Unexpected Utilitarian Conferences for Fall 2026 I Want

3 minutes read

At Tom Ford’s Spring 2026 fashion show, models strutted around a white runway, enthralling an adoring audience with a mix of TV sets and pianos. With a scary event set, the whole show had a very hot temperature, Patrick Bateman of the right kind: the clothes were rough, louche even, with the perfect performance of the designer Haider Ackermann. The poet was fierce, with shiny mint skin and pointed toes. About halfway through the parade, another model was brought out in a clear plastic coat with black piping. The next model wore a cropped version of the jacket in the same material. Next, the same outfit to see. After that came a few clear hoods and bonuses. These voyeuristic interpretations of raincoats went even further.

A fashion model on the runway shows a unique outfit.

Courtesy of Tom Ford//LUCK SPOTL

Tom Ford Fall 2026

A day before, Anthony Vaccarello also checked the accuracy of Saint Laurent. After many interpretations of the 2026 version of the brand’s Le Smoking jacket and several delicate fabric dresses worn by models with heavy makeup and slicked-back hair, he showed a brown coat made of rubber material that looked like water. It, too, had hair that glowed as soon as you passed the glare of the lights. Vaccarello styled this kinky outfit with tight straps and pointed-toe stilettos.

It seems that the fantasy du jour for fall is the rainy season—a fun and exciting time for living things that calls for something functional and arousing. But put away the frills and stilettos for a second and think about the humble rain jacket et al.: can the banal accessories in your closet feel good? The variety of styles and interpretations on the runways, smooth and not so, this past season seems to indicate that the answer is yes.

Model walking in a shiny brown coat on the runway.

Umberto Fratini//LUCK SPOTL

Saint Laurent Fall 2026

At Calvin Klein, Veronica Leoni showed two dresses cut like car coats in transparent leather to imitate rain, one in deep red, the other in brown. At Loewe, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez twisted classic waterproof outerwear silhouettes with extra padding. At Tod’s, Matteo Tamburini made a leather rain poncho. While at Lii, Zane Li twisted sporty anoraks and paired them with full skirts. Lacoste’s Pelagia Kolotouros went straight to the source; The brand collaborated directly with Mackintosh, the designer of the waterproof jacket or “Mac,” on a series of waterproof clothing emblazoned with the Lacoste logo. And the thought went beyond the old garment. Loewe also detailed transparent PVC shoes combined with its surrealist-utilitarian ensembles. And shoe designer Trevor Houston has released shoes and pumps made of clear plastic at Herbert Levine’s newly renovated space.

A model walking the runway is wearing a red trench coat.

Courtesy of Calvin Klein//LUCK SPOTL

Calvin Klein Fall 2026

And, of course, you can’t discuss fashionable raincoats without mentioning Burberry, the brand that turned the waterproof military coat into a coveted fashion item in the early 1900s. It is also designed with modern design and silhouettes. For fall, their classic trenches saw the addition of ruffled collars and shiny Nova-check-check-black printed accessories.

Because of this recent shift towards capital F rain gear, small, fashion-forward brands like TWP, Staud, and Kule have each released their own stylish anoraks, while original brands like K-Way, a mid-century Parisian label known for nylon coats, have also entered the fashion conversation.

A model walking the runway is wearing a black, shiny trench coat.

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Burberry Fall 2026

The innovations in these waterproof styles are enticing, but the style is what really makes this conversation interesting. A few seasons ago, for Spring 2025, Prada sent a model wearing a raincoat down the runway in a fashion that sent photos of the look exploding on social media. The model in question wore an embroidered and embroidered silver sheath, colorful satin pumps, a bright yellow anorak, and a straw visor. The way to combine the material and the formal is really Prada-ism (as their signature, the game is fixed and nylon) and it was shown in the best way in this group.

Runway modeling shows unique fashion design.

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Prada Spring 2025

The rain gear section is the perfect vehicle for the difference. A rain jacket can be seen as sporty, sleek, techy, functional, dowdy, or twisted in its tarp-like form. In the cases of Tom Ford and Saint Laurent, designers played with the fetishistic feeling of plastic goods. For Loewe and Lii, the element of play clashed with elegance – emphasis on the word clash. There are so many amazing things to play with – and the designers are having fun.