There will be a moment in the next two months where—at least on the East Coast—the temperature will drop so severely that we won't be able to text while walking down the street if our hands are exposed. It creeps up every winter. One day you're walking to the subway and realize you need a pair of gloves if you're going to survive the plummeting temperatures. Thankfully, this year, gloves are one of the biggest accessory trends of the season.
Altuzarra FW26 // Spotlight Launchmetrics
Khaite FW26 // Spotlight LaunchmetricsDuring the Fall/Winter 2026 shows earlier this year, leather gloves, particularly of the opera-style variety, appeared on countless runways from New York all the way to Paris as not only a functional offering, but a style proposition, too.
In New York, as many of us attended shows amid freezing temps, we took styling inspiration from Kallmeyer, Khaite, Altuzarra, Magda Butrym, and more, who showed FW26 collections styled alongside long and short leather gloves. At Khaite, these came in python, mustard, and black leather, while over at Kallmeyer, rich, winter tones like deep brown and burgundy leather were styled with evening and daytime looks alike.
Kallmeyer FW26 // Spotlight Launchmetrics
Magda Butrym FW26 // Spotlight LaunchmetricsIn Paris, designers got a little more creative with the glove offerings. At Mugler, Miguel Castro Frietas offered leather opera gloves in vibrant colours like blue, green, and purple, while Julie Kegels experimented with half gloves, cut in a zig-zag pattern across the hand and offered in stark white, purple, and blue leather. Over at Carven, sumptuous leather scrunched opera gloves appeared on the runway in rich wine tones, while at Zimmermann, earthy-toned leather opera gloves were styled with tonal looks.
Carven FW26 // Spotlight Launchmetrics
Julie Kegels FW26 // Spotlight LaunchmetricsWe especially loved the evening looks layered with leather gloves, which double in warmth as they do dramatic effect, elevating a look via a simple accessory, as seen at Kallmeyer, Khaite, Mugler, and Balenciaga, where Pierpaolo Piccioli delivered gala-worthy evening gowns paired with tight leather opera gloves for edge. If you were waiting for one, this is your sign to glove up this winter.
Balenciaga FW26 // Spotlight Launchmetrics
Mugler FW26 // Spotlight Launchmetrics
