intent for her Fendi era by emblazoning the catwalk with the message 'Less I, More Us'. Having long had a way with words – Grazia Chiuri was also behind those viral 'We should all be feminists' Dior T-shirts – this was a message of inclusivity that, the shows notes, explained, embodied "the values of working together, of shared intentions and desires, the importance of understanding and acceptance of others, of the world around us."

So what does this all have to do with fashion? For Grazia Chiuri, the motto is also about a returning to a focus on physical bodies and the desire to be together. It is about clothing as being in service of the environments and experiences those bodies go through, with men and women walking the catwalk together to break down gender distinctions. It was also, to my eye at least, a return to proper, grown-up sophistication. Slick tailoring and chic eveningwear. Fabulous coats and beautifully constructed denim. Shoes and bags set to become instant house signatures. This is as about as strong as debut collections get.

Burberry

For AW26, Burberry creative director Daniel Lee is encouraging us all to rediscover the joy of "going out in a particularly London way". While for SS26, he sent his models off to revel at countryside festivals, this season it's all about the urban environment after dark, presenting a slicker, sexier and undeniably more youthful side to the heritage British brand.

Shown at Old Billingsgate Market to a soundtrack created by FKA Twigs, this more youthful aesthetic made itself known in experimental updates on Burberry classics. Trenches reworked in leather and worn over slinky slip dresses. Padded jackets wrapped around shimmering mini knit dresses. Scarves, fringing and tassels adding an elevated eveningwear edge to even the most casual of styles. A palette of rich darks — black, plum, burgundy, navy — is carried through to shoes, where new styles include the blocky Pillar pumps and Windermere Oxfords. With a heavy focus on outerwear, a more relaxed take on tailoring and new ways of working with the signature check, this was Burberry — but not as you know it. And, really, isn't that what we've all been waiting for from Lee?

Simone Rocha

Image: Ben Broomfield

Image: Ben Broomfield

An examination of society's obsession with youth, Simone Rocha's AW26 collection was broken down into three chapters. The first, Tír na nÓg (Land of the Young), drew on the Celtic myth of a supernatural otherworld where immortality is granted to all inhabitants. Taking the figure of Niamh, a princess who rides across the oceans on a white horse, as its catalyst, vintage-inspired silhouettes and prints recalling the 1920s and 1940s were spliced and mismatched as if recalled in a dream or memory.

Part two, Pony Kids, takes its name from a 1999 book of photographs of Traveller and Settled children's in Dublin's council estates by British artist Perry Ogden. Taking the community's equestrian heritage, which they clung to even while living in the city's council housing, as its starting point, it proved a natural springboard to reveal a major collaboration between Simone Rocha and Adidas. Giving the sportswear brand's classic pieces a signature highly feminine Simone Rocha twist, tracksuits, shorts and leotards were embellished with tulle, lace and prize rosettes.

Finally, part three, Weird Sisters, references Elizabeth and Lily Yeats, sisters of W.B. Yeats and pivotal figures in the Irish Arts and Caafts movement whose Cuala Press is briefly and scornfully referenced in James Joyce's Ulysses. Nodding to the movement's preoccupation with nature – and a woman's inherent aptitude for handicrafts – ruffles, bows, ribbons and corsetry recall traditional ideas of womanhood but are reworked and reimagined for the modern moment. As accomplished and covetable as anything we've yet seen from Simone Rocha.

Julien Macdonald

Julien Macdonald returned to the London Fashion Week runway after a three-year hiatus this season — and he wants you to know about it. Back in all his sparkly, glitzy party glamour, the show was presented on the 69th floor of the Shard with guests, including Ella Eyre, Katherine Jenkins and a whole swathe of former Love Island contestants, handed gin martinis to accompany their ascent above London's rooftops.

Of course, with views like that, the clothes are going to have to work hard to compete. Good job, then, that Macdonald knows his way around a sequin or two. Among the 47 looks presented, ranging from statement evening gowns to cocktail dresses and resortwear, not one came without a little spangle or sparkle and most were full blown disco balls of dresses. Elevated further with feather and crystal embellishments, and couture-style beading and embroidery, Macdonald explained of the collection, “Inspired by the reflection of city lights and the way the Shard shifts its colours across the London skyline, this season embraces constant movement and vibrancy, achieving a harmonious balance of energy and sophistication that reflects the multifaceted personality and sensitivity of the modern woman.”

Labrum

Over the past few years Foday Dumbaya's label Labrum has become one of the hottest tickets on the London Fashion Week calendar. High concept and high production, much like the clothes themselves, Dumbaya has variously found ways to make the inspiration behind his collections manifest via dance, live music and even Premier League footballers. For AW26, he turned to poetry, and specifically a moving piece written and read by British-Nigerian writer Yomi Sode reflecting on themes of division and unity, alienation and belonging.

