Survey Of The European Denim Fairs For Spring/Summer 2026

The European denim fairs for spring/summer 2026 were a showcase for the key trends in colour, design, manufacturing and materials for the season, and they offered displays and presentations of the latest innovations in denim fabrics. The key colours presented at the fairs were bright, vibrant and enlivening. Most importantly, they were cheerful—reflecting a lighthearted spirit which had been embraced in the designs of denim collections on display. Other colours prevalent at the fairs included aged and vintage shades. In terms of decoration, effects and finishes, there was a trend for denim fabrics which featured marbling, ombré effects, mark making and crackle effects. Many fabrics had been bleached, distressed, faded, stained and washed, and some fabrics featured painterly brushstrokes and bleed effects in bright and acidic colourways. Other fabrics featured tie-dye effects which were discoloured. Notably, there was a distinct trend away from designs inspired by “grunge”, which had been prevalent at the denim fairs for previous recent seasons. The most important focus in the designs of denim collections at the fairs for spring/summer 2026, without question, was that of “next generation” fibres, and especially prominent were fabrics made using fibres derived from recycled pre- and post-consumer textile waste. Also prominent were fabrics made using degradable fibres, and fibres derived from bio-based materials.