Credit: Saint Laurent
When they first appeared, nylon stockings caused quite a stir: such transparent women’s underwear had rarely been seen before. At the time, there was a search for an alternative to silk that was more elastic and durable, and what emerged was a fiber that would revolutionize the world of clothing and beyond.
It was 1935 when it was invented, and it soon replaced hemp and silk used for the military parachutes of American troops. When the war ended, the company that had patented it went back to using it to produce stockings, which thus became a symbol of peace.
Nylon turns ninety this year and has made its mark on the Spring Summer 2026 fashion shows, which strongly challenge the idea that this material should be appreciated solely for its performance. The concept of elevating something extremely functional into an object of desire is not new to fashion: it was Miuccia Prada in the 1980s who transformed nylon into an iconic fabric for bags and backpacks. The tradition continues with the new Re-Nylon accessories, also seen last season on the men’s runway, but the trend is equally clear in garments by various brands, with pieces that combine couture silhouettes with drawstrings, stopper closures, cords, elastics, and elements inspired by technical sportswear.
Saint Laurent chose nylon as the common thread of the entire women’s show, presenting raincoats and fitted day dresses, thin and semi-transparent, culminating in voluminous evening gowns with exaggerated ruffles and balloon sleeves that closed the show. Fendi, on the other hand, created maxi tote bags by weaving what appear to be the typical nylon webbing straps used for backpacks.
While the trend here is the use of synthetic materials in a couture key, the opposite is also happening on the runway, with experiments that reinterpret natural fibers through a technical lens, particularly cotton and silk. Loewe, for instance, created windbreakers in silk bonded with Gore-Tex™, making them waterproof. Bottega Veneta presented a “parachute silk dress,” bringing to the runway an echo of silk’s use before nylon was invented—when it was used precisely for making parachutes. And this pursuit of performance is taken to extremes at Maison Margiela, where silk jackets are coated in plastic to become rainproof.
