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It wasn’t until last week that I realised all I’ve ever wanted is a trio of solid bronze peach-shaped paperweights. More specifically, those conceived by Jonathan Anderson and Luca Guadagnino for JW Anderson’s autumn/winter 2026 collection. Hand-poured before being chiselled, sanded and buffed for extra shine, the peaches are a nod to a memorable scene in Guadagnino’s film adaptation of Call Me By Your Name.
But they’re also a symbol of a wider shift that’s going on in the fashion industry at the moment. Increasingly, designers seem to be going beyond clothes and accessories to embody a “mood” across categories — the zanier and more offbeat, the better.
Just look at the rest of the most recent JW Anderson lookbook. Alongside the peaches there were wooden mice, colour-blocked clothing brushes and statement ready-to-wear pieces modelled by a cast that ranged from Kylie Minogue to Ruth Wilson. More than one carried a pitchfork. Does it make sense? No. Does it need to? Also no.
Another London name flying the flag for boundary-blurring is Completedworks, the cult jewellery-cum-lifestyle brand. Sculptural earrings appear alongside undulating ceramics at its Marylebone showroom, while its seasonal presentations have become a London Fashion Week highlight; the last starred Jerry Hall giving a pseudo-psychic reading styled as a shopping channel segment.
“Fashion feels like it’s remembered that it’s allowed to have a sense of humour, but also that it doesn’t have to exist in isolation,” says Anna Jewsbury, artistic director of Completedworks. “There’s a return to this idea of total creation — not as a trend, but as something deeply rooted in history, from the Gesamtkunstwerk through to Arts and Crafts and the Bauhaus, where designers were shaping entire worlds rather than single objects.
“What feels contemporary now is how fluid it’s become: a candlestick can feel as emotionally loaded as a handbag, jewellery can edge into sculpture and homeware is allowed to be expressive, impractical and indulgent. It’s less about categories and more about creating a shared sensibility across everything.”
Anderson has made a name for himself as the modern master of this, not only through his eponymous brand but also during his 11-year tenure as creative director of Loewe, and now at the helm of Dior. His debut collections for the latter included reinterpreted classics such as book totes, as well as a horse bag charm with a bobbin body, thimble face and safety pin legs, or mirror-heeled slides formed of leather clovers, adorned with a tiny metal ladybird.
“What we’re seeing is a move away from irony for irony’s sake, towards pieces that feel clever, tactile and emotionally engaging,” says Tiffany Hsu, Mytheresa’s chief buying and group fashion venture officer. While Anderson has been pivotal to the shift, it’s not unique to him.
“Brands like Simone Rocha, Miu Miu, Acne Studios, Balenciaga and Judith Leiber understand this balance well, offering designs that are tongue-in-cheek without tipping into costume,” says Hsu. “Ultimately, this new mood signals a broader appetite for fashion that feels human again — expressive, light-hearted and confident enough not to take itself too seriously.”
Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, the duo behind Proenza Schouler — and Anderson’s successors at Loewe — proved their flair for the zany at their debut for the Spanish house last year. The palette was vibrant and the mood was stylishly irreverent, not least in the pair’s take on Loewe’s Amazona bag, which featured one handle (rather than the traditional two) to give a refreshingly off-centre silhouette.
The new Amazonas were also left unzipped, a playful if thief-friendly styling trick that carried over to the Fendi Peekaboo (see Sarah Jessica Parker flashing her lilac-sequinned interior at the Booker Prize ceremony), Dilara Fındıkoğlu’s bags overspilling with cigarette packets and crumpled open Chanel flap bags at Matthieu Blazy’s spring/summer 2026 debut.
Blazy’s Métiers d’Art 2026 show in a disused New York subway station was suffused with a similar energy. Flamboyant textures and touches were woven into traditional Chanel design codes: a statement knit peeping through a tweedy suit; normcore chinos layered under an archival Art Deco flapper gown; scarlet gloves with a marl jumper. It’s simple enough to apply this to everyday dressing.
“Getting the look is really about thinking in ecosystems rather than outfits or rooms,” says Jewsbury. “I like layering pieces, allowing things to clash slightly and stopping before it becomes a concept. One sculptural object, one playful accessory and then restraint. If something feels faintly unnecessary, that’s usually a good sign.”
“The key to getting the look is restraint,” agrees Hsu. “These items work best as a surprise element, a talking point layered into an otherwise classic silhouette.”
Zany fashion might occasionally feel like the stuff of microtrends and Instagram aesthetics, but in fact it defies those soul-crushing cycles. It’s a joyful antidote to years of quiet luxury that relies on the personality of the wearer rather than the whims of the trend cycle.
“Don’t follow the trends as it leads to ‘personalised consumerism’,” says model and writer Nassia Matsa. “As a rule of thumb, when you are building an outfit you’ll have to add something that might feel ‘off’ to make it cool and not too costumey. If you want to add a twist to your everyday, get inspiration from something that you like — it could be a movie, a book, or a painting. It might spark a discussion with someone who gets the reference.”
You only need one unconventional touch to bring the spirit to your wardrobe or home. It doesn’t have to cost the earth and can easily be picked up in vintage or charity shops. The same admittedly cannot be said for those brass peaches, which retail at £740 a pop. Mercifully for my bank balance, they’ve already sold out.
5 fabulous offbeat additions
Loewe Medium Flamenco Bag, £2,700, loewe.com
Dior Heeled Slide, £1,150, dior.com
S. S. Daley Intarsia-knit Wool Sweater, £535, net-a-porter.com
Completedworks Pearl, Onyx, Glass Bead, Bio Resin and Zirconia Recycled Silver Earrings, £225, completedworks.com
Tabio socks, £17, tabiouk.com
Your fashion digest
GIVE THEM THE SLIP
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Ever since Zoë Kravitz wore that pink Saint Laurent mini slip dress at the Golden Globes after-party, it’s been clear the beyond-the-bedroom trend is still a thing for 2026. Look to If Only If, which was responsible for all those nightgown dresses last year. Its silk slip is very Kravitz-coded. From £175, ifonlyif.co.uk
BARBOUR X FENG CHEN WANG
British equestrian heritage meets Chinese culture in Barbour and Feng Chen Wang’s collaboration, with a reimagined Bedale jacket at its heart. If there’s a more stylish way to celebrate the Year of the Horse, we are yet to find it. Available now, from £49.95, barbour.com
THE BRIGHT SIDE OF BLUE MONDAY
The bleakest day of January is over, but blue is here to stay, in your wardrobe at least. Celebrities can’t stop wearing cobalt, from Bella Hadid in Saint Laurent to Dakota Johnson in Gucci It’s been all over recent collections too. Looks like Pantone got the colour of the year (“cloud dancer”) wrong this time around.
