Paloma Wool FW26 Says Your Adult Wardrobe Can Still Be Whimsical
With odes to adolescence showing up through stuffed animals and giant bows.
It-girl favorite label Paloma Wool presented its Fall/Winter 2026 show in Paris, steeped in a disciplined adulthood with subtle hints of whimsy. Grounded yet playful, this is the cool girl meets weird girl wardrobe.
Built upon structured foundations, the silhouettes evoke the feeling of inherited pieces, with rigorous pattern cutting and references to a certain formality. But upon taking a closer look, you’ll find hints of play emerge through giant bows worn as tops and small stuffed animals peeking out of handbags. When everything is proper and ‘grown up,’ the label finds a way to introduce a state of prolonged adolescence.
The brand achieved this through a collaboration with artist Fumiko Imano, a partnership that stemmed from a specific memory from founder Paloma Lanna. In 2018, Lanna was travelling lots for work, and because of the pressures involved, she started carrying a small stuffed fox with her as a sort of companion, and it has accompanied her on journeys ever since. This image of a professional woman carrying something fantastical in her bag was the foundation of the collection and the counterpoint to the structured uniforms.
We’ve all got that youthful, playful side within us, but we often keep it hidden. Not at Paloma Wool, which exposes these small moments of whimsy in a subtle manner that instantly makes the collection a loveable ode to youth, whilst the clothes themselves portray a seamless elegance associated with adulthood. We can’t wait to dig out our dusty stuffed animals and keep them in our big-girl handbags.
Check out some of the looks above.
For more fashion week news, take a look at Matthieu Blazy’s sophomore collection at Chanel.
