While fall is usually the time of year to break out the black turtlenecks and camel coats, Chelsea Hansford is running in the opposite direction. For her fall 2026 offering for Simon Miller, Hansford zeroed in on color—the bolder and brighter the better. “Color is a huge part of Simon Miller, so we wanted to lean into that and go a step further into the effect that color has, physically and emotionally,” she said. “We’re a playful luxury brand and, ultimately, our expression is optimism.”
The brand is in its domicile in spring and pre-fall seasons, maxing out cheeky resortwear. But for fall, Hansford faces the challenge of folding her summery proclivities into colder weather fashions. A sandy, faux suede fringed jacket with a matching grommet-riddled miniskirt is a Southern Californian’s answer to cooling weather. Elsewhere, Hansford went big on stripes, pairing vibrant primaries with more fall-appropriate blacks and browns and made the case for loud autumnal dressing with a yellow-and-red plaid sweater.
Fringe remains a throughline in Simon Miller’s collections. Fall 2026—which also encompasses the holiday season—spans swishy, colorful midi dresses; gold tinsel trim on party-ready sets; and more winter-ready coats.
But as the seasons tick by, Simon Miller is proving itself a growing force in the accessories space. Hansford touts a fringed clutch—currently offered in both black and olive green—as an overnight success. “We sold 130 units over the weekend on pre-order,” she said. For Simon Miller, selling 30 units of a bag over one week would be considered a success. To make the jump to 130 in three days is more than encouraging. Or, as Hansford put it: “I’m very excited to say it’s our next ‘It’ bag.”
