Fashion stands right at the midpoint of a spectrum, one end rooted in reality, the other in fantasy. Designers oscillate between reflecting reality and challenging its limits.
This season, in particular, we're seeing a reinterpretation of garment forms. Broadening shoulders are one of the most prominent trends. Frequently spotted at fashion weeks, this trend is interpreted in various ways in brands' upcoming collections.
One of the most consistent players in this game of proportions, always surprising with each new collection, is Schiaparelli. In its Fall/Winter 2025–26 collection, the legendary fashion house significantly exaggerates the shoulders on its jackets. The show, under the creative direction of Daniel Roseberry, opens with Gigi Hadid wearing a simple black blazer and trousers. The outfit's clean lines are disrupted by black fur panels placed above the shoulders of the blazer.
A similar design appears in Rabanne's new collection. Fur accents on the shoulders of a leopard print trench coat elevate the entire look to another dimension. In other designs within the collection, Rabanne continues playing with volume by adding fur details to sleeves, collars, and hemlines.
Roseberry is especially successful at emphasizing the female form with his designs. The American designer uses both fur and shoulder pads to create broad shoulders, which in turn highlight the waist. He enhances this contrast with stacked belts, one of the biggest accessory trends of the coming months, as well as corsets layered over oversized jackets or skirts with exaggerated volume.
Another designer who plays with body proportions is Anthony Vaccarello at Saint Laurent. In the Fall/Winter 2025–26 collection showcased in Paris, strong shoulders take center stage. Whether on leather jackets, lace tops, or sheer dresses, the shoulders are broadened and raised. Unlike Schiaparelli's hourglass silhouettes, Saint Laurent retains a masculine edge with wide shoulders balanced by loose silhouettes.
Duran Lantink, who has recently caught the attention of editors and buyers, lifts the shoulders instead of strengthening them with padding. How? Imagine someone pulling your clothes up from your shoulders to your ears. These inflated shoulders add an entirely new dimension to garments. Using his signature padding techniques, Lantink also enhances the hips, not to create an hourglass figure, but, as Vogue's Nicole Phelps notes, to present a new vision of beauty.
At Paris Fashion Week, Anrealage, known for its futuristic designs under the creative leadership of Kunihiko Morinaga, surprises guests with models walking in Victorian-style neckwear, oversized cube- and prism-shaped shoulders, and cape sleeves. Though the looks share similar colors and patterns, they differ in their geometric structures. Later in the show, Morinaga takes us on a journey into the future with garments that change color and pattern thanks to LED lights, creating a breathtaking visual experience.
The collection notes explain that these light-sensitive garments from the Screen collection can transform through downloadable designs, and the brand predicts they represent the next generation of fashion.
Anrealage's voluminous cape sleeves appear in other brands' collections too. At Balmain's Fall/Winter 2025–26 show, fur coats, jackets, and sweaters expand dramatically from the elbows downward. The oversized sleeves engulf models' arms, resembling capes.
Just when it seemed to be fading from memory, Loewe, now ranked among Lyst Index's most popular brands, is rewriting fashion's rules with its masterful play on volume. Over the past 11 years, Jonathan Anderson has transformed the fate of Loewe, introducing subtle but impactful changes in both Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter collections.
In the Spring/Summer line, Anderson gives long floral dresses a distinct touch with skirts that seem to float. Using a technique reminiscent of the crinoline-supported skirts from the Victorian era, he gives modern garments a wind-swept, airy feel. The light, flowy silk floral dresses transport us to a romantic dreamland.
In the same collection, Anderson adds drama by curling the hems of leather trench coats backward rather than letting them fall straight, giving the entire ensemble a theatrical touch.
For the Fall/Winter 2025–26 collection, Anderson opts for a presentation instead of a traditional runway show. In Loewe's offering, he experiments with proportions in footwear: boots appear to be thigh-high pants. The top portion of the boots is loose and draped like trousers, while the bottom resembles a conventional shoe. He also adds fur to coat collars, boosting volume.
Alaïa, known for pushing creative boundaries without compromising its sophisticated style, also embraces risk in its Fall/Winter collection at Paris Fashion Week. Designer Pieter Mulier creates contrast with slim-fitting, sometimes sheer tops paired with padded hoods framing the models' faces. These padded elements also appear on the sleeves of blouses and jackets in various textures, adding a futuristic edge that elevates the collection.
Mulier extends this padded design to the waistlines of skirts, where cylindrical shapes make the waists look as though they're detached from the body, adding yet another level of dimension.
