2025 will go down as the year of the great fashion industry switch-up, with creative directors hopping between luxury houses at an unruly pace. As a result, 2026 is the year we, the consumers, finally get to reap the rewards. Think of it less as shopping and more as investing in a moment of fashion history—one that’s likely to hold its value, and perhaps even grow, in the decades to come.
A first-edition Chanel Blazy bag, Pierpaolo Piccioli–era Balenciaga sunglasses, or really anything straight off Louise Trotter’s Bottega Veneta runway are just a handful of pieces fashion fans will be scrambling to secure. But if locking down a specific designer item already feels competitive, this Spring/Summer season is set to raise the stakes even further. You’ll need to be firmly on your A-game to get close to shopping anything—which is where I come in.
