Fashion in 2026: How Brands Navigate Ecommerce, Product & Supply Chains

BoF just dropped their annual deep dive on where fashion is headed.

170 pages packed with valuable data, forecasts, and macro insights on how the industry is supposed to move next.

Most of it is written for large corporations with big budgets, and less connection to the people actually pushing culture forward.

This is The State of Fashion 2026 translated for brands that are actually trying to establish themselves in the industry. What it means for your ecommerce, marketing, product, and supply chain decisions without the corporate fluff.

Ecommerce,

Navigating sales and retention in a post-AI world

Gen AI is quickly changing the way we shop.

Shopping-related searches on generative AI platforms grew 4,700% between 2024 and 2025.

As GEO is quickly rivaling SEO in importance, brands have to allocate resources to AI visibility alongside classical SEO.

At its core, geo-optimized sales content is about structuring information so AI models can easily understand and trust it:

• clear titles

• semantically rich descriptions

• strong external signals like reviews, blogs, and partnerships

In a saturated market, building the framework for solid retention will be crucial long term.

Resale as an ecommerce extension, extending product lifetime and bringing customers back, has to be part of the game plan for any brand thinking beyond the next drop.

Marketing,

The end of dopamine culture, the start of the wellbeing era & real creativity pushing back against corporations hijacking a cultural medium.

In an endless slop of AI content and “get ready with me’s,” it does feel like we’re slowly getting fed up. Attention is being reclaimed and reinvested into things that prioritize wellbeing.

TikTok videos over 60 seconds achieved 43% higher reach in 2025 compared to 2024.

Microtrends and constant novelty are burning audiences out. Consumers are gravitating toward brands that connect emotionally. Run clubs, ice baths, and in-person gatherings have become our generation’s drug of choice, curing the digital hangover and fueling real social interaction. They’re not going anywhere. Any brand serious about building community has to tap into this.

Runclubs as a from of in - person marketing activation

Community sells, and big companies know it. But smaller, younger brands that are closer to culture, still have an inherent edge. Multilayered corporations are trying to imitate subcultures for profit. Double down on your roots and don’t let them in. Using your platform to call this out weakens them and strengthens your brand.

Product,

Doubling down on core values while taking advantage of a new space opening up.

As consumers become more price-sensitive, long-lasting and relevant product is what they’re looking for. Emerging brands naturally fall into this category. Many big fashion companies are trying to move upmarket to rebalance price and quality.

On a design level, this means investing in higher-grade materials and focusing product development on durability and versatility. Exclusivity still plays a strong role in building brand strength.

Luxury volume growth has softened, with brands increasingly relying on price increases to maintain growth. This creates a clear void of “affordable luxury”. One that emerging brands can step into seamlessly.

And yes, consumers will need athleisure and outdoor-capable product to support their newly found wellbeing agenda ;)

Supply chain & logistics

Taking advantage of new digital ways to navigate global chaos.

It’s currently tough out there:

• increasing price sensitivity from consumers

• dwindling margins

• overstock caused by faster trend cycles and uneven demand

To thrive amid this, brands need new supply chain structures.

• Flexible, dynamic supplier networks need to replace static ones

• Digitisation and automation are no longer optional

• Demand-driven strategies are key to lowering inventory and freeing up cash

Next-gen solutions can lower sourcing costs by 8–12%.

Wasting time and money on sourcing is a luxury growth-oriented brands don’t have in 2026.

That being said:

2026 Brand To-Do

• Build retention before chasing more reach

• Invest in real-world community

• Fuck the clickbait, create relevant content

• Double down on product quality and versatility

• Rebuild your supply chain for flexibility

• Optimize for AI shopping

• Stop big fashion from hijacking culture

Even with everything going on, 2026 still holds massive potential for fashion brands trying to establish themselves in the industry.

We’re here to make that happen!