Pre-fall 2026 colour in sophisticated combinations
As FashionUnited reported in early December, Pantone has named a luminous, ethereal white called ‘Cloud Dancer’ as its Colour of the Year for 2026. The Spring/Summer 2026 runways have already confirmed a strong direction toward head-to-toe white looks. By contrast, when the pre-fall collections arrive in stores around June, selling floors are set to shift dramatically, erupting into colour.
Designers showed a clear appetite for sophisticated palettes, often layering two, three, or even more hues within a single look. It also underscored the role certain colours are set to play in Fall/Winter 2026, notably deep reds ranging from burgundy to oxblood, alongside browns spanning from pale, earthy tones to rich, dark chocolate shades, often off-set by a bright orange. Here are ten examples from the Pre-Fall 26 season.
La DoubleJ Pre-Fall 26: designer, J.J. Martin
A cotton lace dress in pale pink and burgundy with a detachable collar of olive-green feathers. A print on a silk scarf offered pops of coral pink and orange.
Dsquared Pre-Fall 26: designers, Dan and Dean Caten
A short, ruffled tulle dress in moss green was shown under a medium brown leather jacket with burgundy socks and a light brown suede satchel.
Ferragamo Pre-Fall 26: designer, Maximilian Davis
A grey/green flannel button-through shirt moving into a dégradé orange, with silk pants in the same shade of orange. Accessories included oxblood loafers and a black belt.
Ganni Pre-Fall 26: designer, Ditte Reffstrup
A brown s/s knit crewneck argyle sweater with a lime green and pale blue pattern; orange shorts, a pink and white mini-bag and white slippers.
Lanvin Pre-Fall 26: designer, Peter Copping
A purple wool gaberdine top with a ruffle edged shoulder cape over a black turtleneck; a pencil skirt in dark red wool; black shiny boots and a brown embossed bag.
3.1 Phillip Lim Pre-Fall 26
A moss green jacket in technical fabric with a standup collar over a short skirt in dark green and ombré orange, and off-white pants.
Staud Pre-Fall 26: designer, Sarah Staudinger
A pointelle knit in seafoam green under a bright red ribbed knit tank top and pink cotton skirt.
Ulla Johnson Pre-Fall 26
Left: a raspberry-coloured v neck sleeveless suede tunic over rust-coloured suede pants and a yellow suede bag. Right: a rust-coloured fitted jacket with ruffles and a snake belt over a lilac ribbed mock turtle-neck and a mid-length slit-front skirt in raspberry suede with teal-coloured socks and olive suede pumps.
Valentino Pre-Fall 26: designer, Alessandro Michele
A bright yellow silk blouse with a diagonal stripe, burgundy velvet pants, white pumps with gold metal toecaps and turquoise earrings.
Victoria Beckham Pre-Fall 26
A burgundy wool half-zip top, bright orange shorts, black fishnet socks, brown slides and tote bag in black, brown, orange, cream and burgundy.