Fashion: The Disconnect Dilemma: Does Fashion Still Understand Women?

What is the ‘Does Fashion Know What Women Want?’ Trend: The tension between fantasy and function

• A shifting female narrative. This season, Paris Fashion Week revealed a widening gap between women’s lived experiences and the fantasies playing out on the runway. Designers seem torn between nostalgia for haute fantasy and the reality of modern womanhood. The question is no longer about beauty—it’s about belonging. Fashion is being forced to confront the difference between admiration and understanding. As the female gaze reshapes cultural expression, fashion must evolve beyond mere symbolism.

• The failure of balance. While creativity soared, practicality lagged. Many collections looked extraordinary but felt emotionally tone-deaf to how women actually live. The result was a visual feast that left audiences asking: “Who is this really for?” This imbalance highlights fashion’s ongoing struggle to merge imagination with relevance. It reminds the industry that artistry without empathy risks alienation.

• The performance of empowerment. Clothes were draped in the language of feminism—armor, independence, power—but rarely designed for comfort or movement. The contradiction exposes how often empowerment is performed rather than lived through design. Fashion’s version of empowerment remains largely aesthetic, not experiential. The gap between narrative and function is what keeps many women skeptical.

• The need for emotional design. Women don’t just want clothes that fit—they want garments that understand. This season highlighted the gap between design intention and emotional connection, pushing fashion to reconsider what “serving women” truly means. Emotional design demands intuition as much as innovation. It’s not about creating more garments—it’s about creating meaning.

Why it is the topic trending: The conversation around representation, realism, and respect

• Post-pandemic pragmatism. After years of upheaval, women crave authenticity and functionality. The rise of remote work, hybrid lives, and shifting priorities have transformed what “luxury” means—comfort and confidence now define it. Designers who ignore this shift risk irrelevance. Consumers want pieces that travel with them across roles and realities. Fashion that adapts becomes the new status symbol.

• Cultural expectations evolve. Audiences are questioning who the fashion system really serves. When runways celebrate fantasy disconnected from real life, the industry exposes its blind spots about female autonomy. The modern woman wants reflection, not projection. She expects designers to see her as a collaborator, not a muse. This signals a deeper cultural shift from aspiration to participation.

• A social media reckoning. Viewers online—especially women—are vocalizing frustration about fashion’s tone-deafness. In the comment sections, empathy became the new luxury. Digital discourse is forcing fashion to listen. The democratization of criticism has turned fashion weeks into public conversations. Brands can no longer design in isolation from their audience’s realities.

• The age of purpose. Women’s choices are increasingly driven by meaning, not myth. The brands that will win are those that create for women, not at them. Purposeful design aligns commerce with conscience. It transforms fashion from spectacle into service. This evolution redefines luxury as emotional value, not material excess.

Overview: Fashion’s mirror has cracked

Paris Fashion Week 2025-26 exposed an existential question for the industry: does fashion understand the women it claims to celebrate? Between exaggerated silhouettes, impractical materials, and performative “feminine strength,” designers seem to have missed the emotional pulse of real life. While artistry remains undeniable, the deeper challenge lies in reconciling aesthetic fantasy with the everyday needs, power, and emotions of modern women. The season was as much a spectacle of beauty as it was a study in disconnect. In this cultural tension, fashion’s next revolution quietly begins.

Detailed findings: Beauty without empathy is no longer enough

• Hyper-feminine armor. Corsetry, sculpted hips, and corset-inspired tailoring returned, reclaiming the female form but limiting its freedom. These silhouettes blurred the line between strength and restriction. The result was beautiful but burdensome—strong imagery that lacked comfort or inclusivity. It reflected a misunderstanding of empowerment as ornamentation. The question remains: can strength be expressed softly?

• Runway reality gaps. Many collections celebrated women’s power visually, but ignored lived experience—tight dresses, impossible heels, or fragile fabrics contradicted their messages of freedom. The disconnect was not aesthetic but emotional. It raised a new kind of question: can luxury evolve without empathy? Consumers no longer separate function from feeling. The next frontier of design must merge beauty with reality.

• The nostalgia trap. Designers leaned heavily on historical silhouettes—Marie Antoinette panniers, 1950s hourglasses, 1980s shoulders. But while they looked romantic, they often reinforced old constraints. What was meant as homage felt, at times, like regression. The past can inspire, but it shouldn’t imprison. The challenge is to reinterpret history through a contemporary lens of autonomy.

• Moments of connection. A few houses got it right. Alaïa’s fluid draping and Margiela’s emotional deconstruction reminded audiences that femininity can be complex, fluid, and free. These moments hinted at what fashion could be when artistry meets awareness. They showed that beauty becomes more powerful when it feels like truth. Designers who listened created resonance, not just relevance.

Key success factors of the Trend: Listening, empathy, and evolution

• Designing for real lives. The future belongs to designers who build for movement, versatility, and emotional resonance. Clothing must fit into a woman’s life—not force her to fit into it. When fashion becomes functional and expressive, it becomes truly feminist. Functionality is not an aesthetic compromise—it’s a design revolution. True sophistication lies in ease.

