FINDING MEANING

As AI (artificial intelligence) creeps into our landscape to join the ranks of digitally driven influences, the loss of authenticity has never been so real. Plus, the outcry from GEN Z to reconnect with the universe in a humanistic way is not just a cute trend, it’s a new way of life. MMGNET & Future Snoops responds to what’s happening in culture each season last week with their women’s trends for spring and summer 2026. Taking on the rapidly correction of fashion away from fast and into sustainable are the aesthetics of Vibrant Escape, Avant Craft, Elemental Flow, and Future Classic.

If you thought purchasing an NFT token was a cash cow let alone a cool digital oasis, you are now sadly mistaken. Vibrant Escape answers the call to disconnect from sameness and saturation often spurred by algorithms. It’s a chance to take the nuances of our culture such as grit and weaving, and turn them into a cool thing outside the norm. Moods include a summer vacation vibe from flowy fabrics and leisure that impose luxury taken to cultured and exotic destinations. Colors include soy sauce, squashed grape, hibiscus, tomato, suncloud, jaded teal, and soured citrus. Women’s contemporary key items are knotted sarong dress, eyelet cabana set, slinky asymmetric skirt, and maxi shirt dress. Young contemporary involves openwork fringe dress, baggy jorts, ringer tee, and hot short. Accessories involve floral crochet sandal, netted bucket, shell bracelet, and outsized rectangle shades. And key patterns include dramatic flora, picnic gingham, market graphics, and unordinary stripes.

It’s a personal trait we either own, sell, or try to avoid, that is heritage, knowing where you come from that makes you who you are. Humbleness involves crafting the origins of where the heritage of our fabrics come from, using rural wisdom to propel our modern aspirations forward. The mood of Avant Craft involves dancing with discovery of fabrics that inspire summer bohemian style that cross you over into being a grown-up. The colors include putty beige, bulbous yellow, herb, walnut, blackberry, algae bloom, and black. Contemporary items include fisherman sweater, apron skirt, artisan knit set, and tie front shirt. Young contemporary is printed scarf cami, barrel leg jeans, vacation shorts, and fringe knit dresses. Accessories involve leather strap sandal, woven amphora bucket, beaded skull cap, and talisman charm bracelet. And key patterns include ornate symbols, tonal markings, bohemian stripes, and wild typography.

We never thought this would ever happen in our lifetime, but we apparently have a showdown between and classic and modern unfolding, with the former currently having the upper hand. It’s all thanks to the climate we’re converging in between a digital universe that’s AI and social media dominated, and the true meaning of hard work that involves the drudgery of slowing down, added steps, and imperfections (inclusivity). The only way that digital and modern technology can win here is if it’s used in a more meaningful way such as purpose, reconnecting, and not making assumptions of competency without training a modern universe to work properly and be useful. This is Elemental Flow where the mood is a natural meditation where an ebb and flow of materials to inspire fluid movements inspired by air and water to create a surreal experience. Colors include prickly pink, peeled lychee, luminous white, supernal, sunlight, tranquil blue, and cool mint. Key contemporaries include soft maxi dress, the float skirt, long tie halter, and harem pants. Young contemporary includes spliced slip dress, gathered blouse, bloomers, and illusion tank. Accessories include mesh Mary Jane, glass droplet earring, cinched soft pouch, and Google inspired glasses. And key patterns include fogged flora, lucid dyes, foreboding florals, and material mirage.

Who would’ve thought this one thing would happen? Simplicity, essential, and mundane are celebrated as the new way to find optimism where those brilliantly boring and uncool items inspire a cool aesthetic to find our way to Future Classics. This not limited to GEN Z juxtaposed of professional and relaxed work space with originality maintained is somehow finding joy, there’s no rush to jump onto the next wave of technology. At the very least, this SS26 baby step into a new idea of the future can only inspire our nation to go back to the American way which other nations have proudly lived by. The mood here is silhouettes involving the perfect t-shirt, tailored shorts, track pants, a playful new take on a retro callback of evolution which is inspired by the very last thing we thought was dead… analog. Colors include sunny day, tomato, golden apple, jaded teal, tide, bulbous yellow, and golden haze. Key contemporaries involve oversized oxford shirt, trouser Bermuda shorts, cropped trench jacket, and everyday track pant. Young includes shrunken cardigan, maxi shirt dress, fitted polo, and crossover jeans. Accessories are studded ballet flat, buckled baguette, multi-colored collar necklace, and checkered cat eye glasses. And key patterns involve classic stripes, tonal grid, athletic side stripes, and factory tag.

As fashion faces continued uncertainty here in the United States and here in New York City, the only move now is to take a step back. It appears we’ve come upon a new generation that needs to escape the pressures of society and its fast fashion with its size 0 policies. Inclusivity is not just including all sizes, it digs deeps into including all methods of fashion that are true, honest, authentic, boring, and humble. Yes, we must continue to move forward to the future and outgoing society that involves not staying home or working 9 to 5, but we need to essentially adjust. Women’s fashion for the moment is on pause from the super stylish, and settling into mundanely authentic which older generations appreciate. We could be at the realization that the stylish and outgoing era has been put on hold… and it’s being saved for the future (GEN ALPHA).

DANIEL QUINTANILLA