Lidewij Edelkoort SS26 forecast: In a society on the verge of eruption, flora and fluidity prevail

It’s the morning of the final day for Dutch trade show Modefabriek (January 27), and visitors are slowly shuffling into a dimly lit presentation hall where Lidewij Edelkoort is to host her always highly anticipated trend talk. For this season, specifically spring/summer 2026, the trendforecaster is focusing on the themes ‘Flowers, Fluidity and Fun’, and while this gives the impression of a talk filled with positivity and lightness, once Edelkoort begins speaking, she initially talks of a darker reality in which we are now living.

In unravelling the context of fashion trends, it’s unavoidable, of course. In the present day, the world is getting ever-more complex, and Edelkoort recognises that new leaders, including returning US president Donald Trump, are ushering in values that, at first glance, seem to replicate those of the past and are migrating into wider culture. With this, Edelkoort’s presentation comes with a sense of soft and supple defiance, echoed throughout and well into her closing remarks, when she declares that, in the face of male-dominated industries – including fashion itself, with men notably heading up most of the luxury fashion houses – women needed to once again trust in the values of feminism and demand for more representation instead of waiting for it to unfurl.

This message contrasted those shared among the trends themselves, in which Edelkoort acknowledged a resurgence of traditionalism in place of the once prevalent streetwear and a shift of preference back to “small” body types, each possible reflections of this aforementioned resurrection of traditional values. Such insight only underlines an intrinsic widening of divisions between vastly differing demographics – whether referencing disparities between gender or wealth – creating a society that Edelkoort says is on the verge of eruption – though what form this eruption will take is yet to emerge.

All this to say, the trends Edelkoort explores are deemed by the forecaster to almost be “coping mechanisms” for this period in time, and are therefore more lighthearted in their outward appearance. For fashion, she thus introduces the notion of ‘Anatomy of Fluidity’, the overarching theme for her SS26 trends, which runs through all those she presents at Modefabriek.

The fluidity of fluidity: From flowing rigidity to borderline lingerie

This concept of ‘fluidity’ is in itself fluid, Edelkoort notes, and can be moulded and fractured into different proposals depending on the approach or message to which a designer or brand adopts. At first, Edelkoort speaks of a fluidity that responds to a “saturated society”, pointing to comfort wear and soft tailoring as outlets, with silhouettes reminiscent of meringues and a colour palette infused with neutral and harmonious tones. Fluid fabrics and tulle then give way to a theme she dubs as ‘moulding matter’, in which dough-like forms take precedence and a warmer colour palette is introduced. “Sharp but non-chalant” is how Edelkoort summarises fashion in the first chapter of her seminar.

It is akin to other themes explored by Edelkoort, including the following described as ‘easy dressing’ or the later idea of ‘borderline lingerie’, both reactionary topics pointing to a desire for daily comfort. While the former sticks more closely to pyjama-like forms, Edelkoort states that the latter is more unruly in its appearance, championed by younger generations who are mixing old principles within lingerie into gaudy layering, creating a diverging meaning for the category.

Textures: Raffia and woven designs highlight craftsmanship

As new principles redefine existing clothing, elsewhere craftsmanship is to still hold some level of significance, as it emerges in Edelkoort’s presentation. Craft-minded clothing, taking inspiration from raffia, painting, ceramics and woven materials, were said to become a definitive mark on the SS26 season. With this, it may be possible to see an influx of ancestral techniques make their way into collections, informing not only texture but colour, too, as browns, oranges and greys become staple in the palette. Flowers, meanwhile, are a print that is to encapsulate SS26, Edelkoort suggests, influencing both prints – potentially seen in handpainted or emblem styles – and colours.

Black was also highlighted by Edelkoort, a typically unusual choice for the spring/summer season. Alas, the trendforecaster noted that transparent or lightweight materials bring a new feel to this usually confronting colour. It could either appear in a full outfit, or simply hinted at as a contrasting tone. In Edelkoort’s interpretation, however, the rise of black in the summer wardrobe also falls in line with a sense of sadness within fashion, where top fashion houses are favouring the creativity of men over women, suggesting an underlying misogyny, while rotating out various creative directors, resulting in a string of farewell fashion shows that are blanketed in black.

A new menswear: Streetwear falls in favour of traditionalism

Her insistence on these industry shifts follows through into other observations and forecasts Edelkoort makes, namely the fall of streetwear, which has been swapped out by men in favour of a more traditional clothing movement. As such, in place of hoodies and sweat pants, men are beginning to take to shirts, tailored trousers and oxford shoes. Yet, to Edelkoort, fluidity once again runs rife, aiding in the rise of ‘liquid tailoring’, which she says will see suits become more mobile, in materials that are sharp but supple.

Sportswear that is to be present will be in more sophisticated forms, with drawstrings and pockets intended to make designs in this category more “poetic” and, again, fluid in their appearance. Such a perspective will also apply for women, who, in their path to “reassert feminism”, will reshape the past as the future. For Edelkoort, this will be sculpted in a “new antique” of intricate plisse and pleats, transparent materials, golden colourways, tone-on-tone prints and intricate embellishments.