Main trend themes for footwear and bags collections for the fall-winter 2025/26 season

Whatever aesthetics your collection adheres to - craft heritage, elegant minimalism inspired by traditions or, conversely, futuristic forms - if your customer strives to be fashionable and you need to regularly update your assortment with current trendy novelties, pay attention to the design trends, models and details of women's shoes and bags in the fall-winter 2025/26 season described in this article. To prepare it, the author used materials from the international trend bureau Fashion Snoops, which is a source of commercial forecasts for the seasons ahead, and current trend analytics of key events in the fashion industry around the world: industry exhibitions, shows, shows.

Maria Shchennikova -

Head of Development Department, Fashion Consulting Group.

SOURCE OF WISDOM

A movement that intertwines contemporary design, natural materials and respected craft practices. What was once a utilitarian and routine way of making an everyday product is now an inexhaustible source of inspiration for contemporary designers. Through the choice of materials and details, based on the history of such crafts as weaving, molding and metalworking, the inseparable link between the thoughtful creator-designer and the knowledge passed down and revered by humanity for centuries is conveyed.

The long-term trend of references to local cultural heritage is in demand and appears in different price segments and markets - from goods presented at craft fairs and exclusive products of luxury brands that preserve traditional knowledge and techniques through cooperation with craft workshops, to imitation of handcrafted techniques in products of mass-market brands.

Shoes and bags for the coming season reflect this trend through the use of distressed leather, neutral and earthy tones, and organic textures of cotton and linen. Consumers are drawn to original pieces, and adding brass-colored details and textures such as chains and adjustable buckles also adds a handcrafted feel.

The trend for weaving continues in bags - from leather, like the Fendi model, or from a rope, like in the Niccolò Pasqualetti collection. The leather patchwork in the totes from Khaite deserves special mention.

Examples of the seasonal manifestation of the trend in footwear include: the use of decorative soft leather braid on loafers and moccasins at Bottega Veneta; a solution from Ulla Johnson - feather decor on the toe of slingback shoes from the previous collection (fall-winter 2024/25); the use of large knits for shoes, like the over-the-knee model from Indonesian leisurewear brand Isa Boulder; knitted sneakers in the men's collection of the Valentino brand; men's boots made of soft leather, covering the ankles with a moccasin element from Auralee (fall-winter 2024/25).

Traditions and values ​​overcome time and change, they enrich modern design and visual communication of brands.

LUXURY OF EMOTIONS

One of the bright consumer trends today is the desire to regularly reward oneself through small luxury items and hedonistic pleasures, as a means of creating a sense of emotional comfort and a sense of celebration in everyday life. We are witnessing how the pendulum of fashion has swung from “hidden wealth” towards visibility, an elegant expression of sensuality and pleasure. Hence the variety of expressive tactile materials and decadent jewelry presented in a luxurious mélange of shades of this trend, as an example is the Dries Van Noten collection of the last season autumn-winter (2024/25). Hats, silk scarves, glasses in colored plastic frames, bright gloves - all this can be generously used in styling for this trend.

In terms of materials, look for supple leathers in matte and glossy patent finishes, as well as embossed and quilted textures. Toned shearling gives these cold-weather boots a luxurious, cosy feel that both protects and pampers the wearer. Hardware includes polished buckles and sculpted metallic heels that add a touch of sophistication to the elegant shapes.

Elements such as the accent lock on the high riding boots, the inwardly curved heel, for example in the Alexander McQueen collection, mesh inserts on closed shoes, like Toteme, additional straps, complement elegant women's models, helping to make a graceful transition from laconic minimalism. Leather quilted Chelsea boots, like Nanushka, and monk shoes with a voluminous sole, like Philéo Paris, diversify the range of fashionable men's shoes.

In this direction, you can add more extravagant accessories, for example, for bags you can choose tactile exotic leathers or combine shiny velvet with fittings and a chain made of yellow metal, like the brand Neous, or, for example, details of long fur, like on the messenger bag By Malene Birger. This direction is about creating a product that satisfies the buyer's desire to pamper himself, and at the same time is designed to last.

