Trend Talks January 2026 Modefabriek Recap ‘FRICTION, FREEDOM & FABULOUS FOOD’

At Modefabriek, alongside an overwhelming selection of beautiful brands and passionate professionals, you’ll also find a powerful energy boost in the form of fresh knowledge and inspiration. A prominent name as Lidewij Edelkoort on the TALKS program attracts a new group of fashion and design professionals. And of course, our resident trend expert Jan Agelink is back with his optimistic view on progressive creative developments in fashion, tech, and the physical retail environment. Because that last element, In Real Life living, experiencing, sharing, and learning, is, according to all these speakers, the key to successful living now and in the future. Here’s a brief recap of the trends for the coming year:

Lidewij Edelkoort: HOPE, HAPPINESS & FABULOUS FOOD

Hopeful trends

The mother of all forecasters took no less than two hours to share her ideas and visions with us. As tradition dictates, she opened with a statement about our times, this time in the form of a New Year’s wish. In a handwritten letter, she advocated for “the return of analogue living” as resistance against the dictatorship of “the silicon six,” which has made us all addicted, and against governments’ failure to protect us from it. She sees a powerful countertrend emerging: we want to read books, sing in choirs, attend intimate living-room concerts, search for spiritual enlightenment, play board games (now trendier than ever), knit and crochet, and collectively embrace the beauty of handmade ceramics. We are walking more and farther, seeking real and honest food, and rediscovering the art of beautiful handwriting, something that has become a popular challenge among Gen Z, thanks in part (ironically) to TikTok. Algorithms are overruling us. The message is clear: we want our freedom and self-worth back.

Food for fashion

Nothing is as analogue and connective as the food we eat. It therefore became the central theme for the SS27 trend books: The Cookbook of Colour for colour cards and The Food of Fashion for shapes and materials. The seductive, and at times moving beauty, richness, and abundance of this inspiration bomb is nearly impossible to summarize, but here is the essence. It begins with milky white: clean, simple, yet sensual. An oyster introduces everyday surrealism. Cheese is pure art. Grey and mauve guide us toward the mysterious and layered, Lidewij even promises a future trend book dedicated solely to mushrooms. Then comes black: the witch is chic, and one of the most beautiful ingredients is Japanese black garlic. A key trend is the indigenous opulence of the Global South and East, symbolized by a multicolored ear of corn, the result of crossbreeding ancient varieties. Tomatoes, too, are not just red but green, yellow, and purple, a heartwarming harmony of color. Innocent beauty lies in something as simple as a bread roll with cream cheese and tomatoes or strawberries. Fruit represents happiness, with citrus taking center stage (bergamot!). The dégradé green of leeks, polka dots, indigo dye, and mythological pomegranate seeds complete her flavourful world tour in colour.

Lidewij enjoys taking us far back in time to make a point: archaeological discoveries show how cultured, innovative, and refined humanity has always been, something to aspire to. For fashion, this means that ancient Egypt will be an important source of inspiration, among many others. Think oversized dresses, kaftans, and lived-in tactile materials. Create dimension through layering, pleats, and smocking. Loose threads and elements add texture. Shine is sumptuous, with greige-silver and pewter tones, delicate embroidery, and sequins. Exciting news: the zouave trouser is making a comeback, along with other flat patterns from ethnic garments—serving as shape inspiration rather than cultural appropriation. Consider wrap silhouettes like the sari. The witch trend cinches the waist with multiple belts and straps. The wholesome charm of the farmers’ market introduces simple checks and cheerful illustrations. Beauty is turning away from the digital; we want a healthy, glowing blush. A film about the Shakers is set to have considerable influence. Streetwear has made way for a creative play on formalwear with the functionality of workwear. Beautiful stackable food containers are becoming popular accessories. Heavy couture shapes in pepper-red hues are for the intellectual fashion crowd—ask young people how “good” and “wrong” can create an appealing tension, host a party with Indian mocktails, or invest in one of Lidewij’s monumentally beautiful books via her websites.

Jan Agelink: FASHION FRICTION

The friction that Lidewij Edelkoort mentioned, the tension against established good taste, is more than just Gen Z’s unique styling sensitivity. It is also a response to the perfect, over-curated, predictable sameness, moving away from algorithms and AI and toward the brilliance of the human touch. We want to feel instinct, energy, and genuine connection. We want to help shape change ourselves.

Fashion under high tension

Geopolitical tensions around the world continue to rise, and fashion quickly reflects this reality. It manifests as friction: the rubbing and clashing of elements within outfits, the mixing of “errors.” Gen Z is setting the tone, everyone looks queer. Like Edelkoort, Jan also points to the friction we experience with our digital lives. For sharp, critical, data-driven, and nuanced analyses in this area and beyond, @eugbrandstrat on YouTube or TikTok comes highly recommended. The term “fracking” paints a vivid picture of what big tech is doing to our brains and attention, but it is an illusion to think we could, or even want to, live without the digital domain.

Past, present, possible

Agelink often brings in the latest generation of artists and designers to illustrate trends, such as the Design Academy graduation project The Algorithm Times by Enes Kazim Pavlukovic, a newspaper created entirely by AI. Algorithms generate a downward spiral of negativity, something we must resist. Artist Willem de Haan is a shining example of positive friction. His work mainly consists of incisive interventions in everyday life, captured strikingly in images. He temporarily replaced the bronze and marble statues of the fountain at Place Royale in Nantes with hyperrealistic sculptures of real residents, a translation of old symbolism into the present day. His easily readable art projects expose what has become too obvious and unleash a powerful sense of creativity within us. How liberating it is when we allow ourselves to approach life with that same creativity.

Digging the crates

Building and unlocking archives is a trend that continues to gain momentum, not only in museums such as the Depot of Boijmans Van Beuningen and the recently opened V&A East Storehouse in London. The newest “it” magazine is archivE Magazine, and the movement is thriving in fashion as well. West Archive collects, rents, and sells archival pieces from major fashion houses, while The Archivist Store in Paris offers a mix of rare vintage high fashion, streetwear, and functional outdoorsy gear, “a store that gets how people dress now,” according to The New York Times. We want to discover, cherish, and curate our own distinctive looks. Closely linked is our need for “Third Spaces”: places to gather and reconnect, such as Hoka’s Run Stop Corner Shop in London, Zeeman’s “How are you?” campaign, or TikToker @ericj3ng.

Hybrid classics and glitch craft

There is far too much to recount, but here are a few inspiring hints. Fashion revolves around classics—but hybrid ones, reworked with utility influences, twisted tailoring, and wicked workwear. Think of the collaboration between Swiss brand Freitag and industrial design students from ECAL in Lausanne, as well as designers like Kiko Kostadinov, Juun.J, or Amsterdam’s Bonne Suits. All the tech in our lives also has a psychedelic effect, visible in prints, gradient colors, and a playful dreamlike mood, seen, for example, in London store Koibird and the “screen” collection with LED lights by Japanese label Anrealage. One final five-star book tip: Glitches & Glory by David Szauser.

Long live inspiration!