Oversized jackets, soft suede layers and croc and leopard details are shaping the season’s outerwear, accessories and footwear across womenswear and menswear.
Leather is one of the most discussed materials of the Fall/Winter 2026 runways. The oversized leather jacket emerged as a standout piece, from Saint Laurent’s roomy silhouettes to Chanel’s classic biker and Tom Ford’s sharper crop, with suede positioned as the softer alternative. Khaite showed croc leather coats and cropped leather bombers with frog closures, while Burberry’s Daniel Lee sent out leather trench coats and textured leather moto jackets. Balenciaga, under Pierpaolo Piccioli, made a case for coloured leather, with red, green and purple jackets.
Suede is moving from accent to staple. Colour has shifted away from black-dominant palettes towards chocolate brown, cognac, tan and olive. Altuzarra kept things textural with suede trousers and a fur-trimmed leather layer. Footwear follows the same mood. Jil Sander showed pre-dirtied suede boots paired with trousers for a rugged look, while Chanel offered second-skin boots with cap toes.
Animal-inspired detail is the other half of the story, and it is evolving beyond leopard. Croc-embossed leather is poised to dominate the texture conversation, and one outlet described it as the new snake print. At Chanel, Matthieu Blazy showed the flap bag in high-shine croc-embossed leather in cherry red and khaki green. Leopard print remains present in the seasonal palette, with olive green and croc embossing also entering the conversation in boots.
Footwear shows the range. Isabel Marant sent zebra-print ankle boots, Fendi showed snakeskin pumps and Marni showed calf hair sandals. Jil Sander, Khaite and Saint Laurent also updated animal-print footwear with pointed snakeskin, modern leopard patterns and high-vamp silhouettes. On the street, the leopard coat was named the hero item of New York Fashion Week.
Menswear is following closely. The leather total look stood out as a major trend at the Fall/Winter 2026-27 men’s shows. At Tod’s, creative director Matteo Tamburini’s “Pashmy” project used an exceptionally soft, lightweight leather for bomber jackets, field jackets and shirt jackets, and the Gommino driving shoe was reworked as ankle boots, desert boots and loafers in suede and hand-brushed leather. Fabric directions on the A/W 26/27 men’s catwalks combined tweeds and plaids with tactile suede, velvet, corduroy and fur.
Indian brands are approaching suede as an accent rather than a full-fabric commitment, which suits the country’s shorter, milder winter. Leather and suede specialist Hidesign has expanded suede across its bag and small-leather-goods lines, and Da Milano worked supple suede into its Spring Summer ’26 collection. On the apparel side, menswear label Bhaane has used suede detailing on jacket collars and pocket trims, while Ritu Kumar’s recent occasionwear has leaned on suede-like textures in structured jackets. Collars, trims, panels and accessories are the lowest-risk way to enter the category, and faux-suede and croc-effect finishes give mid-market labels a way to join the same textural mood.
