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Last season, a pair of petal-domed earrings proved such a hit that Han Chong recast them as buttons on a red-and-turquoise boucl\u00e9 jacket for fall. It\u2019s the sort of piece you can imagine a fashion editor unearthing on resale, then throwing over a band tee and micro-shorts for a night out. There\u2019s a real trend for this kind of styling at the moment\u2014approaching what might once have been considered precious, or staid, with a little irreverence\u2014as seen in all the Chanel pumps peeking out beneath ripped Levi\u2019s across fashion month\u2019s front rows. The best of Self-Portrait\u2019s fall 2026 collection pivoted on that same sort of tension: pelt-lined bombers offset with denim minis; twinsets paired with zip-front vinyl pencil skirts; double-breasted blazers with twist-seam cargo pants.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a reaction to the younger generation\u2019s idea of dressing up,\u201d Chong said. \u201cWhere everything can be mixed, matched, and worn against type.\u201d With over 50% of Self-Portrait\u2019s business now coming from direct-to-consumer channels, Chong\u2019s team has the data to track these shifts in real time. Where the focus once fell squarely on embellished dresses, for example, the past year has seen building-block basics emerge as an increasingly important category. Hence the black stirrup leggings, navy capri pants, charcoal three-quarter-zip sweaters and funnel-neck leather jackets that count as wardrobe essentials.<\/p>\n
\u201cI try to get as close as possible to what she wants to wear, using the data we have,\u201d Chong said. \u201cWe review our trade reports weekly and react quickly to what our customer is asking for.\u201d As for what\u2019s driving that demand? \u201cComfort,\u201d he added. \u201cBut it still needs to feel sexy\u2014especially going into winter.\u201d There was a looseness in both spirit and fabrication to a taffeta bubble top with linen shorts, a ruched long-sleeve paired with silk pants, and a fringed silk blouse over an A-line leather skirt.<\/p>\n
And yet, despite Chong\u2019s emphasis on ease, a large part of the collection was devoted to flashy eveningwear: power-shouldered gowns in cherry-red and emerald jersey; asymmetrically draped tops and mini skirts hot-fixed with horizontal diamant\u00e9; neon-green satin shifts with ankle-length trains. Elsewhere, long-sleeved pointelle dresses were suspended from thick crystal collars; ivory appliqu\u00e9-and-sequin bridal columns were hemmed with feathery blooms; and, in another nod to clashing sartorial registers against each other, a black and boudoir-ish lace corset dress came complete with a pleated taffeta maxi skirt. \u201cCompared to what I used to do, it\u2019s much more pared back. It\u2019s about putting in almost minimal effort and still looking put together,\u201d Chong said\u2014the logic being that a dress, however ornate, requires nothing more than stepping into it. \u201cClothes should be as easy as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n