As we implement the maximal accessories trend into our own lives, we would be remiss to not mention the history and resurgence of the designer brooch. We were so pleased to see the men embracing the slutty little brooch on the Golden Globes red carpet, a low lift way of elevating their perfectly tailored suits. The 2025 Met Gala was the designer brooch's moment, with stars like Ayo Edebiri, Colman Domingo, Tessa Thompson, and Zendaya accessorizing with them to help fulfill the Black dandyism theme. But the brooch is suitable for day to day wear, too, and now, we predict that the brooch is going to have its moment to shine in 2026.
Throughout the Spring/Summer 2026 season, designers sent bold oversized and delicate minimal brooches alike down the runway. Now, Pre-Fall 2026 collections are also embracing the resurged trend, serving as more fuel to back up this claim: 2026 is the year of the designer brooch. Having evolved from a menswear accessory often worn with a lapel shirt to an accessory representative of our collective fascination with heirloom jewelry, we couldn't be more excited about this trend.
Chanel Spring/Summer 2026
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Valentino Pre-Fall 2026
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Realistically, the brooch has always held an important role in fashion. They had practical origins in the Bronze Age, serving as clothing fasteners before evolving, becoming extra decadent and serving as a symbol of wealth and status—as is the case with so many accessories and resurged trends that we know and love today. For awhile, the brooch was a man's accessory often worn with lapel shirts but, in the Victorian Era, they became popular for women, too.
Throughout the Spring/Summer 2026 season, Chanel featured oversized floral brooches, Marina Bitu placed brooches in interesting places (in the middle of a jacket as a sort of closure and on the waist, for example), Valentino placed a butterfly brooch on the back of a suit jacket, and Mugler featured crystalized brooches. Brooches made their mark during the recent Fall/Winter 2026 season, too: Docle & Gabbana with roses, other florals, and brooch timepieces, Simone Cracker with cute animal figurine brooches, and Rowen Rose with gemstone brooches.
With endless inspiration in terms of style and placement certifying the brooch as a versatile piece that is meant to be experimented with and played with, we're convinced that it's a timeless accessory that will forever hold a role in the fashion zeitgeist.
