The Designers Defining Summer '26
Artists are creating ingenious new style codes, and they can inspire looks at truly accessible prices.
Hi all! I’ve started checking back into the collective fashion consciousness in anticipation of summer 2026 in which I Will Have A Job (pleaseohGodplease). I don’t even think about phenomena like the ones below as “trends” anymore—I reserve that dubious distinction for the ultra-specific, object fetish-centric, rapid-cycling items that lack any of the three must-haves in a garment IMO: intrigue, pragmatism, and genuine wearability.
This means that instead of seeing the new style codes each season brings as trends to be cycled through, I see them as new facets of aesthetic intention accreting (if you aren’t familiar with that word, may I humbly recommend you read some Clarice Lispector? I wasn’t either until I read her!) onto the hyperobject that is Fashion, like a snowball tumbling down a hill, growing more layered and robust by the inch.
Perhaps one day the snowball will hit a tree and we’ll see an utter deconstruction of the Fashion we’ve built over the past 10-20 years, but I don’t see keeping abreast of the ebbs and flows in style codes as following trends necessarily, at least not if they keep the three must-haves in mind. It’s actually one of the few things that still gets me really revved up about the Fashion World as such: seeing the convergent evolution of disparate designers’ mentalities, especially across international contexts.
I, as is my habit, am only featuring independent, medium-to-low profile designers in this post, and by including DIY and comp ideas alongside their pieces I don’t mean to denigrate the value of their work or IP. If you can afford to, I actually think now IS the time to throw money the way of these artists (and, haha, your favorite bloggers!?). I just simply cannot spend more than $50, $100 absolute maximum, typically $30 on a single piece but will not participate in 99% of fast fashion endeavors (I’ll buy a tee from Gap or Uniqlo, that’s pretty much it), so getting creative with vintage or handmade items is how I can realistically engage with these concepts. The instant I get a job, I’m going to start strategizing as to how that might shift.
With that in mind, let’s check out what’s in store for Summer 2026!
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What I’m noticing:
Faded neons (especially yellow/green/pink)
Macrame fringe
Operatic accessories a la shawls, boleros (especially in crimson)
Tulle, frothy-layered or slinky-sheer
Micro stripes
Metallic leather
Australian designers
Under-constructed garments
Swimwear as all-purpose wear
Collars of all sorts
There is no reason why a rugby should cost more than $200 MAX MAX MAX (not even hoity-toity Rowing Blazers ones do), but these Connor Ives pieces do introduce the perfect faded neon colorways I expect we’ll be seeing all over once the JFK Jr. acolytes start doing cocaine again, ‘80s-style, for the season.
Again, not a necessary price point, but there is a special specificity to Ives’ rendition of the easy layering piece—maybe buy (or make!) one like the below then chop off the strands at the knees?
Bringing the fringe up top, Ives’ version of a Piano Shawl (attached to a floral gown) is already sold out, but luckily the accessory itself is super easy to find for prices that reach down to $20 and would pair perfectly with a sleeveless maxi dress if draped strategically.
Ok, I saw a post about Zucca’s (a Japanese brand that has really faded into the background since this era) SS03 collection on Instagram and was absolutely taken by its colorways (pastels that look like bloodless neons), ruffles (tuxedo-like and contrast-embroidered for the menswear, frothy tulle for women), and layering that looks absolutely contemporary. This show could have come out last September and I wouldn’t question it.
The Etsy shop linked above sells some corny stuff but also some pretty accurate Molly Goddard comps for like 1/19th the price of the latter, FYI.
I’m so in love with these frilly, spongy belts paired with sporty-ish sheer layers and can’t find anything comparable to this accessory. Someone, make them!
Though the sheer skirt might feel a bit played out at this point, the visionary color selections (see other sections of this post for even more inspo here) and subtle embroidery make Everyone’s Mother’s special.
No one is using metallic leather like Everyone’s Mother, whether integrated into a top or as a standalone brooch—it’s such a unique endeavor, in fact, that I couldn’t find anything else quite like it, but I do think metallic leather anything works during the summer, especially paired with a swimsuit.
Incredible inspiration for a DIY—simple knee-length cotton shorts embroidered or patched with teardrops!
Brilliant Aussie designer Niamh Galea has rendered iconic silhouettes like maple leaves more cool than kitschy by suggesting off-kilter styling that plays with skin exposure and gendered convention.
Galea has pared down and focused her work to create some really compelling basics, including the perfect teensy bloomer…
…though you can get extremely similar ones for a few dozen dollars cheaper via LA brand Charlie Beads.
I will never not love Galea’s removal Baby Tee, and if you can’t swing the $103 version, think even a raw-cut version would work, especially as a swim cover-up if you’re a little concerned about chest popping.
Giovanna Flores’ work provides endless DIY inspiration, from cutting apart and piecing back together (in a slightly more shapely way) an oversized vintage polo to simply sewing a flat or two of crunchy fabric onto the front of a T-shirt dress. Don’t overthink it!
The looser and more sketchy the top, the better for SC103. Look for Cop Copine and Marithe and Francois Girbaud, as always—these also look super simple to sew at home if you have a whit of talent, which I do not, so I will shut up now.
I love these roomy faux-bloomers that kind of recall Dauan Jacari’s boxer-skirt creations married with cargo shorts.
Somehow, SC103 makes designs that could look super retro feel Bohemian and relaxed—I think the rugby shoulders (and styling the dress over clashing pants and/or long sleeves) do a lot in service of that.
Tragically, my favorite piece in this entire collection is one that I virtually cannot find a comp to. If you can, please let me know! The neckline, keyholes, and draping are just too specifically perfect.
Another instance of nouveau neon in a cartoonist top via another Aussie, Maroske Peech, that kind of relates to Emily Watson’s work as seen below.
I’ve never loved a batwing OR a one-sleeved top until this one.
Some crazy Etsy comps that come with floral pins…
…and matching bunched-up leggings that might be able to be replicated with Tall-sized leggings on a Short-sized person.
Lastly, you really can’t duplicate the outfittiness of Emily Watson’s tankini fits (though I think I’ve seen Temu try to tragic effect). This color circles back to the Conner Ives we started out with—imagine covering this suit up with a boxy, faded neon rugby at the end of an exuberant beach day!
I am so tired, signing off with love!
<3 ESK