AI Pattern Forecast: The 5 Biggest Fashion Print Trends for AW25/26

Autumn/winter 2025 arrived cloaked in deep, shadowy hues: blacks, navies, and earthy tones were dominating the runways. Yet amid this sea of darkness, patterns emerged as vibrant punctuation, bringing bursts of colour, texture, and personality. From florals blooming against night skies, baroque scrolls glimmering in gold, and dots dancing playfully across evening gowns, designers used prints not to overwhelm, but to accent and elevate their silhouettes. In this article, we’ll explore the standout pattern trends from the runways and show you how to translate them into seamless designs using Patterned AI.

Dark florals dominated the autumn/winter 25 runways this season, weaving together romance and mystery. Designers leaned into black-as-canvas backdrops, letting flowers bloom in moody palettes and painterly strokes. From Roberto Cavalli’s tangled vines to McQueen’s glitter-dusted sunflowers, the theme was one of decadent drama. Anna Sui and Louis Vuitton played with vintage folk motifs, evoking retro nostalgia, while Blumarine elevated the look with photorealistic bouquets embellished for eveningwear. Across collections, florals weren’t soft or sweet: they were bold, bohemian, and unapologetically nocturnal.

You can capture this aesthetic in your own designs: Patterned AI makes it simple to translate runway inspiration into seamless patterns. Here’s a prompt inspired by this trend so you can make your own dark floral pattern:

Cascading bouquets of wildflowers in muted red, dusty lemon, and deep cocoa spill across a velvet black surface. The mood is dramatic and lush, echoing vintage textiles and baroque tapestries.

If dark florals spoke of drama, ghostly blooms whispered of poetry. These blurred, ethereal blossoms unfolded in muted tones, often layered or half-faded, as if glimpsed through mist. Antonio Marras created dreamlike florals dissolving into grey chiffon, while Altuzarra let spectral white flowers float across sheer dresses. Ralph Lauren contrasted sharp anemone shapes with baroque backdrops, and Anna Sui softened watercolour sketches into retro-inspired silhouettes. The result was a delicate interplay of presence and absence, florals that felt more like memories than motifs.

This ghostly softness can also be reimagined in your own patterns with Patterned AI. Here’s a quick prompt to try:

Petals sketched in fine white ink form a delicate lace arrangement over deep navy. The style is linear and intentional, resembling vintage embroidery or dried floral studies on dark paper.

Baroque made a commanding return, this time dripping with grandeur but touched by modern ease. Etro led the charge with oversized golden jacquards and lavish wreath-like motifs, while Dior gave the look a distressed, vintage twist by pairing corsets and skirts with casual tees. Burberry and Alice + Olivia echoed the opulence in velvet and gilt fabrics, layering the classic scrolls with feminine romance. Even Anna Sui reimagined it with a retro sensibility, weaving rich woven textures into oversized designs. This was maximalism with heritage roots, a reminder that ornate patterning can still feel current.

Here’s how you can reimagine this gilded aesthetic as an AI prompt for a seamless print:

Elaborate baroque medallions in faded gold and moss green repeat over a soot-black field. The pattern is aged and opulent, echoing embroidered panels and antique fabric.

Playful, optimistic polka dots brought a welcome dose of levity to the season’s otherwise moody palette. Designers leaned into scale, colour, and texture to keep the look fresh. Isabel Marant scattered multicoloured dots across feminine daywear, while Dries Van Noten distorted them into surreal shapes. Balenciaga and Nina Ricci stuck to the timeless black-and-white, but gave them bold, avant-garde silhouettes. Elsewhere, gemstones at Altuzarra shimmered like dotted embellishments, and Vivienne Westwood toyed with oversized circles in her signature playful spirit. Across the board, spots were less retro novelty, more chic punctuation.

With Patterned AI, you can easily adapt this motif into your own collection. Try this prompt to generate a playful dotted design:

A lively arrangement of small white spots scattered across a stark black canvas. The layout is airy and rhythmic, with negative space adding charm. Clean, flat textures keep it bold and modern, capturing a playful, minimalist mood.

Ikat resurfaced in subtler, more experimental ways this season. Instead of dominating the collections, it slipped in as painterly echoes and woven accents. Lanvin abstracted the traditional rhombus shapes into faded brushstrokes, while Armani added embellishment to nod at the textile’s origins. Dries Van Noten stayed truer to heritage, applying carpet-like ikat elements to outerwear. Though not widespread, ikat proved its versatility – whether interpreted as a rustic reference or an almost-abstract play of shape and texture.

Here’s a prompt you can try with Patterned AI to design your own ikat-inspired pattern:

Vintage ikat motifs in warm cocoa and muted navy repeat in soft geometric rhythm across a deep stone base. The texture appears woven and distressed, capturing textile heritage in a refined palette.

This season proved that patterns are more than decoration: they carry mood, memory, and meaning. From the darkly romantic to the joyfully irreverent, each motif reflected the spirit of now while hinting at timeless traditions. And the best part? You don’t have to stop at admiring them on the catwalk. With Patterned AI, you can reimagine these trends in your own work.

And for even more inspiration, explore our Free Drops, a curated collection of seamless patterns you can download, remix, and make your own.


(Image credits: Vogue)