19-21 August 2026, Istanbul Expo Center
Kim Mannino, Creative Consultant at WGSN, shared the “Fall/Winter 2024-25 Men's and Women's Wear Trends” with visitors at the sixth edition of the IFCO trade fair. Timelessness is highlighted in men's wear, while in women's wear, colors such as twilight of the future, galactic lilac and mystical green, intense rust, and vibrant flame take center stage.
ALT-OPTIMISM
The Alt-Optimism theme views alternative thinking and imagination as the ultimate healer for building a better future. Embracing individuality, diversity, and sparks from opposing ideas, this theme creates innovative products influenced by new lifestyles and nomadic patterns. In uncertain times, fun and colorful designs bring fresh perspectives to knitwear with multi-sensory, tactile stitching, surfaces, and delicate lace effects. In women's wear, the theme's color, neon flame, reflects the need for optimistic moments with warm, cheerful, bright colors, pinks, and blues. In men's clothing, optimistic colors like calm blue and sky yellow create a clear space for thought. Neon glows and retro blues also stand out in the men's color palette.
The Circus Show trend offers a maximalist and cheerful universe appealing to consumers yearning for escape. Vibrant tones reflect an optimistic mood. The Feminine Courage trend displays a vintage-focused and romantic yet unsophisticated darkness. Worn surfaces, fabric layers, and mismatched design placements are prominent. In the See Inside trend, AI makes it difficult to distinguish between real and unreal, while transparent fabrics are updated with multicolored layers that create dimension. X-ray effect prints and transparent accessories gain importance. Consumers are seeking comfort, rest, and refuge more than ever. The Pillow Stuffing trend taps into the anti-work sentiment prevalent among young consumers. Stuffed and cocoon-like shapes appear in body-hugging products. After the Barbie effect of 2023, ultra-feminine delicacy and the power of being a girl come to the forefront. The girlish trend features a mix of bows, ruffles, and lace.
Timelessness takes center stage in menswear.
The Human Texture trend in menswear focuses on super soft and comforting textures in clothing and accessories. This trend, used in puffer jackets and knitwear, is also reflected in a caricatured style. The Rebellious Resistance trend draws on the roots of the original punk movement. Rising social inequalities make clothing a means of expression. The Analog Nostalgia trend emphasizes the timelessness of classic styles in menswear. Retro themes evoke slower-paced and more easily perceived times, while tailoring trends increase. The Subcultural Echoes trend references a youthful and rebellious energy in menswear. Often featuring plaid, this trend highlights polo shirts and bomber jackets. The AI DreamSCAPES trend features fun, quirky, and illogical glittering designs. This trend combines digital and physical worlds in menswear, creating expansive and immersive experiences.
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SMART SIMPLICITY
In a world facing resource scarcity, creating new things is losing its effectiveness. Product development under the Smart Simplicity theme focuses on improving what we already have, rather than producing more of what we don't need. The theme prioritizes designs that reduce waste, optimize efficiency, and extend product lifespan. Redesigning, reusing, and repairing are emphasized, allowing for fully personalized or infinitely adaptable products. Biodegradable designs that leave no trace are also included in the theme.
Alongside more classic designs, materials, and components, smart and eclectic styles emerge where the functionality of a single element is more important than overall aesthetics. Technologically impactful designs, more angular and minimalist forms, and products that blur the lines between fantasy and reality are seen. Virtual products and experiences become more immersive with more realistic and physical designs.
The theme's color palette appeals to futuristic and technologically advanced industrial and refined tastes. Neutral and cool metallics are used together, while functional and vibrant tones are combined. Bright, vibrant colors are also featured in the palette. In menswear, functional and timeless colors such as "twilight of the future," chosen by WGSN as the color of the year for 2025, "ray flower," sepia, sage green, midnight blue, and gray are prominent.
Minimal, Futuristic, and Luxurious
In Fun Minimalism, a trend within the theme, simple and seasonal designs, quirky shapes, mismatched embellishments and accessories, and cheerful color blocks are used to create streamlined pieces. Woven tops, dresses, knitwear, and skirts stand out in this trend, with asymmetry playing a significant role. In Soft Futurism, luxury brands take center stage, with angular lines becoming rounded, and fluid and moldable materials being used to create sculptural structures. Special occasion wear, dresses, and jackets are noteworthy in this trend. In Solid Luxury, where quiet luxury gives way to sophisticated luxury, handmade pieces and subtle yet exaggerated details are reflected in the designs. Basic outerwear pieces are updated with large collars and strong shoulders. High-quality leather and knitted fabrics are seen to provide tactile appeal.
