The Emilia Wickstead Pre-Fall 2026 Edit

Pre-Fall is where Emilia Wickstead is most itself: occasion dressing with the volume turned up, cut for a summer of weddings, garden parties, and the races. The Pre-Fall 2026 collection runs from crisp daytime stripes to full-skirted evening, and the through-line is the house signature, a defined waist and a fabric with real body. Here is our edit of where to start.

The stripe story

The collection opens on a graphic note: bold horizontal stripes in red and sky blue, printed on a crisp cotton poplin. The Mella Dress is the piece to know, a full-skirted shirt-dress that is the daytime hero here, fresh and easy to wear to a lunch, a garden party, an afternoon in the sun. Cotton poplin keeps the print sharp and cool, so this is the group to reach for when the day is warm and the mood is relaxed.

Painterly florals

Wickstead’s prints are painterly rather than busy. This season the magnolia florals arrive on taffeta faille in midnight, blue, and a soft butter yellow, the Laelia Dress among the standouts, and a hand-drawn sailing print lands on the Giovanna Dress in silk twill. On a defined-waist midi, these are the photogenic wedding-guest choices, feminine without tipping into costume.

The solids, cut clean

For anyone who prefers colour to print, the single wool crepe dresses are the backbone of the collection. Plum, red, navy, and a soft pale green on the Valletta Dress, cut close through the bodice and generous through the skirt. Wool crepe holds its shape beautifully, which makes these the versatile pieces that carry from a ceremony to a dinner. A slim belt and a heel is all they ask for.

Evening, with structure

The eveningwear leans on champagne metallic cloque and gold metallic jacquard, with strapless and column silhouettes that read as modern couture. The Leila Dress in champagne metallic is the one for the black-tie invitation, and an evening cape in moire finishes a plainer dress. This is the corner of the collection to consider when the invitation says formal.

The separates and knits

Do not overlook the separates. The skirts, the fine merino knits, and the tailored trousers are cut to the same proportions as the dresses, so they extend a wardrobe rather than sitting alone. A merino knit like the Ash Cardigan softens a sharp skirt; a tailored trouser balances a fuller top. These are the quiet workhorses that make the occasion pieces earn their keep.

Shop the collection

Browse the full Pre-Fall 2026 selection on the Emilia Wickstead brand page, and go straight to the designer dresses, skirts, and knitwear. Every piece is authenticity-verified and shipped worldwide. New to the label? Read who Emilia Wickstead is, and see how to wear it.