• Emotional intelligence in design. Beyond technical skill, designers need empathy. Collections that connect emotionally—through texture, color, or storytelling—build loyalty that transcends trends. Emotion creates identity, and identity builds legacy. The most enduring brands are those that feel human.

• Diverse creative voices. More women and underrepresented designers in leadership roles bring authenticity. True understanding starts with representation behind the sketchpad. Inclusion is not a box to tick—it’s a creative advantage. When design teams mirror their audiences, resonance follows.

• Cultural self-awareness. Fashion must evolve with cultural context. Recognizing that empowerment is individual, not universal, will define the next phase of female-focused design. Awareness transforms brands into allies. It turns relevance into reverence.

Key Takeaway: Fashion must stop speaking for women and start listening to them

The takeaway from Paris wasn’t about silhouettes or styling—it was about empathy. The most powerful collections came from designers who understood that women’s lives are layered, dynamic, and nuanced. In 2025, listening became fashion’s most radical act. The industry’s strength will depend on its capacity to listen deeply and design honestly. Real relevance begins where ego ends.

Core trend: Emotional Realism in Design

The emerging movement redefines fashion as emotional utility—where beauty meets purpose. The modern woman doesn’t want fantasy at the cost of her comfort or agency. She wants meaning, movement, and modernity woven into every seam. Realism has become fashion’s most beautiful fantasy. This is not the end of imagination—it’s its evolution.

Description of the trend: The end of performative femininity

This trend signals a departure from outdated archetypes of “the empowered woman” as armor-clad icon. Instead, it embraces womanhood as multifaceted—tender yet tough, ambitious yet grounded. Clothing becomes a mirror, not a mask. This shift humanizes power and personalizes beauty. Femininity becomes fluid, authentic, and uncontained.

Key Characteristics of the trend: Empathetic, functional, honest, inclusive

• Emotional resonance. Designs must evoke authenticity, not aspiration. Women want to feel understood, not idealized. Emotion replaces aesthetic perfection. Authentic emotion transforms clothing from costume to connection. Fashion becomes a language of feeling, not fantasy.

• Function as elegance. Practical design is no longer anti-fashion—it’s modern luxury. Simplicity is now sophistication. True beauty serves its wearer. Ease is becoming the ultimate form of confidence.

• Body neutrality. Garments must celebrate movement and comfort for all shapes and stages. Liberation begins with fit. Comfort is no longer passive—it’s powerful. Clothes that move with women empower them to move the world.

• Narrative honesty. Collections that tell women’s real stories—work, motherhood, ambition, rest—create deeper loyalty than any logo. Honesty cultivates belonging. When fashion speaks truth, it becomes timeless.

Market and Cultural Signals Supporting the Trend: The age of feminine self-definition

• Consumer fatigue with posturing. Women are tired of brands that sell empowerment but deliver discomfort. Authenticity has commercial value. Realness is the new aspiration. Transparency is becoming the new trust currency.

• Work-life fusion. As professional and personal identities blur, women seek clothing that bridges both worlds seamlessly. Hybrid fashion isn’t a niche—it’s the new norm. The line between weekday and weekend style has disappeared.

• Cultural empathy shift. Media, wellness, and design industries all pivot toward emotional intelligence. Fashion’s next evolution must align. Emotional awareness is now a competitive advantage. Brands that listen will lead.

• Rising female leadership. From CEOs to creatives, more women in charge are reshaping brand values around balance, not bravado. Leadership is becoming empathetic, not performative. Feminine intelligence is shaping a new business aesthetic.

What is consumer motivation: Authentic connection and agency

• Desire to be seen. Women want designers to reflect their realities, not fantasies. Representation is the new form of respect. The desire to feel understood drives brand loyalty. Fashion that listens earns trust.

• Comfort as confidence. When clothing allows freedom, confidence follows naturally. Comfort is not a compromise—it’s empowerment. Ease translates to strength. The power suit of 2026 may just be made of silk and sincerity.

• Emotional alignment. Consumers invest in brands that reflect their values and emotional landscape. Connection drives conversion. Purpose becomes the new prestige. A brand’s empathy now defines its equity.

• Value over vanity. Meaningful design outlasts trends. Women want to buy purpose, not projection. Substance now outranks spectacle. The new luxury is emotional longevity.

What is motivation beyond the trend: A reclamation of identity

• Cultural fatigue with false empowerment. The “power dressing” of old feels outdated in a world where power looks softer, smarter, and more personal. Modern power doesn’t shout—it listens. Strength now wears empathy.

• Yearning for intimacy in design. Consumers crave closeness—a sense that designers understand their emotional and physical realities. Intimacy builds loyalty faster than image. Connection creates conversion.

• Rejecting performance culture. Fashion is moving from spectacle to sincerity. The aesthetic of empathy is replacing the theater of excess. Real emotion is fashion’s next revolution.

