A+A Surfaces 26.2 - Spring/Summer 2026
The book contains six stories
Highlights
- Innovative Materialtrend-Forecast with colour information
- Important key information and practical working tool
- Colours are identified by A + A IDs and additionally with cross reference lists for Pantone® and Clariant® numbers
Info
Published: June/November
Target group: Bags, Shoes, Accessories, Industry design
Foresight: 18 months
Country of origin: Italy
Language: English
FROM THE EDITOR
Now is yesterday; yesterday is tomorrow.
Verb tenses no longer define our reality. Even though society's gaze is fixed on the future, viral trends o@en emerge from a blend of memory, error, plot twists, and serendipity.
Rise, peak, decline, obsolescence. Repeat. It’s no secret that cycles come and go. Nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed—a principle from Lavoisier, reflecIng the cycles of culture, especially in fashion, markeIng, and lifestyle. Ephemeral moods are recognised as the very foundaIons of Imeless supremacy.
What we now face is a different way of counIng Ime. New generaIons seem to search for different values of fads that have been suppressing the connecIon with Ime and space. As a result, what we previously considered to be linked to an older class is now directly
connected to the young, and vice versa.
Challenging the value of Ime along evoluIonary cycles in fashion, adverIsing, and urban living. Important factors such as elderly successful models and spokespeople are causing shifts towards ageism, vintage aestheIcs, Imeless style, durable materials, and classic
paNerns made contemporary to suit today's needs.
A conInuous yearning for past eras, often romanIcised through rose-coloured glasses, leads to the revival of vintage styles, from mid-century furniture to ’90s fashion, all reflecIng an idealised vision of what was once considered modern.
A sense of retro-futurism is embraced by cuttng-edge designers and creaIve agents who overcome the boundaries of context and preconceived references.
Culture seems to consistently suggest temporal disorientaIon, promoIng fast-forward technologies and dystopian dualiIes. By blending temporal anachronisms, we displace the obvious and liberate aestheIcs.
In this process, there is a certain magic in seamlessly combining these patchworks from significant periods without jeopardising the preservaIon of memory and idenIty. This book ediIon is an invitaIon to leap into the past, including what we expected from the
future, and mix it with our own paths and memorabilia.
KEY THEMES FOR 26.2
1. Genesis
The beginning of what we understand as home. Whether it's the world itself with its infinite
waters, earth cracks, and millennia-old rocks sculpted from once-present seas, or the
structure of the human body in early development,.
Key inspira+onal words: oval shapes, earthy tones, translucent surfaces, bacteria illusion,
embryonic stem cells, round rituals, iridescence, material mix, metallic hues, reflec8ons &
holograms, overlapping layers, ergonomic forms.
2. Terra Incognita
Finding new meanings in natural resources combining recycled waste and new materials
developed from experimentaIon. Reinforcing the strength of glass and the fragility of the
metal. Natural resources reborn from raw materials to final projects.
Key inspira+onal words: monumental, metal embroidery, embossed materials, urban
mineralista, recycled, factory waste, trash in glass, tao qual.
3. Clock-Wising
AdoraIon for retro vibes that are edited and updated to adapt to society's present needs,
especially remixed with new materials and a wider range of colours and sizes. Bring history
back with sustainability and purpose. Enough with souless minimalism.
Key inspira+onal words: reloading the 70’s, unexpected shapes, aerodynamics, waves and
repe88on, animalesque forms, all-in-white.
4. Reality DistorBon
ReinvenIng logic as the metaverse puts everything in doubt. Playing with depth and
proporIons. We are living in a mulI-dimensional era. The recent markeIng investments
show that it is ok to mix quantum physics with art.
Key inspira+onal words: block coloured design, mix of paCerns, playful, kaleidescopic,
gemotric shapes, stripes, movement, retro pastel, groovy chromotherapy, reflec8ve finishing.
5. Heated Nature
Blurring boundaries between fauna, flora, and human forms to solve each other's limits. All
creatures of the world together for perfecIon connected with one another through
sustantainality and fantasia. Saving the earth with elegance
Key inspiraBonal words: state of algae, deep-sea organisms , translucent greens, jelly-like
surfaces, feathers, scales, petals, 3D effects, paper clouds.
6. Overlay Materia
Decades scrambled in perfect sync. Unexpected combinaIons of styles, decades, shapes,
and moIfs escape the obvious and create new horizons. As if there is a new reality for
collabs, one that is a lot more accepIng, daring, and cuRng-edge.
Key inspira+onal words: tradi8on, heritage, cross-industry, paCchowork, volumes, organic,
retro low-relief
