The end of oversized? Why waists are back in fashion, according to fashion insiders

Spring is the season of renewal, the air gets warmer, and – hopefully – our coats and woolly layers can be safely stored away until next year. The milder weather also signals a changing of the fashion seasons, and, often, the emergence of a new silhouette. Here, three leading fashion retailers share their forecast for the summer ahead.

Make way for maximalism, says Kirrily Johnston; the new spring/summer season is all about embracing the hallmarks of saying it loudly with a dose of artisanal chic.

“It’s a very European trend and embraces colour, texture and layers of interest,” she says. “It’s really everything that we are about at Husk, and I have been layering up statement jewels for years. Texture and layering will be everywhere.”

Johnston says we’ll see lots of print, lace and velvet embellishment all layered together to ooze an artisanal cool.

Alongside the Australian brand’s in-house collection, Husk also stocks international designers such as Essentiel Antwerp in its stores across Australia and in New Zealand. “Colours and statement prints and embellished pieces are anchored with more structured pieces this season,” says Johnston. “Separates are also very strong – dresses will always be important, but the separates’ tweak this season is that the skirt set is gaining momentum over the pant set.”

Her No. 1 investment piece would be a Husk “Colette” leather jacket, which can be worn right through spring. “Look for garments that can be worn in more than one way,” she says. “Alemais’ ‘Florencia’ beaded gown in saffron is another knockout.”

Husk has always had a strong accessories range, and Johnston says brooches are her pick for summer newness. “Add them to a scarf, blazer, shoes, bags or knitwear.” She also likes a Catherine Osti tulle wrist cuff – “divine and sexy on bare wrists”. Osti used to work for Chanel in haute couture accessories and has made pieces for [Netflix series] Emily In Paris.

With racing season approaching, Johnston recommends a pillbox hat by Japanese-born, UK-based Misa Harada, in either black or leopard. And for bags, “the Anita Bilardi ‘Picasso’ pleated bag in metallic leather is a fabulous accessory, as are Balenciaga ‘Jet Lag’ thongs”.

Johnston’s favourite celebrity muse is editor Franca Sozzani. “Vogue Italia was such a huge inspiration for me for so many years, and her personal style was eclectic and elegant. Another is [fashion executive] Giovanna Battaglia, for her use of colour – she is not afraid of excess.

“I also love [Balenciaga designer] Pierpaolo Piccioli’s personal style, relaxed tailoring, cool sneakers, and the way he wears jewellery. It’s mixing luxury with hippy traveller. I love his romanticism and modernism; he understands colour, emotion, proportion – wherever he goes, he creates magic.”

Vanessa Spencer opened her first multi-brand store in 2017 after a four-year stint in New York City working in fashion. She has outlets in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

According to Spencer, this Spring/Summer 26-27 season beckons a return to shapely female forms. “After several seasons of oversized and relaxed dressing, there’s a return to more defined silhouettes, with cinched waists, stronger shoulders and more of an hourglass proportion,” she says.

“We’re seeing that particularly strongly across labels like Magda Butrym, WARDROBE.NYC and Róhe. It feels like a return to femininity, but in a way that still feels modern and strong.”

The ’90s influence will continue, she adds, with skirts featuring strongly. “We’ve been so trouser- and denim-dominated for a long time, and skirts suddenly feel really important again,” she says.

“There’s a real ’90s ease to some of the shapes, particularly fluid silk skirts and simple, elongated silhouettes, alongside more structured midis and minis. Even shorts are moving longer into a more tailored Bermuda shape. The change in proportion and the simplicity of how these pieces are being styled makes them feel new again.”

Sheer draping brings sensuality back to the everyday, and according to Spencer, it’s all in how the final look is curated. “Christopher Esber continues to do that incredibly well in a really refined way. Texture is also everywhere, with fringe, lace, bouclé and more tactile fabrications bringing movement and interest to collections. What I like about the season is that there’s more personality coming back into fashion. Women are still shopping thoughtfully and looking for longevity, but I think there’s an appetite to have a little more fun.”

When it comes to investment pieces, Spencer suggests a structured blazer or leather jacket. “A jacket instantly makes an outfit feel put together. I’m loving the return to something that sits closer to the body, with a more defined waist. It feels fresh, but it’s still a piece you’ll wear for years.”

For accessories, Spencer loves Cult Gaia’s bags. “They are always sculptural and unexpected, almost like beautiful pieces of art. I love an accessory that can bring something interesting to even the simplest outfit,” she says.

If celebrity inspiration is what she’s after, Spencer loves model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. “She has such a clear sense of personal style and always looks polished without feeling overdone,” she says. “I love the way she balances strong, structured pieces with something more feminine, and she understands proportion so well. Her collaboration with WARDROBE.NYC feels like such a natural extension of her own wardrobe and really captures what she does so well.”

Spencer says she got plenty of inspiration from the red-carpet looks at the recent Venice Film Festival. “I’ve particularly loved the Armani moments – Kendall Jenner in archival Armani, and Rebecca Donaldson in a bespoke Armani gown. Both felt timeless and incredibly relevant.”

As for what to avoid this season, Spencer says skip the micro-trends or copycat dressing. “Take what you love from a trend and make it your own,” she says. “That said, personally I still can’t get on the ‘ugly shoe’ bandwagon, no matter how many times fashion tries to convince me.”

For her two Melbourne boutiques, creative director Lauren Nicholls is a big supporter of emerging international brands that she brings to Australia to sit alongside some of her own label’s creations.

Stable, located in Albert Park, and Mane in Collingwood, also riff on the fashion demands of each neighbourhood. “Brands like Made Some, Kettel Atelier, Francoise and Still Here, alongside heritage labels such as By Malene Birger and Pedro Garcia are some firm favourites.”

Nicholls says the spring/summer season is shaping up to be big on colour and expression. She’s especially excited about the new drops by Australian brands Nagnata, P.A.M., Shinzo and On Parks (her in-house label), as well as internationals including Róhe, Marie Lichtenberg, Isabel Marant, Conner Ives and the hero of resort dressing, Simon Miller.

“This season is really all about the colour, loads of texture, tassels, crystals and plumes, and wild accessories,” says Nicholls. “It’s time to think fringe, sequin and faux fur. Our customers want that bit extra. We have seen quite the departure from the white linen slip dress of the [early] 2020s, and we couldn’t be more excited,” says Nicholls.

If she was investing, Nicholls loves a suede handbag by Isabel Marant, while toe rings are her fun purchase (“I didn’t see this one coming, but I’m excited”).

For Nicholls, a designer to watch is American Willy Chavarria, who showed his collection in Paris in June inside the Espace Niemeyer, the headquarters of the French Communist Party. “His shows are the ones to watch with social commentary always strong, and some of his friends walking [the runway] like Romeo Beckham and Bella Freud,” she says.

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