• Rebalancing fashion’s purpose. Style is shifting from statement to service—helping women express who they are, not who they’re told to be. This marks a new era where design becomes dialogue. Fashion no longer dictates—it collaborates.

Description of consumers: The conscious, connected woman

• Who are they? Educated, self-aware women who value individuality and functionality equally. They seek alignment between style and substance. These are consumers who wear their values.

• What is their age? 25–50, spanning young professionals to established cultural leaders. They shape discourse, not just follow it. Each generation within this group redefines what success and beauty mean.

• What is their gender? Primarily women, but inclusive of all who engage with femininity in identity or style. The movement transcends gender—it’s about shared emotional language. Fluidity, not conformity, drives its appeal.

• What is their income? Middle-to-high income, with spending driven by purpose and alignment. They prefer fewer, better things. Investment pieces now mean emotional as well as material durability.

• What is their lifestyle? Hybrid professionals balancing ambition, wellness, and authenticity in equal measure. They are global thinkers with local sensibilities. Their style mirrors their lives—versatile, intentional, and human.

How the Trend Is Changing Consumer Behavior: From aspiration to authenticity

• Function-first fashion. Consumers prioritize wearability and comfort over logo-led luxury. Practicality is now aspirational. Elegance must earn its place through usability.

• Emotion-led purchases. Buying becomes an act of alignment with personal values. The purchase journey starts with feeling, not advertising. Emotional storytelling drives conversions organically.

• Demand for honesty. Women are holding brands accountable for how they portray and design for them. Honesty is not a marketing strategy—it’s an expectation. Transparency now defines trust.

• Shift from image to experience. Fashion’s new value lies in how it feels, not how it photographs. Emotional experience trumps visual performance. Feeling good is the new looking good.

Implications of trend Across the Ecosystem: The empathy economy

• For Consumers. Empowerment means being heard and seen through design. Clothing becomes emotional support, not social armor. Fashion evolves into a space for connection and care.

• For Brands & Designers. Success will hinge on emotional literacy and female representation within leadership. The design process must evolve from observation to collaboration. Those who co-create with women will define relevance.

• For Retailers. Storytelling must shift from aspiration to affirmation. Retail experiences that feel intimate, real, and relatable will win. The most effective stores will feel like conversations, not transactions.

Strategic Forecast: The age of empathy-led design

• Collaborative creation. Brands will co-create with women to understand lived experience. Co-creation becomes the foundation of authenticity. Listening will become a design principle.

• Sensory minimalism. Simplified design that prioritizes feel, form, and emotion will dominate. The future of luxury lies in sensory precision, not visual noise. Subtlety becomes the new statement.

• Purpose-driven branding. Empathy becomes the new differentiation. Brands that connect emotionally will outperform those that perform aesthetically. This will reshape every touchpoint, from runway to retail.

• Emotional transparency. Honesty will replace hype as fashion’s most valuable asset. Vulnerability will become a brand strength. The fashion house of tomorrow will feel human first.

Areas of innovation (implied by trend): Designing from the inside out

• Human-centered design labs. Brands will study movement, psychology, and comfort like tech companies study UX. Emotional ergonomics will define next-gen design. Women’s lived experiences will become the blueprint.

• Adaptive tailoring. Fit systems will evolve to support body changes, lifestyles, and emotions. Clothing will adapt to women, not the other way around. Flexibility becomes a form of luxury.

• Empathy-based storytelling. Campaigns will highlight real women, real moments, and real conversations. Authenticity will drive virality. Visibility will follow vulnerability.

• Emotional data insights. AI may be trained not just on trends, but on sentiment, helping design respond to feeling—not just clicks. Data will meet humanity at the design table.

Summary of Trends: The empathy revolution in fashion

• Core Consumer Trend — “Real Over Ideal.” Women reject fantasy and demand reflection. Fashion’s next evolution begins with truth. Authenticity is the new aspiration.

• Core Social Trend — “Empathy as Empowerment.” Understanding becomes the new strength. The softest design choices are often the strongest.

• Core Strategy — “Designed to Feel.” Fashion evolves from art form to emotional experience. Sensation becomes strategy.

• Core Industry Trend — “The Feminine Rethink.” The female gaze replaces the male fantasy as fashion’s lens. Emotional intelligence becomes the new creative direction.

• Core Consumer Motivation — “Comfort as Confidence.” Empowerment begins with ease. The future of power dressing is peace dressing.

• Trend Implications — “The Emotional Economy of Style.” The future of fashion belongs to those who make women feel seen, not sculpted. Emotion is the new innovation.

Final Thought (summary): Fashion’s next revolution is empathy

The question “Does fashion know what women want?” exposes more than a design problem—it reveals an emotional one. For too long, the industry has mistaken representation for understanding. As women redefine what power, beauty, and self-expression mean, fashion’s task is simple but urgent: listen. The future of design isn’t louder or flashier—it’s more human. When fashion finally understands women, it won’t just sell clothes—it will tell the truth.

Source: https://www.businessoffashion.com/briefings/this-week-in-fashion/does-fashion-know-what-women-want/