The Wildest Trends of SS27 Fashion Week: A Comprehensive Runway Report

With the SS27 fashion season now firmly in the rear-view mirror, the industry is taking a collective breath to take stock of the more than 400 new collections presented across the Big Four fashion capitals. This season saw designers from across the entire creative spectrum dial up the sex appeal to unprecedented levels. In an industry ultimately designed to sell clothes, the age-old commercial maxim rings truer than ever: after all, what sells better than sex?

Yet, beneath the overt sensuality, the runways were defined by a series of striking visual motifs. Snakes slithered across garments and catwalk installations, headwear reached architectural and surreal new heights, and undergarments defiantly broke free from their traditional hidden roles to take center stage. From London and Milan to New York and Paris, the SS27 collections offered a fascinating study in contrast, subversion, and theatrical storytelling.

Bras Bravely Out

The most prominent lingerie trend of the season was not merely about wearing undergarments as outerwear, though that certainly had its moment. Brands like Mowalola, Fendi, and Tom Ford championed the bra-as-top approach, but designers went a step further by engineering dresses specifically designed to curve around, frame, and intentionally expose the undergarments underneath. Jean Paul Gaultier presented racy, slip-like nighties that played with transparency and construction, while Givenchy showcased figure-hugging gowns that cleverly revealed the structural underpinnings of the clothing.

In London, KNWLS centered its entire collection around the intricate art of undressing. Ester Manas partnered with renowned lingerie brand Primadonna to celebrate body inclusivity and exposed undergarments, while similar styling choices dominated the runways of Julie Kegels, Prada, and MM6 Maison Margiela. Rather than serving as a hidden foundation, the bra emerged as an outward-facing statement piece, bravely stepping out to face the world.

It’s Shedding Season

Reinvention was literally stitched into the fabric of the season, as snakes made a major statement across multiple collections. Telfar’s Paris show—which was livestreamed directly from New York—was heavily draped in snakeskin prints. Similar reptilian motifs dominated Yaku Stapleton’s presentation in London and Mugler’s showcase in Paris.

Dries Van Noten took the theme a step further by incorporating not just snakeskin textures, but literal graphic representations of snakes writhing across garments. Fashion historians and critics alike noted that the pervasive use of reptilian imagery could be interpreted as a symbolic desire for new beginnings. As the cultural mood yearns for transformation, designers appeared to be tapping into a collective longing to symbolically shed our skin and leave behind our old selves and our accumulated troubles.

Sex Sells

The industry’s embrace of sensuality extended far beyond traditional notions of glamour, touching upon the broader cultural obsession with the sexual underground. Designers embraced provocative themes through unexpected collaborations, boundary-pushing casting, and immersive runway experiences.

In London, Natasha Zinko made headlines by bringing iconic glamour figure Katie Price to her runway as part of a collaboration with OnlyFans. Meanwhile, R&M Leathers made its high-profile catwalk debut with a spicy collection produced in partnership with Pornhub. In Milan, Diesel leaned into performance art by having audience plants passionately kiss throughout the duration of the show, while Tom Ford delivered sensual tailoring in Paris that left audiences captivated. These moments reflected a broader cultural movement examining modern intimacy, adult entertainment, and commercialized desire.

Freaky Headgear

Headwear reached new heights of eccentricity this season, with designers treating hats and headpieces as sculptural canvases. Jean Paul Gaultier revisited its infamous and iconic conical motif, transforming the shape into a sharply pointed statement hat. Mugler constructed towering, dramatic fascinators that commanded attention, while Chloé applied a poetic and whimsical lens to translucent rain hats.

The tradition of avant-garde headwear continued with heavy contributions from industry mainstays. Comme des Garçons and Noir Kei Ninomiya both delivered masterful, sculptural headpieces that blurred the line between fashion and fine art, cementing headwear as a crucial component of the season’s most memorable silhouettes.

Romantic Poufs

Volume dominated silhouettes across the major fashion capitals, as designers leaned into grand, theatrical shapes. In New York, Collina Strada and Vaquera embraced voluminous, Renaissance-inspired pieces that played with proportion and historical drama. McQueen’s much-anticipated return to the London schedule also featured grand, pouf-heavy designs that nodded to theatrical grandeur.

In Paris, Vivienne Westwood continued its legacy as a torchbearer for historical silhouettes, presenting corseted and puffed creations that honored historical dressmaking. Concurrently, Acne Studios found its primary inspiration in the 1980s New Romantic movement—a subculture that itself looked back to the romance and opulence of the late 18th century, bringing a cyclical richness to the SS27 season.