It was a fitting opening for a collection which drew its themes from the idea of textiles as a tangible record of history. Named Threads of Osmosis, and part of a trilogy of collections which began with SS26's Cultural Osmosis, designs riffed on the concept of fabrics as migrants, moving across the world from their origin points in India, China, West africa, Europe and Britain, along the way absorbing the labour of tailors and cutters, the artistry of print designers, and the cultural references of a global supply chain.

On the catwalk this translated to classic pinsharp English tailoring rendered in Labrum's Freetown print, depicting scenes from Dumbaya's homeland of Sierra Leone, passport-style stamps laser-printed onto Japanese denim, statement headwear inspired by the traditional costume of Agadez warriors and cord appliqué dresses drawing on the braided hairstyles of West Africa. As ever with Labrum's collection, every detail, line and print was highly considered and elegantly executed — and Dumbaya further cemented his status as one of London's brightest talents.

Toga

To my mind, Toga has long been one of London's most criminally underrated brands. Far from a household name, designer Yasuko Furuta creates the kind of lightly experimental, undeniably sophisticated and utterly wearable clothes that any well-dressed woman would delight at having in her wardrobe. And AW26 was no different; let this be your sign to hop on over to the brand's website and start browsing.

But first, a bit more on the new season. Named Pull, Crumple, Pressed, Furuta used her AW26 collection to interrogate the adaptable, fluid nature of fabric. This was seen both figuratively in the styling — cardigans repurposed as corset-style belts, outwerwear spliced with sheer panelling, wide low-slung leather belts looped through hip-level cutouts — and literally in the Toga team's experimentation with different fibres. Primarily using naturals materials such as cotton, silk and wool, these were variously overlayed with synthetic fibres as a point of juxtaposition. Think a fluffy shearling jacket covered with crinkly transparent plastic or sheer skirts panelled with thick layers of sequins. the overall effect was playful yet grown up and, as Furuta wrote in her show notes, "designed to change and fit with our rapidly developing society".

Mithridate

AW26 marks Mithridate's third season on the official London Fashion Week calendar — and British designer Daniel Fletcher's third collection at the helm of the Chinese brand — and things just seem to be going from strength to strength. Having shown at the Royal Opera House last season, for AW26, Mithridate went one better, taking over the majestic central hall at the Tate Britain to show a collection inspired by the long and enduring relationship between China and London, and the importance of the River Thames to this history.

Presented to an influencer-heavy front row, many of whom couldn't resist tapping along to a set list of bangers including Wolf Alice's Don't Delete the Kisses and Fat Boy Slim's The Rockafeller Skank, highlights from the collection included a recurring wisteria motif drawn from the fact that the first wisteria plant to be brought to Europe came from China and can still be found growing on the banks of the Thames in Chiswick. Also celebrating the brand's new home in Borough, green glass bottle prints, vintage merchant's labels and wild florals pay homage to the neighbourhood's famous market and the locale as an epicentre for trade in London while stellar outerwear, from Mithridate's signature navy pea coat to duffle coats and intricately beaded overcoats were layered over Aran knitwear to bring the collegiate vibe the brand has become known for.

"That journey of the Chinese wisteria planting long-lasting roots in England feels emblematic of my own journey with Mithridate," says Fletcher. "The roots of the brand have now firmly established itself in its new London home. The textiles are richer, more established, and the brogues I designed for the first collection have been broken in, so to speak. I’ve found confidence in what we are doing and a rhythm between China and London that feels right."

Michael Kors

Presented at the Metropolitan Opera House to a star-studded front row that included Dakota Fanning, Uma Thurman and Suki Waterhouse, Michael Kors' AW26 collection was an ode to all things New York. “When I think about New York, I think about reinvention and things that can be reimagined,” said Kors. “This is the grittiest, toughest place in the world but it can also be the most glamorous, magical place in the world, and that juxtaposition is what makes people interesting, places interesting, and fashion interesting. This collection is about resilience and strength. I hope what I design makes people feel stronger, because we all need beauty and strength.”

On the runway, this duality showed itself in silhouettes (sharp tailoring contrasted with soft draping and fluid lines), fabrics (hard-wearing tweeds and masculine cotton shirts giving way to feather light silks and hand embroidered cocktail gowns) and a colour palette of blacks, whites and camels punctuated by raspberry, plum and scarlet. As ever with Kors, ease and wearability reigned, with an air of slouchy nonchalance pervading even the most extravagant of feather embellished skirts and sweeping dresses. Just like NYC itself, this collection is destined to transcend trends and seasons.

Carolina Herrera

For AW26, Carolina Herrera creative director Wes Gordon was all about bold women, taking inspiration from a group of pioneering female creatives who don't shy away from a little self-expression. Among the group, some of whom were present for the show, were painter Amy Sherald, whose portrait of Michelle Obama hangs in the Smithsonian, Ming Smith, the first female African American photographer to have her work acquired by MoMA, and sculptor Rachel Feinstein and her daughter/muse Flora Currin.

Naturally, then, the collection itself was equally striking. Bold florals and statement hues — scarlet, deep plum, forest green — reigned, while the brand's signature ladylike silhouettes where layered with extra volume thanks to shaggy fringing and shimmering sequins. Long one of New York's most sophisticated and grown up brands, this season Carolina Herrera is very much encouraging its woman to step into the spotlight. I'm here for it.

