Maximalism Is Now — Mood, Memory, Identity
London after dark hums again. Sequins glitter on the top deck of the bus, leopard skirts brush past pinstripes, and a woman folds into a café booth with a bag so generous it could hold tomorrow. After seasons of beige restraint, fashion has turned the volume up—not as costume, but as a way to feel alive. Maximalism in 2025/26 isn’t chaos; it’s intention with charisma: colour that lifts the room, prints that speak over each other and somehow agree, textures that ask to be touched. The old quiet-luxury playbook—useful, pared back—hasn’t vanished; it has become the canvas on which we paint louder stories.
What’s changed is not simply “more”, but meaning. Layering is now a language: a striped knit thrown over a satin slip; a glossy boot meeting matte tweed; jewellery that clinks like punctuation. A look comes together the way a good paragraph does—rhythm, surprise, a line that lingers. Proportions do the editing: if shoulders are wide, trousers taper; if the skirt swirls, the jacket sharpens; if the bag is voluminous, the rest steps back. The result is modern, even when the references are gloriously retro.
There is also memory at play. We’re reaching for pieces that carry a past life—patina on leather, a print you recognise from a photograph, hardware that nods to a different decade. Call it mood dressing with receipts: personal histories woven through saturated palettes and embellished finishes. On the street, that energy reads immediately. People look happier in colour; strangers compliment a boldly patterned coat; a statement bag becomes an icebreaker. Clothes start conversations, and conversations are culture.
If you’re building a maximalist wardrobe now, begin with one instinct: what do you want your outfit to say before you do? Let a single anchor lead—often, it’s the bag. Choose scale you’ll actually live with, a hue that flatters daylight and night light alike, and a texture that invites contrast. Then edit around it. Prints can clash if they share a tone; shine works best against something matte; even the most “extra” piece lands when the silhouette stays legible. Maximalism is not the end of taste—it’s taste with personality.
DOLCE & GABBANA Venezia Sicily Bag
The iconic Sicily silhouette meets postcard art of Venice, trimmed in sky-blue leather. Structured yet romantic—a maximalist statement that tells a travel story at first glance.
Valentino Garavani Glam Lock Embroidered Leather Medium Shoulder Bag
Cream leather embroidered with Eastern florals and bamboo, anchored by a Rockstud strap and chain. A cultured collage of softness and edge—textbook maximalism.
VALENTINO Cosmos Embroidered Satin Clutch
Midnight-blue satin embroidered with planets and constellations, finished with star-and-moon metalwork along the frame. Opulent but light—equal parts red-carpet presence and party fun.
DOLCE & GABBANA Large Miss Sicily — Floral Village Print (Multi-Colour Leather)
Sicilian folklore, bottled. The classic Miss Sicily shape is splashed with a vivid “floral village” print in multi-colour leather, finished with gold-tone hardware and a detachable strap. Structured yet exuberant—a maximalist, story-led centrepiece.
