“Mom, What Were You Like in the ’90s?” Look to the Fall 2026 Runways

Call it the Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy effect—fueled in part by Ryan Murphy’s Love Story and Sarah Pidgeon’s portrayal of the style icon—or the viral TikTok trend of parents posting throwback photos answering the question, “Mom, what were you like in the ’90s?” soundtracked to the Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris.” Or simply call it the cyclical nature of fashion. Either way, the internet has gone all in on ’90s nostalgia. Nowhere was it felt more acutely than on the fall 2026 runways. After seasons dominated by early-aughts references, designers and style stars have shifted their focus to a new (old) decade to mine and reinterpret. From the era’s signature minimalism—think Calvin Klein, Helmut Lang, and Prada—to lace slip dresses, boudoir dressing, and zigzag headbands made famous by Alicia Silverstone as Clueless’s Cher Horowitz and Keira Knightley in Bend it Like Beckham, the latest collections offer a modern take on the codes that made the Clinton-era aesthetic so recognizable—and endlessly remixable. We’ve broken them down below.

Major Minimalism

With established brands like Kallmeyer, Toteme, and The Row, as well as newcomers Colleen Allen and Ashlyn, at the top of the style matrix, it’s no surprise that minimalism is back and better than ever. However, there is a particular kind of ’90s twist on minimalism that rose to the forefront of the runways and the red carpet this season. Marc Jacobs cited ’90s Helmut Lang, Prada, Calvin Klein (Bessette Kennedy’s former employer), and his own past work as references for his fall 2026 collection, which consisted of slim pencil skirts, button-down shirts, and jackets cut close to the body.

As a whole, it was considered a departure from Jacobs’s past few shows, where he played with exaggerated proportions and scale. The same could be said for some of the most celebrated red carpet dressing of the season, where, in place of dramatic ballgowns and dresses with trains, were more streamlined silhouettes. Case in point: Emma Stone’s extremely simple Louis Vuitton gowns at both the Actor Awards and the Oscars, and Bella Hadid’s satin, two-piece Prada set at the Vanity Fair Oscars after-party.

Give ’Em The Slip

On the topic of red carpet dressing, stars who didn’t get the minimalism memo (Zoe Saldaña in Saint Laurent at the Oscars, Jenna Ortega and Gwyneth Paltrow in Christian Cowan and Givenchy at the Actor Awards) opted for lingerie dressing, which was another ’90s throwback that came to life during the fall 2026 season. Slip dresses were everywhere—in latex at Loewe, paired with snakeskin gloves and ponyhair boots at Khaite, and shown under leather moto jackets at Zadig et Voltaire. Each of these looks had its own sensibility, but the ’90s cool-girl vibe, exuding an “I woke up like this” mentality, was the thread that tied them all together, whether on the runway or in real life.

It’s All Gucci

Perhaps the loudest testament to the ’90s was Demna’s debut runway show for Gucci. Not only did the collection as a whole nod to the Gucci-est of Gucci-isms often linked to its Tom Ford era—think sexy mini dresses, sky-high stilettos, skinny suiting, low-rise leggings with cutouts, and even a gown with a built-in G-string (on ’90s queen herself, Kate Moss)—the house’s iconic GG logo (which also reigned supreme during that time) appeared on belt bags, shoes, tights and a pencil skirt worn by supermodel-slash-media-mogul Karlie Kloss. This type of maximalist minimalism, popularized by Mr. Ford’s risqué campaigns and greatest hits for the Italian house, was on full display, although twisted through a Demna lens.

Good Sports

On a more casual note, the season also saw designers tapping into their sporty sides with minimalist sportswear in technical fabrics that can be traced back to the ’90s. In London, Simone Rocha debuted a collaboration with Adidas, which consisted of remixed track-style tops and pants accented with the classic three-stripe design, while New York darling Zane Li of LII showed a modern take on athleisure with colorful anoraks and zip-up sweatshirts that call to mind something Sporty Spice would have worn while on tour with the Spice Girls.

But it was Miuccia Prada’s Miu Miu that really drove the sporty point home, with a handful of looks consisting of low-rise, slightly flared trousers and cropped jackets reminiscent of sister brand Prada’s beloved nylon styles that peaked 30 years ago. To top it all off, Mrs. Prada decorated a majority of the models with retro, zig-zag headbands. Among those donning the hair accessory that was once spotted on nearly everyone who attended the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards were ’90s It-girl Chloe Sevigny and star of the time period’s hit television series The X-Files, Gillian Anderson.