London Fashion Week AW26: Heritage Tailoring, Royal Purple and the Return of the High Collar

London Fashion Week came and went in February, and if there was one overarching feeling in the air (and it carried through into the spring 2026 UK handbag trends that followed), it was this: British fashion is back to doing what it does best, setting up a clear direction for the spring blazers UK shoppers are reaching for now. Not chasing trends set elsewhere. Not borrowing from the American casualwear playbook. Just producing something that feels deeply, stubbornly, brilliantly its own.

The autumn/winter 2026 collections were a masterclass in self-assurance – rich in references, clever in execution, and genuinely exciting to watch. Three themes dominated the week, and all three feel poised to shape what we actually wear over the next twelve months.

Heritage Tailoring Gets Remixed

The trench coat has never really gone away, but this season it felt like designers were making a pointed argument for why it shouldn’t. Burberry, as ever, anchored itself to its outerwear roots – but the results were anything but dusty. Sharper shoulders, elevated fabrics, precision stitching: this was the trench reimagined for a generation that grew up thrifting in charity shops and has since developed an eye for real craftsmanship.

What made the heritage tailoring trend interesting across the wider week was that nobody played it straight. Work jackets and polished knitwear were clashed rather than coordinated. A perfectly cut blazer would be thrown over something deliberately undone. A structured overcoat appeared alongside wide-leg trousers with a barely-there waistband. The message was clear: heritage is a starting point, not a rulebook.

This is a direction that suits the current mood on the high street, too. Shoppers have grown tired of fast fashion’s endless churn and are increasingly drawn to pieces that feel considered – things with proper structure, real buttons, fabric that holds its shape after fifteen washes. The runway confirmed what many of us already suspected: investment dressing is back, and it has never looked sharper.

The trench coat itself is heading somewhere interesting in 2026. Cropped versions are picking up momentum alongside the classic knee-length silhouette, and colour is creeping in alongside the traditional honey beige and coal blue. Which brings us neatly to the season’s most talked-about shade.

Royal Purple Takes the Crown

There was a moment midway through the week when it became clear that purple was no longer just a trend for the bold. It had become, quietly and convincingly, the colour of the season.

Royal purple swept through the collections with authority – appearing in Burberry trench coats, splashed across sweeping evening dresses, and woven through cashmere knits from Scandinavian label Lisa Yang. It never felt costume-y or overdone. Styled alongside neutral separates and classic leather accessories, it read as genuinely sophisticated.

There is something fitting about purple having this moment in London. It carries weight – a slight subversion of the ceremonial, a nod to the city’s complicated relationship with its own grandeur. The designers seemed to understand this. The shade that appeared on the AW26 runways wasn’t the bright, almost synthetic purple of years gone by. It was richer, deeper, and unmistakably intentional.

For anyone wondering how to wear it without looking as though they’ve raided a theatrical wardrobe, the answer from the collections was: keep everything else simple. A deep purple knit over wide-leg grey trousers. A purple coat worn open over an all-white outfit. A purple bag as the sole statement piece against an otherwise pared-back look. The styling intelligence on display made the case that this is a shade for everyone, not just the fearless.

The High Collar Makes Its Case

If royal purple was the colour story of the week, the high collar was its architectural statement. Elizabeth I-style necklines appeared across multiple collections – dramatic, sculptural, rising around the face in a way that was part regal, part theatrical, and – depending on how you styled it – more than a little bit punk.

This is a trend that rewards confidence. A structured high collar transforms whatever you pair it with. Worn with a tailored skirt suit, it leans formal and powerful. Thrown over distressed denim with undone hair and scuffed ankle boots, it becomes something altogether more interesting. The designers who showed it seemed to understand both possibilities, and the street style outside the venues reflected exactly that range.

The high collar trend connects to a wider interest in volume and drama that has been building for a couple of seasons. After years of the quiet luxury aesthetic – understated, tonal, aggressively understated – there is a clear appetite for clothes that actually make a statement. Not in a maximalist, more-is-more sense, but in a considered, deliberate way. A single piece that commands attention, paired with everything else stripped back.

What It All Means for Your Wardrobe

Reading three trends off a runway and translating them into everyday dressing can feel like guesswork, but the AW26 week actually offered fairly clear signals.

Invest in a good coat. The heritage tailoring message was consistent enough across the week to suggest this is where to put your money this autumn. A well-cut trench or structured overcoat in a neutral tone will carry you through the next several seasons, and if you can find one with interesting detail – a slightly exaggerated lapel, a nipped waist, quality lining – so much the better.

Introduce purple through accessories first if you’re unsure. A bag, a scarf, a knit – these are low-commitment ways to work the colour into your wardrobe before committing to a full coat or dress in the shade.

And if you find yourself drawn to a high-collar piece, trust that instinct. London Fashion Week’s central message this season was about clothing that has character and presence. After a few years of safe, blended-into-the-background dressing, there is something genuinely exciting about a fashion week that makes you want to actually wear the clothes.

London has a habit of setting the tone for what British style does next. Based on what came down the AW26 runways, the next twelve months are going to be worth paying attention to.