In ready-to-wear, latex remains a harder sell. “Some ideas feel more directional and potentially harder to translate commercially — notably the exploration of latex and rubber, which appeared in several collections but remains a more niche proposition,” Simon Longland, director of fashion buying at Harrods, said at the close of Paris Fashion Week in March.
Where brands may incorporate it, Hsu says, is in single pieces and accessories — rather than full looks. “Our customers are most receptive to latex when it is interpreted in a wearable way,” she says. “We see demand for smaller, fashion-led pieces such as pencil skirts, leggings, gloves, corsets and bras, rather than full latex looks.” Consumers want pieces they can incorporate into their existing wardrobes, she adds. Chartrand agrees: “We expect these styles to resonate strongly with our customers at Net-a-Porter, particularly standout styles such as Saint Laurent’s blue latex lace dress from FW26, along with lace latex skirts from the same collection — it is a polished, wearable take on the trend.”
A 3D printed dress, cast in latex at Loewe FW26 — which will not be commercially produced.
Photo: Isidore Montag / Gorunway.com
Latex can play a role in the pushback against plastics, too, Panzoni says. “It can be renewable, it doesn’t shed microfibres in the same way, and it visually distances itself from the flimsy synthetics people are wary of.” That said, whether it’s actually ‘better for your body’ depends on how it’s processed and finished, she flags. “What fascinates me is that it has a similar slick shine as the low‑quality plastics we’re discarding, but when it resembles latex it is suddenly read as thicker, more luxurious, more expensive — and therefore more permissible.”
Still, more permissible doesn’t necessarily mean more sellable. And for some brands, selling these materials commercially isn’t the point. Loewe, for instance, isn’t producing the latex pieces from its FW26 show. Instead, the brand will produce a commercial, non-latex version of some of the latex tops from the runway, Loewe confirmed.
Hsu expects that this showmanship will be the prevailing trend. “I expect latex will remain more of a runway expression than a significant retail trend. We’ve already seen elements of it emerge in couture, but its artisanal production process and the complexity of working with the material naturally limit its broader adoption.”
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