The Tamesis
Last season, a pair of petal dome earrings were so popular that Han Chong reimagined them as buttons on a bouclé jacket in autumnal red and turquoise. You can imagine fashion editors discovering pieces like this on resale and then throwing on a band T-shirt and short shorts for a night out. There’s definitely a trend with this look at the moment – with a touch of irreverence, bordering on things that were once considered precious or stuffy – as seen in all the Chanel pumps peeking out from under ripped Levi’s in the fashion month front rows. The best pieces from Self-Portrait’s Fall 2026 collection center on this same tension: a fur-lined bomber paired with a denim miniskirt; a two-piece paired with a zip-front vinyl pencil skirt; a double-breasted blazer paired with twisted-seam cargo pants.
“This is a reaction to the younger generation’s dress ideas,” Chong said. “Everything can be mixed, matched, and worn backwards.” More than 50% of Self-Portrait’s business currently comes from direct-to-consumer channels, and Chong’s team has the data to track these changes in real time. For example, where once the focus was entirely on embellished dresses, over the past year, building basics have become an increasingly important category. So black stirrup leggings, navy cropped trousers, a charcoal gray three-quarter zip sweater and a funnel-neck leather jacket are all wardrobe staples.
“Using the data we had, I tried to get as close as possible to what she wanted to wear,” Chong said. “We review our trade reports every week and respond quickly to customer requests.” As for what’s driving this demand? “Comfortable,” he added. “But it still needs to feel sexy—especially going into winter.” Taffeta puff tops paired with linen shorts, pleated long sleeves paired with silk trousers, and fringed silk shirts paired with A-line leather skirts were loose in spirit and execution.
Yet despite Chong’s emphasis on ease, a large part of the collection was devoted to gorgeous eveningwear: off-the-shoulder gowns in cherry red and emerald green jersey; asymmetrical draped tops and miniskirts heat-fastened with horizontal rhinestones; neon green satin with an ankle-length train. Elsewhere, long-sleeved pointelle dresses hung from thick crystal collars. Feathered flowers surrounded an ivory appliquéd and sequined bridal column; a black boudoir-style lace bodice paired with a pleated taffeta maxi skirt was a nod to the clashing sartorial styles. “It’s much more streamlined than what I’ve done before. It’s almost minimal effort, but it still looks put together,” Chong said, the logic being that a piece of clothing, no matter how gorgeous, just needs to be worn. “Clothes should be as simple as possible.”