In the Nu Eclecticism trend, consumers are rejecting the standardization created by social media aesthetics and turning towards individuality. Nostalgia and retro looks, unusual fabrics, and texture blocking are becoming important. The Upside-Down Officewear trend proves that minimalism doesn't mean simple or boring. Brands that incorporate a mood-boosting element are also working on simple and wearable designs for all seasons. Unusual colors are prominent in this trend featuring asymmetrical elements. The concept of transformation is important in the Unfinished Pieces trend. Unstitched fabrics, unfinished embellishments, and single-material approaches are seen. In the Science Fiction Nostalgia trend, the relationship between people and technology is evolving. Artificial intelligence is creating utopian designs that feel both retro and partly futuristic.
Clean Lines in Men's Clothing
Among the men's clothing trends of the theme, Casual Business Wear revitalizes 20th-century business attire with a timeless feel and American styles. This trend steers consumers towards large shapes and details rather than introducing them to new styles and silhouettes. While softness and comfort are important in the New Angular trend in men's clothing, this theme represents consumers' appetite for a return to clean lines and office-based work structures. The Digital Reality trend represents the blurred lines between what is real and what is created by artificial intelligence in men's clothing. Looks inspired by street fashion are combined with glossy surfaces. The Galactic Gorpcore trend, specific to men's clothing, delves into the depths of space. The trend speaks to the need for versatile, take-anywhere clothing.
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REPEATED GENERATIONS
The Repeated Generations theme, symbolizing a return to the wisdom of ancient practices, focuses on bio-innovations to create products that can revitalize the planet, communities, and people. Multi-generational, multi-variety, multi-seasonal, and multi-purpose products are highlighted in this journey of moving in harmony with nature. This theme, which emphasizes the value of inclusive products that appeal to all generations and abilities, showcases healing and health-supporting products, earthy and basic textures, ancient symbols, futuristic talismans, and the calming allure of darkness.
In women's clothing, the theme's color palette features natural green and brown tones, futuristic twilight, galactic lilac, and mystical green, as well as intense rust and vibrant flame. In men's clothing, greens and electric indigo dominate.
Family Heirlooms Gain Importance
In the Future Heirlooms trend, consumers are adopting a new attitude towards age stemming from intergenerational interest in past styles and personal heritage. Designers are researching archives and family heirlooms to create keepsakes. Techniques such as needlework, cross-stitching, and lace-making are prominent. The use of vintage styles and long-lasting products is seen in this trend. Storytelling is becoming increasingly important in fashion, and many brands are working on conveying cultural identity. In the Plantopia trend, designers explore all the creativity of nature. Floral patterns, lace mimicking leaf structures, asymmetrical details, and layered ruffles dominate the trend, with camouflage prints and green tones taking center stage.
In the New Spirituality trend, consumers are turning to natural elements, ancestral knowledge, and centuries-old traditions. Lace, natural fibers, and distressed surfaces are used, with mystical prints and graphics, and ancient symbols drawing inspiration. The Archive Richness trend, an antidote to quiet luxury, utilizes cultural heritage in ornate applications reminiscent of past centuries. Magnificent designs are created with gold metallic threads and distressed surface finishes. Antique ideas of luxury are re-examined.
Trends Inspired by Elements and Jewels
The Cosmic Craft trend blends the past, present, and future. Traditional craft techniques are used to create guiding designs inspired by the cosmos. Psychedelic and dreamlike scenes, prints, and embroidery are featured. The Ignited Earth trend shows that water, which was the focal point of inspiration in previous seasons, has given way to another element: fire. As the planet warms, images and designs resembling heat and dryness stand out, reflecting the changing seasons and natural landscapes.
The Crystal Cave trend reflects the belief in the healing power of crystals in design. Gemstones and crystals are used as inspiration for decorative embellishments, prints, and colors in clothing and jewelry matching. The influence of this trend is seen in wedding and party attire. The Night Vision trend, which focuses on the study of creatures from urban legends and folklore, highlights waterproof coatings and glow-in-the-dark or reflective effects. The trend alludes to surreal details.
Intimacy Takes Center Stage in Men's Clothing
In the Soft Utility trend specific to men's clothing, accessible and thoughtful details create a sense of intimacy. This trend, which makes simplicity appealing, uses color, decoration, materials, and details to soften the designs. In the Rustic Spirit trend, which prioritizes the use of natural materials, the naturalness of the stitching, locks, and distinctive design details is striking.
