The Tamesis
As recent fashion shows have shown us, the fashion world craves beauty, glamour, and heart. and Wuthering Heights While dominating pop culture, there’s also an air of romance on the spring and fall 2026 runways: bustles and corsets (like those at Bora Aksu and Anna Sui) are making a huge comeback, as is strong lace at Simone Rocha and Cecilie Bahnsen. Art Deco-era low-rise designs were also popular at Chanel, Marni and Rabanne. Combined with a penchant for mood-boosting colors (from Auralee to Prada and Ferragamo), old-time silk robes with fur linings and floral patterns are perfect for the moment.
This opera coat-inspired piece is endorsed by celebrities and street style alike: Alexa Chung, Zoë Kravitz, Kate Moss, Jennifer Lawrence. The gorgeous gown feels like a natural progression from the ballet aesthetic of seasons past (from stage to stall), as well as a nod to almost famous-y Penny Lane coat, smoothly shifting the trend cycle from the 1970s to the 1980s. Lightweight and figure-hugging, it’s also a great cross-seasonal piece.
One of the most famous fur-lined silk gowns was courtesy of London designer Conner Ives, who dressed the aforementioned Lawrence, Moss and Kravitz in his silk floral semi-custom coats. Tish Weinstock opened the Ives Fall 2026 show in a long silk coat made from repurposed vintage furs and lavish Qing Dynasty-era tapestries. The commitment to craftsmanship is evident in the casual silhouette, which is surprisingly versatile when paired with a T-shirt and jeans. As Ives said before Fashionthe most expensive of his works but a bestseller.
London-based Bulgarian designer Viktor Gichev brought life to the moment with his own vintage-inspired opera coat. In addition to his own designs, Gichev runs the wonderful One Of A Kind archive on London’s famous Portobello Road, where he curates slinky, sheer Dior dresses from the Alexander McQueen and Galliano eras, as well as Fendi furs, Chanel suits and statement outerwear by Tom Ford for Gucci. Alexa Chung wore a Poiret-style jacquard opera coat made from floral curtains and altered mink fur. It follows the rhythms of his design aesthetic and narrative as a designer, which he describes as akin to “something you would find in an attic eaten by moths.”
The coat was cut into a wide, round cape, with no strict tailoring, allowing volume, drape and fabric to dominate. The fur was repurposed from a vintage coat found on eBay, and the shell was made from antique upholstery fabric. “There’s something powerful about giving these discarded pieces a second life – they carry memory and energy,” said Gichev Fashion. “I like fabrics with history.” Gichev was inspired by historical opera capes and early 20th-century silhouettes, with references to Paul Poiret and Romeo Gigli. Not wanting to feel too costumey, Gichev sees his pieces pairing perfectly with jeans and more contemporary styles: “That’s the paradox I love…wearing it in an effortlessly messy, personal, unfinished way.”
