LEATHER: Spring-Summer 2026/27 trends
It is compelling to observe how the world of leather and hides -along with other materials- is evolving toward a blend of technology and respect for its origins.
Based on specialist Symone Rech’s analysis through her New Now platform, following her visit to the Première Vision Paris trade fair (held from February 3 to 5, 2026), trends for the Spring-Summer 2026/27 season revolve around the macro concept “Open.”
This concept translates into leathers that move away from rigidity to become vehicles for emotional and sensorial expression. Key characteristics and details include:
The main direction is not limited to aesthetics, but to communication through touch.
* Reactive Textures: leathers with finishes that shift in tone or gloss depending on how light hits them.
* Hybrid Constructions: Materials that blend the nobility of leather with biotechnological processes, resulting in extreme lightness suited to warm climates.
Symone highlights a shift from “Quiet Luxury” toward an organic form of maximalism.
* Exaggerated Reliefs: leathers with deep embossing that mimics cellular structures or botanical forms.
* Tone-on-Tone Effects: visual complexity built through texture rather than color, where sophistication comes from tactile “noise” on monochromatic surfaces.
Colors for PV 26/27 move away from the purely artificial and embrace tones with “joyful vitality.”
* Brown Elementary: a deep earth tone that works as a neutral base.
* Yellow Foam: a vibrant yellow with an ethereal nuance.
* Biotic Green: A green that evokes nature in its purest and most technological state at the same time.
Durability is no longer enough; PV 2026 emphasized radical traceability:
* Bio-Based Finishes: the use of waxes and dyes derived from agricultural waste, allowing leather to retain its natural porosity.
* An aesthetic of Imperfection: natural marks are valued as proof of authenticity, moving away from heavy plastic coatings.
For the upcoming season, leather is no longer positioned only for warmth; it is proposed in fluid silhouettes, almost like a textile “second skin,” adapting to a more dynamic lifestyle connected to the outdoors.
Source: Symone Rech/New Now
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