The September 2026 Style Issue of Wallpaper* embraces the transformative power of clothing: ‘For our annual digest of the A/W 2026 season, we’re drawing attention to the act of dressing and how we use clothing to create a persona, whether for purpose, pleasure or joy,’ wrote Wallpaper* editor-in-chief Bill Prince in his editor’s letter.
As part of the issue, we selected ten looks, accessories and trends that defined the A/W 2026 season – from the return of the cufflink at Prada to an all-new power suit at Saint Laurent. Discover them below.
Cuff links (top left)
The cufflink enjoyed a revival at Prada’s menswear show. Appearing on the shirts’ oversized cuffs – some purposely stained as if weathered by wear – it came in colourful enamel forms, and recalled a bygone era of dressing with refinement and care. ‘There is a lot here from the past,’ said co-creative director Raf Simons. ‘There’s the knowledge that you still want to celebrate and use, but you also want to innovate.’
Body conscious (top right)
Pieter Mulier’s final collection for Alaïa rounded out a tenure in which the Belgian designer proposed a vision of modern beauty rooted in the codes of the label’s founder. The show, held at Paris’ Fondation Cartier, opened with a trio of body-contouring dresses in engineered jersey, a longtime signature of the house. ‘At Alaïa, I learned that real luxury is not what we think,’ said Mulier. ‘It is a perfectly cut jacket.’
Oversized collars
Coat, price on request, by Bottega Veneta. Earrings, price on request, by Boucheron, from Barron London
There is an innate sense of drama to the exaggerated collar, a face-framing device favoured by historical monarchs and Disney villains to denote absolute power. At Bottega Veneta, Louise Trotter used the blown-up collar to add a theatrical flair, suggesting a mood of both glamour and protection (she said the collection was inspired by the clash of ‘brutalism and sensuality’ in her new home city of Milan).
Flat footwear
Coat; shirt; trousers; shoes, all price on request, by Jil Sander. Ring, £550, by By Pariah
Footwear for men this season is still resolutely flat. Jil Sander’s Simone Bellotti proposed a riff on the ballet shoe – rendered in soft leather, its futuristic moulded rubber sole is reminiscent of the ‘Hood’ shoe, one of his first creations for the label. In his former role as creative director of Bally, Bellotti was also responsible for the ‘Plume’, a loafer-cum-boat shoe that became a viral hit.
The tuxedo
Jacket, £3,180; trousers, £1,365, both by Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello
Saint Laurent creative director Anthony Vaccarello celebrated 60 years of Yves Saint Laurent’s provocative ‘Le Smoking’, a female version of the men’s tuxedo. Vaccarello’s version – worn with side-slicked hair and a heavily smoked eye – was cut with a sloped shoulder and a narrowed, but not constricting, waistline. His take on the ‘power suit’, he said, was more ‘insouciant shrug than swagger’.
Sheer layers
Under the banner of ‘Mindful Intimacy’, the Miu Miu collection straddled a mood of toughness and delicacy – the former in chunky, rubber-sole shoes, trapper hats and crinkled leather jackets, the latter in sheer camisoles and dresses, adorned with crystals. They were pure Miu Miu: sweet but not saccharine, worn on the runway by a cast of notable women, including Gillian Anderson and Kristen McMenamy.
Lightweight leather
Jacket; trousers, both price on request, by Hermès. Shoes, £750, by Jimmy Choo
This season, leather was reimagined with a new lightness and ease. At Tod’s, leather handkerchief dresses had the fluidity and drape of cotton, while at Bottega Veneta, it was used to create slouchy tunics and roomy raincoats. Véronique Nichanian, in her swansong show as Hermès menswear artistic director, made top-to-toe leather a viable look, rendering a tailored suit in ultra-soft embroidered calfskin.
Slim lines
Jacket; top; trousers, all price on request; shoes, £690, all by Celine
A slimmer line and long, lean silhouettes were conspicuous on the menswear runways, defining collections from the likes of Prada, Dior and Celine. At the last, American creative director Michael Rider presented a double-breasted evening jacket, elongated in length and sleek in shape. ‘I do think Celine is a place you go to find beautifully cut clothing, a slimmer silhouette,’ he said.
Opera gloves
Top, £410; skirt, £1,155; gloves, £540, all by Max Mara
The opera glove has been a symbol of refinement since the Tudor age, when Elizabeth I would wear white kidskin versions adorned with velvet embroidery and gold fringing. The item is currently enjoying a fashion renaissance, appearing everywhere from Mugler to Michael Kors. This suede Max Mara pair, worn scrunched towards the wrist, was inspired by 11th-century military commander Matilde di Canossa.
Dropped waist
Top, £7,570; skirt, £6,005; earrings, £690, all by Chanel
The dropped waistline was a defining facet of Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel’s approach to dressmaking, the low-slung proportions allowing the body to move freely. Seeking a similarly liberatory spirit, Chanel creative director Matthieu Blazy revived the silhouette this season, with some waistlines so low, they hung below the hips. ‘I want to create a canvas for women to be unapologetically who they want to be,’ said Blazy.
A version of this article appears in the September 2026 Style Issue of Wallpaper*, available now in print on newsstands, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today.
Models: Eduarda Muehlmann at PRM, Chol Mabior at Models 1. Casting: Monika Domarke. Set design: Haruka Kogure. Hair: Yumi Nakada Dingle using Bumble and Bumble. Make-up: Faye Bluff at Of Substance using Shiseido. Manicure: Nichole Williams at Stella Creative Artists using L’Occitane. Photography assistant: Scott Archibald. Fashion assistant: Ilaria Guerra. Production assistant: Indy Davy. Set design assistant: Cedrick Jison.