The Fashion Memo

The NET-A-PORTER Buyers’ Fall/Winter ’26 Wish List

L-R: Chloé; Alaïa; Balmain

From sumptuous velvet dresses and chartreuse separates to ornate evening bags – fall/winter 2026’s runways delivered plenty of new-season inspiration. Here, our buying team reveals the leading looks on their radar

As told to Colleen RossFashion editor Millie Parry
Fashion
Dries Van Noten fall/winter ’26

Ornate bags

“Brands went big on ornate embellishments this season with an abundance of feathers, sequins and intricate embroideries decorating everything from coats and dresses to bags – my personal favorite. I’m absolutely obsessed with Valentino Garavani’s sequined ‘DeVain’ style, which I think is the perfect way to elevate denim. I also love the vintage feel of Dries Van Noten’s clutch – a chic choice for dinner parties and evening events.” Brigitte Chartrand, chief buying & merchandising officer

  • DRIES VAN NOTEN
    Bead-embellished patchwork-trimmed leather shoulder bag
    £1,695.00
  • VALENTINO GARAVANI
    DeVain leather-trimmed sequined shoulder bag
    £2,750.00
  • STAUD
    Winslow bead and feather-embellished silk shoulder bag
    £380.00
  • DRIES VAN NOTEN
    Bead-embellished leather-trimmed floral-jacquard weekend bag
    £1,325.00
L-R: Saint Laurent; Gucci; Chloé; Pauline Dujancourt

Sheer fabrics & lace

“Lingerie dressing is still going strong and continues to dominate as a key fall/winter trend, but this time with a darkly romantic twist that I love. It allows me to bridge the gap between feminine and sexy when dressing for evening, leaning on black as a key color but adding variation through sheer and lace detailing. Saint Laurent was a standout, but I was pleased to see it come through across other major runway collections too, including Chloé and Gucci, as well as emerging designer Pauline Dujancourt.” Rachel Nimmo, buying manager

  • SAINT LAURENT
    Lace-trimmed cotton-blend midi skirt
    £5,360.00
    Select a Size
    34 - out of stock
    36 - out of stock
    38 - out of stock
    40
  • GUCCI
    Embroidered sequined mini dress
    £2,750.00
    Select a Size
    36
    38 - out of stock
    40
    42 - low stock
    44
  • PAULINE DUJANCOURT
    Francisca tulle-trimmed mohair-blend sweater
    £1,175.00
    Select a Size
    XS/S
    M/L
  • PAULINE DUJANCOURT
    Minna Eerie ruched tulle knee-length skirt
    £1,580.00
    Select a Size
    6
    8
    10
    12

Over-the-knee boots

“This season’s runways reaffirmed the over-the-knee boot as the defining silhouette for fall/winter. At Khaite, they were styled with tailored coats in place of pants, while at Chloé, shearling-lined leather versions came layered over leather pants and concealed beneath floaty dresses for cold-weather polish. Balenciaga’s slouched iteration and Gianvito Rossi’s animal-print ‘Hansen Cuissard’ style show the boots’ complete range – from directional ease to full-on glamour.” Olivia von Christierson, buying manager

  • CHLOÉ
    Azalean shearling-trimmed leather over-the-knee boots
    £2,325.00
    Select a Size
    36
    37
    38
    38.5
    39 - low stock
    39.5
    40
    41
  • GIANVITO ROSSI
    Hansen Cuissard 85 leopard-print suede over-the-knee boots
    £2,180.00
    Select a Size
    36
    36.5
    37 - low stock
    37.5
    38 - low stock
    38.5 - low stock
    39 - low stock
    39.5
    40 - low stock
    40.5
    41
    41.5
    42
  • DRIES VAN NOTEN
    Full-grain leather over-the-knee boots
    £1,525.00
    Select a Size
    36
    37 - low stock
    38 - low stock
    39
    40
    41 - low stock
  • TOTEME
    85 leather knee boots
    £1,110.00
    Select a Size
    36 - out of stock
    37 - low stock
    38 - low stock
    39
    40
    41 - out of stock
    42 - low stock
Chloé fall/winter ’26
In order of appearance: Alaïa (black and ocher dresses); Ralph Lauren Collection

The velvet dress

“There is nothing chicer than a velvet dress, either in classic black or rich jewel tones. It is my go-to style of choice for evening occasions in the winter – and I fully endorse wearing one with a jacket, bag or pair of shoes in velvet, too. For fall/winter ’26, several brands included elegant velvet looks in their collections, namely Alaïa (I adored the ocher and bottle-green bodycon styles as well as this mini chocolate-brown version), Ralph Lauren Collection, Valentino Garavani and Róhe, who created one of my favorite black velvet dresses of the season. I also really gravitated towards devoré styles from the likes of Pauline Dujancourt, Balmain, Gucci and Anna Sui.” Lydia Zacharis, buying manager

  • RÓHE
    Velvet maxi dress
    £775.00
    Select a Size
    32
    34 - out of stock
    36 - low stock
    38
    40 - low stock
    42 - out of stock
    44 - out of stock
  • BALMAIN
    Gathered velvet-jacquard mini dress
    £2,750.00
    Select a Size
    34
    36 - low stock
    38
    40
    42
  • ANNA SUI
    Velvet devoré maxi dress
    £690.00
    Select a Size
    0 - out of stock
    2 - low stock
    4
    6 - low stock
    8 - out of stock
    10 - out of stock
    12 - out of stock
  • ALAÏA
    Velvet mini dress
    £2,950.00
    Select a Size
    34 - out of stock
    36 - out of stock
    38 - out of stock

Something chartreuse

“I’ve always had a bit of an affinity for so-called ‘icky’ colors, so I was very happy to see chartreuse back on the fall/winter ’26 runways after its comeback last season. Sitting somewhere between soft butter yellow and the more striking neon green, it’s a slightly unexpected but surprisingly wearable way to add color to your wardrobe. I love the idea of letting a statement piece do the talking, whether it’s a chartreuse skirt by Dries Van Noten paired with a simple white tank or a going-out top courtesy of Aflalo or Dôen styled with sleek tailored pants. For something a little more low-key, I’d opt for chartreuse knitwear paired with true-blue denim.” Olivia Dolphin, senior buyer

  • BALMAIN
    Draped silk-charmeuse maxi dress
    £3,590.00
    Select a Size
    34 - out of stock
    36
    38 - out of stock
    40
    42
  • DRIES VAN NOTEN
    Floral-jacquard cloqué midi skirt
    £450.00
    Select a Size
    34 - out of stock
    36 - out of stock
    38 - out of stock
    40 - out of stock
    42
    44 - out of stock
  • CHLOÉ
    Twist-front silk-crepe de chine midi skirt
    £1,860.00
    Select a Size
    34 - out of stock
    36 - low stock
    38 - low stock
    40 - low stock
    42 - out of stock
  • DÔEN
    Viviane lace-trimmed silk-satin top
    £380.00
    Select a Size
    xx small - out of stock
    x small - out of stock
    small - out of stock
    medium - out of stock
    large - out of stock
    x large - low stock
    xx large - out of stock
In order of appearance: Balmain (draped silk-charmeuse maxi dress); Tory Burch

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