AW26 Fashion Trends: The Weirdest Trends for Autumn/Winter 2026
AW 2026: Fashion Gets Weird
Forget quiet luxury. For Autumn/Winter 2026, fashion is embracing the strange, the tactile and the wonderfully over-the-top. This season, the wardrobe is less about looking perfectly polished and more about having fun with what you wear. Feathers, faux croc, clashing plaid, asymmetric jackets and exaggerated proportions are coming together to create an aesthetic that feels playful, slightly rebellious and deliberately imperfect.
At the centre of it all is what we might call the “Gym Goblin” aesthetic: a chaotic mix of sporty layers, oversized outerwear, unexpected textures and pieces that look as though they have been pulled together without taking themselves too seriously. It is part nostalgia, part street style and part fantasy—and it perfectly captures fashion’s current desire to escape the predictable.
Feathers, but make them fun
Feathers are moving beyond traditional eveningwear this season. Rather than being reserved for glamorous dresses, AW26 sees them appearing on tops, sleeves, accessories and everyday separates. At London Fashion Week, Mithridate incorporated feathered tops and accessories into its collection, while other designers experimented with tactile and exaggerated textures.
The appeal is in the contrast. Pairing a feather-trimmed piece with denim, trainers or an oversized bomber instantly removes any sense of occasion. The result feels less red carpet and more street-style eccentric—exactly the kind of styling AW26 is encouraging.
Valentino
Feather-trimmed denim shirt
£2,350
Taller Marmo
Piccolo Ubud feather-trim one-shoulder dress
£1,720
La DoubleJ
Make An Exit feather-trimmed silk twill top
£770
Faux Croc Takes Over
If there is one texture capable of making an ordinary outfit feel instantly more expensive, it is faux croc. For AW26, crocodile-effect textures are appearing across jackets, skirts, bags and accessories, particularly in deep browns, blacks and burgundy. Fashion forecasting platform Heuritech predicts continued growth for crocodile textures through the season, while ELLE has highlighted croc-embossed leather as one of Fall 2026’s key directions.
The trick is not to overthink it. A faux-croc jacket over a simple knit, or a structured croc-effect bag with relaxed trousers, gives the texture room to make an impact without turning the entire look into costume.
Nour Hammour
Hatti croc-effect leather jacket
£1,260
Tom Ford
Croc-effect leather miniskirt
£2,290
Cavalli
Leather skirt Croco print
£2921.00
Plaid gets playful
Plaid may be one of autumn’s most dependable patterns, but this season it is being treated with considerably less restraint. At London Fashion Week, Burberry, Tolu Coker, Emilia Wickstead and Bora Aksu all explored checks, with designers experimenting with scale, colour and unexpected combinations.
The new approach is about mixing rather than matching. Think oversized plaid jackets with contrasting skirts, checked trousers with graphic knits or multiple scales of tartan layered together. Heritage dressing has officially lost its seriousness.
BRUNELLO CUCINELLI
Checked leather-trimmed wool-blend jacket
£5,000
Color: Brown
MUI MUI
Reversible flannel down jacket
£2,800
Vivienne Westwood
Plaid maxi skirt
£1,280
The Asymmetrical Jackets
Outerwear is also getting a much-needed injection of personality. Forget the perfectly symmetrical blazer: AW26 is interested in jackets with unusual cuts, exaggerated shoulders, unconventional fastenings and unexpected proportions.
This wider move towards experimentation is visible throughout the season. Loewe, for example, embraced playful outerwear and exaggerated silhouettes, while Dior reworked its iconic Bar jacket through more relaxed and contemporary styling.
An asymmetric jacket can transform even the simplest outfit. Wear it over a basic vest and jeans and suddenly the proportions feel deliberate. Pair it with a long skirt or wide-leg trouser and it becomes the defining piece of the silhouette.
Cera Clasp PU Leather Funnel Jacket
£120
ALLSAINTS
Rummy Cropped Leather Jacket
£499.00
Rick Owens
Asymmetric alpaca and wool-blend jacket
£1,775
Enter the Gym Goblin
The half-tracksuit look … Josh O’Connor in New York this month. Photograph: Aeon/GC Images
The “Gym Goblin” is perhaps the most entertaining way to describe AW26’s mood. Imagine the person who has just left the gym, thrown on an oversized jacket, grabbed an eccentric handbag and somehow ended up looking incredibly fashionable.
The aesthetic is rooted in the growing relationship between sportswear and everyday dressing. Bomber jackets, nylon outerwear, track-inspired pieces, relaxed trousers and technical fabrics are being mixed with traditionally glamorous elements. At Simone Rocha’s AW26 London show, sporty Adidas pieces appeared alongside romantic dresses, checked tailoring and feminine knitwear, creating exactly the kind of unexpected collision that defines the season.
LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 22: A model walks the runway at the Simone Rocha show during London Fashion Week February 2026 at on February 22, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Estrop/Getty Images)Estrop/Getty Images
Read more about Simone Rocha AW26
AW26 Fashion Trends: Have Fun With Your Wardrobe
Ultimately, AW26 is about refusing to dress too perfectly. Fashion is embracing texture, humour and contradiction. Feathers meet sportswear. Plaid meets glamour. Faux croc meets oversized knits. The jacket becomes asymmetric, the accessories become oversized and the entire outfit feels a little more mischievous.
After seasons of carefully curated minimalism, perhaps the most exciting trend for AW26 is simply having fun again.
By George Crates-Bird