Fall 2026 Fashion Collections Inspired by Literature, Film, and Music

The Fall 2026 fashion season featured numerous designers drawing inspiration from various cultural works, including books, films, and music. Designers cited specific references that influenced their collections. Joseph Altuzarra selected Ali Smith's novel 'How to Be Both' for its dual narrative structure. Anrealage's Kunihiko Morinaga referenced the cyberpunk anime 'Ghost in the Shell,' incorporating thermoptic camouflage concepts. Harunobu Murata considered Adolf Loos's modernist essay 'Ornament and Crime.' Jil Sander's designer looked to Anders Petersen's photography book 'Café Lehmitz' for intimate portraits. John Alexander Skelton found inspiration in Colin Garratt's photography book 'Scarecrows,' noting their dual nature. Julie Kegels explored themes from Andy Warhol's 'The Philosophy of Andy Warhol.' Kolor's Taro Horiuchi referenced Herman Melville's 'Moby Dick' and the film 'The Lighthouse.' Lemaire titled its collection 'Mine Eyes' after Shakespeare's Sonnet 43. Lou de Bètoly mentioned Raymond Queneau's 'Exercises de Style' regarding creative repetition. Mukcyen's Yuka Kimura considered Franz Kafka's 'The Metamorphosis.' Pauline Dujancourt was influenced by Mona Chollet's 'In Defense of Witches.' Saint Laurent Men's Anthony Vaccarello cited James Baldwin's 'Giovanni's Room.' Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood drew from Pier Paolo Pasolini's film adaptation of 'The Canterbury Tales.' Armarium referenced the film 'Basic Instinct.' Ashley Williams looked to 'Poltergeist.' August Barron considered 'Alice in Wonderland.' Balenciaga collaborated with 'Euphoria' director Sam Levinson. Courrèges cited Chantal Akerman's film 'Je Tu il Elle.' Dsquared2 referenced the series 'Heated Rivalry.' Fforme was inspired by the film 'Metropolitan.' Khaite considered Orson Welles's 'F for Fake.' LGN Louis Gabriel Nouchi titled his collection after the film 'Alien.' Lii referenced Jonathan Glazer's 'Under the Skin.' McQueen's Seán McGirr looked to Todd Haynes's 'Safe.' No. 21 borrowed from Federico Fellini's '8½.' Rave Review cited Ingmar Bergman's 'Fanny & Alexander.' Rodarte referenced Dario Argento's 'Suspiria.' Sandy Liang considered Sofia Coppola's 'Marie Antoinette.' Musical inspirations included Anne Sofie Madsen featuring the band Wedding, Charles Jeffrey Loverboy with Baby Berserk, Coach using LCD Soundsystem's 'American Dream,' Gucci featuring rapper Fakemink, Junya Watanabe using Astor Piazzolla's 'Libertango,' Off-White referencing Miles Davis, Paulia Russo featuring musician Oklou, Sergio Hudson using Aretha Franklin's 'Nessun Dorma,' Skall Studio with Nepali singer Varsha Thapa, and Willy Chavarria featuring performers Mon Laferte, Lunay, and Santos Bravos. These references highlight how fashion collections integrate broader cultural narratives.