Marc Jacobs

In the show notes for his AW26 collection, Marc Jacobs namechecked a list of ‘credits and receipts’, running the gamut from Yves Saint Laurent’s 1965 Couture collection and mid-Nineties shows by Perry Ellis, Prada and Helmut Lang to his own collections from 1995, 1997, 20023 and 2013. Also among them was the handle for the Instagram account of Ellen Shop – a cult vintage store on Manhattan’s Lower East Side – and Marc by Sofia, a 2025 Sofia Coppola documentary portrait of Marc Jacobs.

Such a list could seem overly self-referential and, frankly, a little smug. Jacobs has undoubtedly had a long, storied and influential career in fashion, but to suggest women may want to wear his stroll down memory lane for an entire season is still rather bold. But there was something rather sweet, nostalgic and almost melancholic about the resulting collection, which reflected not just on memory, but the inescapable loss of recalling what has come before. Silhouettes were blocky and occasionally awkward, coats worn backwards, and pieces layered unconventionally, exposing the mind’s inability to accurately remember, while fabrics and colours lent a touch of the retro. Conceptual and, when each piece is taken individually, a still very commercial collection, it’s a neat showcase of Jacobs doing what Jacobs does best.

Ami

“While I was designing the Fall–Winter 26 collection, I had a strong image in mind: the ever-changing facets of a Rubik’s Cube,” said Ami’s Alexandre Mattiussi of his AW26 collection. “You just make the smallest move, and the cube changes entirely — the colors, the arrangement, the mood. This collection works in exactly the same way: modify one detail and everything is suddenly new, different, surprising.” This, says Mattiussi, led him to people-watching on the streets of Paris and a desire to show that it is not just the design of clothing that creates style, but also the way in which we wear them.

The result? Layers, and lots of them — presented with a no rules approach. Peplum-waisted blazer with grey jogging bottoms; socks and loafers with summer dresses; overcoats over hoodies over knitwear over shirts: at Ami anything goes. Colours, accordingly, were largely classic and muted, while silhouettes put an emphasis on juxtaposing the oversized with the tailored. Your grandmother likely won’t approve but, for the modern shopper, it all felt very fresh.

Jacquemus

Presented at the Picasso Museum in Paris in tandem with the Spring 2026 Haute Couture Week, Jacquemus' AW26 collection, Le Palmier, brought the party to what can otherwise be one of the more serious fashion events in the calendar. Inspired by the frothy curls of the ponytail palm, Simon Porte Jacquemus revisited his signature stripes and polka dots, reimagining them into curvaceous pleats, speckled pinstripes and colourful confetti prints.

For AW26, Jacquemus also worked with the colours and fabrics that have become house codes – two-tone linens, neutrals, Mediterranean pastels – transposing them onto vintage silhouettes made fresh with Jacquemus’ penchant for the extreme. Think 1950s sculptural nipped waists, the playful volumes of the 1980s, and the undone nonchalance of the 1990s rendered in transparent taffeta, sleek silk jersey and cool cottons – and embellished with feathers for good dramatic measure. This is Jacquemus, after all.

Toteme

It’s easy to forget, among the glamour and outlandishness of a lot of what we see on the runways, that behind every collection is a sales department desperately hoping that people will not just buy into the creative director’s vision, but actually buy it. If the latest fashion sales figures from LVMH and Kering are anything to go by, this hasn’t been happening so much of late – which made the absolute wearability of Toteme’s AW26 collection really rather refreshing.

The Swedish brand has long been the cool girl’s go-to for understated pieces that offer a palate cleanser to the trend-forward collections of other houses and, among its AW26 designs, there truly wasn’t a single one you couldn’t slot seamlessly into your existing wardrobe. Which isn’t to say it was boring. Delicate draping, oversized funnel necks, sculptural silhouettes and an unwavering commitment to luxe fabrics – alpaca wool blends, Sustainable Fibre Alliance cashmere, liquid silks – offered much to admire (and wear and wear and wear).

Feng Chen Wang

Presented as a co-ed show during Paris Fashion Week Men’s in January, Feng Chen Wang took inspiration from the Chinese philosophical concept of liang yi (two forces) for AW26. Exploring the idea of two forces not in opposition, but as a constantly shifting system of balance, the collection evoked visual forms of the animal (including actual dogs dressed in snakeskin and fur-trimmed coats) and the human to introduce a tension between structure and freedom, instinct and reason, restraint and ease.

The armourlike heaviness of animal-print leather met the soft gathering of pleated wool and cotton, the formality of tailoring met the flamboyance of shearling and faux fur, and the subtlety of modest silhouettes met the soft sensuality of silk. Accomplished and confident, even at the more casual end, this was a collection brimming with investment pieces that should make every woman pleased this former menswear designer has let us into her club.

Read more: Everything you need to know about the AW26 fashion month