The global fashion industry is bracing for 2026, navigating a market defined by geopolitical instability, macroeconomic uncertainty, and, above all, unprecedented U.S. tariffs. As leaders pivot from focusing on "uncertainty" to acknowledging the environment is simply "challenging," tariffs have emerged as the number one hurdle facing executives. The severity of the trade landscape cannot be overstated, executives told McKinsey and the Business of Fashion for the 2026 edition of the "State of Fashion" report.
Most women will relate to the misery of inconsistent sizing in high-street shops. A pair of jeans could easily be a size 10 by one brand and a size 14 in another, leaving customers confused and disheartened. It has led to a global deluge of returns, costing fashion retailers an estimated 190bn a year as would-be shoppers wonder what size they're meant to buy from which store.
In fashion studios worldwide, a creative evolution continues to reshape print design. While some designers manipulate pixels on screens, others insist on paint-loaded brushes. This tension defines one of fashion's biggest creative developments: the shift from analogue to digital processes in print design. However, far from a simple case of replacing old with new, it's a complex dance between tradition and innovation, craftsmanship and efficiency, artistic expression and commercial demands. Some of the most influential fashion trends have balanced the old and the new. And as AI increasingly encroaches on the industry as a digital tool, how should designers navigate hybrid models to bring designs to life? Designers and fashion educators weigh in.