Pre-Fall 2026 denim highlights: Christian Dior, Diesel, Stella McCartney and more
The Pre-Fall season occupies the key May to July selling window, with denim as its cornerstone. Positioned at the crossroads of seasonless dressing, commercial dependability, and transitional appeal, it delivers precisely what the consumer demands.
For Pre-Fall ’26, designers leveraged denim to soft-launch new ideas; experimenting with updated proportions, elevated washes, and subtly directional details. For Jonathan Anderson, an interest in volume has been a defining aspect of his aesthetic since his early career. For Dior Pre-Fall 26, he began with the outline of a classic pair of jeans, then introduced what he described as “couture volume on the side,” creating an entirely new silhouette for the Dior client.
There has been significant discussion at trade shows such as Première Vision and Kingpins around the concept of surface interest replacing traditional distressing in denim. At Diesel, Glenn Martens explored this idea, using innovative treatments that push denim beyond its conventional form while maintaining its essential identity.
Finally, just as we saw for SS26, designers are using denim to create styles that go way beyond basic jeans, very often creating a head-to-toe look. Here are ten from Pre-Fall 26 that stand out.
Christian Dior Pre-Fall 26: designer, Jonathan Anderson
Look 21: voluminous jeans of ultra-lightweight faded denim and a matching blouse with a ruffle-neck collar shown with a black suede ‘Bar’ jacket, aviator sunglasses and black and gold flats.
Baum und Pferdgarten Pre-Fall 26: designer, Rikke Baumgarten & Helle Hestehave
Look 12: a jacket in pinstriped denim with a belt and buckle collar, elastic waistband and cuffs, covered buttons and flap pockets. A maxi skirt in the same denim had an asymmetric waistband and high slit.
Ferragamo Pre-Fall 26: designer, Maximilian Davis
Look 41: a sleeveless, dark-indigo denim tunic with side buttons over a longer white sheath with blue buttons, paired with overlong wide-leg pants in the same denim.
3.1 Phillip Lim Pre-Fall 26
Look 20: a halter-neck dress with a tiered hem in stonewashed blue denim was layered over wide-leg pants. Accessories included a beaded crossbody mini-bag and black shield sunglasses.
Ulla Johnson Pre-Fall 26
Look 6: a sleeveless, button-front, wide-leg ‘Esme’ jumpsuit with metal details, in dark indigo denim. Accessorized with an olive-colored, woven leather tote bag, long, brown leather gloves and large, studded shield-style sunglasses.
Stella McCartney Pre-Fall 26
Look 25: a zip-front jacket combining stone-washed blue denim and brown corduroy and jeans with brown corduroy panels in front. The look was styled with a multi-color crochet scarf and faux leather shoulder bag.
R13 Pre-Fall 26: designer, Chris Leba
Look 12: an oversized blue denim jacket over a white shirt and grey turtleneck, paired with low-slung pinstriped denim pants with rolled-up cuffs, a black belt and point toe loafers.
Armarium Pre-Fall 26: designer, Giorgia Gabriele
Look 18: a light blue stone wash denim shirt and matching straight jeans with a train that doubles as a skirt. Accessories included a ribbed wool cap, black clutch and silver earrings.
Dsquared2 Pre-Fall 26: designers, Dan Caten & Dean Caten
Look 2: High rise jeans in dark denim with deep cuffs were shown with a cropped white tank top under a marled knit zip-front cardigan. A black beanie was shown over a brown peaked cap.
Diesel Pre-Fall 26: designer, Glenn Martens
Look 35: a sleeveless top and midi skirt with denim manipulation flocked into argyle relief and covered in crystals. Denim point toe boots with silver heels finished the look.