Looks from the FW 26 collections from (from left) Chanel, Miu Miu, Akris, Prada, and Ferragamo.
Then, now, next.
These days, the examination of past and present is an ongoing occurrence in all corners of culture, but the juxtaposition of what-was-versus-what-is feels especially palpable in fashion. At the Fall 2026 collections, which have just debuted across their normal circuit, the crossroads feels more like an apex; the industry is grappling with just how much it should adhere to from the past, and just how much needs to be let go. Nobody knows the exact answer, yet.
A lot of this has to do with the recent leadership turnovers that’ve occurred within fashion’s biggest and most storied houses; Mathieu Blazy at Chanel, Pierpaolo Piccioli at Balenciaga, Demna at Gucci, Sarah Burton at Givenchy, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez at Loewe, Maria Grazia Chiuri at Fendi and more. It feels like nearly every label has had some kind of disruption in the past 18 months; the results of these shakeups have been mixed.
Tom Ford’s Haider Ackermann.
The most successful of these new designers at well established brands? Haider Ackermann for Tom Ford. Nobody is doing it better; Ackermann has a knack for tapping into his label’s namesake’s bawdy, smoking room-silhouettes while still adding a hyper-modern almost… austerity. It’s chic as hell and equally as sharp; then, now, next, entirely and convincingly.
Below, a rundown of fashion’s current critical timeline juncture.
Chanel, Look 48, F/W 26.
Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel–techically now his fourth collection for the house–looked at caterpillars-turned-butterflies for inspiration for his Fall 2026 collection. His work so far at the revered French label has rekindled, for many, a deep longing for fashion; Blazy’s calibration of classicism, craft, and undeniable charisma seems to, for all intents and purposes, be penning a successful new chapter for the house that Coco built. For autumn, see: explosions of color alongside more practical, still fabulous, daily wear, all walked out beneath a relatively simple set of cranes and scaffolding in Paris’ Grand Palais. Even his soundtrack, which included a layer of Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance,” sparked yet more joy amongst the in-crowd: Chanel is back.
Akris, Look 40, F/W 26.
Albert Kriemler’s Akris is well known for its color, but Fall went even bolder than usual. Time-warped and wonderfully irreverent, we like this scarlet-fuchsia-acid green combo across separates. It’s a bit much as one look, but individually, these pieces pop.
Etro, Look 31, F/W 26.
Marco De Vincenzo’s Etro has returned to its roots–the Italian house is known for its boho color and textures–while keeping fresh with floaty silhouettes and a sort of fearless comportment. We like this look best for Miami; sunny and saturated, with an edge.
Fendi, Look 9, F/W 26.
Maria Grazia Chiuri’s Fendi debut was nearly instantly better than much of what she’d done at her prior post as creative director of Dior: This was a cannier vision of dress. Cleaner and less overdone. Cooler, certainly. This look might have been the most stylish of any houses over the past four weeks; it’s timeless, with a contemporary impression and bite (the hip-arch asymmetric belting detail was also seen at Tom Ford, FYI).
Ferragamo, Look 23, FW 26.
Maximilian Davis is slowly building at Ferragamo, which is refreshing to see–many fashion labels want results now, and they want them more quickly than ever. Davis looked to a loosely maritime wellspring for Fall, and put forth clothes that felt largely proper yet tinged with a bit of aesthetic mystery and daring; big collars, bias drapes, old codes and new cuts, together.
Loro Piana, Look 10, F/W 26.
Loro Piana is considered among the classics; a heritage brand with pieces that stand the test of the time. The label has moved in more of a fashion-forward direction in recent seasons–sometimes, unconvincingly so–and it’s slowly figuring out its own calibration. This look is more of the moment, but replete with the house’s fine fabrics and fibers.
Prada, Look 40, F/W 26.
Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons’s ongoing joint venture at the house the former helped build hasn’t always produced hits. But for Fall 2026, the duo did. This collection featured layered looks, with each model walking four times during the runway show in various states of dress. It was collage-like, but not messy; mosaic-ed, but without an aged patina. It felt practical, in as practical a way as Prada can be, and smart. Plus, for fans of the house, there were plenty of signature motifs–from odd color pairings to prints to crystal embellishments and more.
Saint Laurent, Look 44, F/W 26.
At Saint Laurent, Anthony Vaccarello showed a sort of two-sides-of-the-scale show, focusing on Le Smoking tuxedos and suits on one half and lacy-lingerie body-con dresses on the other. These were Fall 2026’s tentpoles, and the more one looks, the more two-part divide, stark as it is, makes sense. Yves Saint Laurent himself created Le Smoking some 60 years ago–then–and Vaccarello has ushered the house into a new era of razor-sharp sexiness–now.
Miu Miu, Look 19, F/W 26.
Miu Miu’s Fall 2026 collection featured a muted palette–with no color brighter than a beryl or ruby jewel tone–and it morphed from the cleaner and more pragmatic to floating, lacy shift dresses. The message was one of precision to something a little more dreamy and undefined; all of it retained Miuccia Prada’s sentiment for youthful quirk and candor at her alternate line.
Balenciaga, Look 18, F/W 26.
Pierpaolo Piccioli’s vision at Balenciaga feels more aligned with the label’s namesake; dressmaking is foremost. This differs from the heavy casual hand of Balenciaga’s most recent creative director, Demna, who is now at Gucci. This look, with its exposed hip and evening drape, is a strong example (not to mention the fact that this exposed hip detail is really trending!).
Loewe, Look 13, F/W 26.
It is very cool to see what Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez are bringing to Loewe. Pared back are the idiosyncrasies of Jonathan Anderson, and plussed up are the sportswear-isms the duo mined (and made so desirable) at their own label, Proenza Schouler. Their color command alone is worth buying into; primary-brights dominated fall.