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ELEMENT OF COMICITY

This direction is a continuation of the long trend of so-called dopamine design, which evokes bright, pleasant emotions. Humor in visual communication of brands and products has become one of the important news items in recent years and continues to be a significant source of inspiration for the FW 2025/26 season.

A healthy sense of humor about life in general and about product design helps overcome difficulties, the monotony of routine, and sometimes brings childish joy to the owner and those around him. Let's remember the charming collaborations of Loewe, or clutches in the most unusual shapes - JW Anderson frogs, Moschino celery.

Witty design and meticulous attention to detail create unique accents that pleasantly surprise customers. Those customers who choose optimism in the face of uncertainty will appreciate shoes and accessories filled with innovations: unusual details, palettes or materials. An example of a brand whose modern collections blur the boundaries between things that require special attention and everyday essentials is AWAKE Mode. Speaking of shoes, the intellectual fashion brand Jil Sander created shoes with a color block effect, and Peter Do for Helmut Lang FW 2024/25 made over-the-knee boots from a familiar checkered material. It is worth noting that shoes with a fluffy material on the outside are still with us; last season they were at Eckhaus Latta, as well as the swifter model at 16ARLINGTON. A fashionable version of puffer boots was seen at Dior - a model with corduroy on the shaft and a large accent sole. In the context of humor, you can work well with collaborations, as, for example, Asics X Vivienne Westwood or Adidas X Hagel did, creating sneaker models with charismatic details.

In bags, this trend can be expressed through the shape of the model as a whole, as another interpretation of a dumpling bag, but already of a complex design - from Federico Cina, a logical trend after the popularity of the cookie bag Louis Vuitton and Yuzefi. And also through a small accent decor - a carabiner on the strap of a Kitsey Martin bag, embroidery and prints with characters and other finds. Design in this direction creates a bright contrast with the ordinary and helps to overcome the monotony of everyday life.

BRIGHT FUTURE

With the rapid advancement of technology and digitalization, it is becoming important to maintain empathy and preserve humanity in our lives. In this design direction, innovation is aimed at softness and care: forms become harmonious, and details are meant to evoke a sense of peace. This calm but multifaceted approach to design allows us to build a positive future in which care for all forms of life and different ways of coexistence become fundamental. With the development of wearable devices and the integration of additional functions into various categories, it is important to maintain a balance between technology and its negative impact on human well-being. An example of a brand in this direction is Sportmax, which is based on a fusion of innovation and timeless elegance, a commitment to traditional craftsmanship and cutting-edge modern design. White iridescent over-the-knee boots with a curved wedge heel, clutches with streamlined shapes are a great example of the manifestation of modern futurism.

Down to the product level, the materials and details of this trend are executed in a poly-transparent palette, the colors of which seem almost weightless. Combinations of matte surfaces and crystal decor create a bright shine on transparent mesh and elastic satin. You can see the iridescent sprays on leather and waterproof silky nylon.

Seasonal shoe trends in this direction: shoes with a scattering of rhinestones and a slanted toe from Aminda Muaddi; sneakers with a voluminous sole and ribbon laces from JW Pei; Proenza Schouler over-the-knee boots from the FW 2024/25 collection made of soft draped leather. In men's footwear, I would like to note the white high-soled sneakers from the Comme des Garcons x Salomon collaboration.

Among the trendy bag models are metallic clutches of rigid shapes, for example, at Sandy Liang, the use of iridescent leather in the MM6 and Acne Studios collections, and the same model with drapes made of two-color nylon ARCS. You can also support the trend of translucency with a print using the cyanotype technique (a non-silver photographic process based on the light sensitivity of iron salts - Ed.), like the Ioannes brand. Separately worth noting in this topic are the handbags from Fendi Haute Couture 2024, decorated with threads embroidered with futuristic sequins. This is the direction in design where the transcendental continues to inspire us, and in between we are between the actual unknown of the future and how it seems to us in our imagination.