Trends

Dark romance takes over F/W 26 runways with lace, corsetry and gothic drama, and Indian fashion is already reworking it for festive wear.

Trench coats get a A/W 26 makeover with leather finishes, cape cuts and cropped hems — and Indian outerwear labels are primed to cash in.

Whimsy-maxxing brings clashing prints, bold colour and layered dressing back into focus, creating fresh opportunities for Indian apparel brands.

Purple is emerging as a defining 2026 colour, spanning violet, plum, royal purple and magenta across global and Indian runways. For Indian brands, the opportunity lies in taking purple beyond occasionwear into contemporary, everyday silhoue

Body-skimming tailoring is returning as oversized silhouettes lose momentum, with fitted trousers, structured blazers and slimmer denim gaining ground. In India, the shift is strongest in couture, occasionwear and tailoring-led menswear. Fi

Velvet returns for Pre-Fall 2026 in sleeker forms, moving into tailoring, co-ords and footwear. In India, the festive staple is expanding into fusion and Indo-Western silhouettes. Its established demand offers brands scope beyond traditiona

Sculpted, engineered bodices, not waist-cinching, define 2026's silhouette, led by Schiaparelli's silicone corsetry and the Met Gala's Costume Art theme, amid GLP-1 drugs reshaping body ideals. In India, Tarun Tahiliani, Gaurav Gupta, Rimzi

A/W 2026 saw leather take on softer, more fluid forms, with houses including Tod’s, Bottega Veneta and Hermès using supple constructions to prioritise drape and ease.

Global brands including Levi’s, Uniqlo, Zara and Primark are using repair and mending services to deepen Gen Z engagement, tapping growing interest in resale, thrift and sustainability.