5 times fashion was stranger than fiction in 2026

For some people, fashion is about subverting popular culture. But sometimes, the statements go too far and the expression is so absurd that the point it’s making is lost. We are looking at five times designers were trying to make big points this year – and made us stop, stare, and scratch our heads, often all in the span of 60 seconds.

Here are five weird and wonderful moments:

Sole-less footwear

Perhaps the idea was to be ironic with people strutting the runway in heels sans, well, the rest of the shoe, but Chanel’s show in April just left people confused. Matthieu Blazy introduced the ‘just heel’ – a leather cup for the heel that was tied to the ankle, leaving the rest (including an explanation) to the imagination. It made the meme list and American actress Margaret Qualley’s (The Substance) outfit for a red carpet.

Is that a handbag or trash?

This depends on who you ask. The globetrotting fashionista who has spent over a thousand dollars on the Balenciaga bag aptly named Trash Bag Large Pouch will definitely call it a work of art or a commentary on society. Us, well, we think things that look like trash bags make for terrible outfit additions.

18th Century cosplay

While nostalgia is having a moment, it seems a bit over-the-top to go all the way back to corset times. And yet, padded hips, aristocratic-looking embroidery, and rib-shattering waist bands are making a comeback in the works of designers such as Dior and Nina Ricci. All we can say is, ouch.

T-shirt turban

Because looking put together is giving effort? In show notes for GivenchyAW26, milliner Stephen Jones is quoted as saying: “These headwraps are the most natural hair coverings there are. Just a T-shirt. Just a twist. But it’s the right T-shirt, with the right twist.” True, they work at night, in the dark, in your home to keep the curls in place. But as part of a dressed-up day? Just no.

A bird cuff

Statement earrings have long made it lists. One-side only, check. Jewelled cuffs on both ears, also check. But then Saint Laurent got into the act with bird shaped earrings that looked like they would give a pirate pause. Err…