The SS27 shows wrapped in Paris in early October, and buyers are already turning runway notes into print briefs. If you want your designs in front of them when they start sourcing, the work starts now. This guide brings together what the shows and the public forecasts are actually saying about SS27 print trends, and turns it into six print stories buyers will shop for: what each one looks like, who it suits, and what to design now so your collection is ready when the requests arrive.
Key takeaways
- Print is back in force for SS27. Florals lead, but they are nostalgic and domestic rather than fresh and pretty: think 1960s chintz, wallpaper and bed linen.
- Checks, madras and stripes are the season's workhorses, with the stripe going painterly and irregular.
- Snakeskin was the standout animal on the runway, and paisley is set for a revival.
- Cobalt blue is the colour most forecasters agree on. Pair it with a warm vintage tone for a commercial SS27 palette.
How we built this SS27 print trends guide
Every runway look below is drawn from published show coverage (Wallpaper, Dazed, NSS Magazine and The Design Agent's menswear report), and every forecast is attributed to the agency or platform that published it. Where a show detail could not be verified, we describe the theme in general terms instead. Forecasts are a starting point, not a guarantee: use them to sharpen your own instincts and your knowledge of your buyers.
One more thing before the stories. Across the coverage, the message is the same: print is gaining ground and minimalism is losing it. The Design Agent's SS27 trend forecast describes a "new visual era" for womenswear print, and that is good news for studios.
1. Nostalgic florals: chintz, wallpaper and bed linen
What it looks like
The SS27 floral is not a fresh garden bloom. It is your grandmother's sofa. Wallpaper's round-up of the SS27 shows singles out Prada's chintzy prints evoking 1960s home furnishings, and Maison Margiela's clashing nostalgic florals that recall wallpaper or bed linen. At Burberry, Daniel Lee brought in bold floral prints and embroidery by Celia Birtwell, while MSGM went the other way with electric-bright florals on matching shirts and ties.
Alongside the domestic florals, two scale directions are worth noting. Trendalytics' spring 2027 forecast says oversized florals are moving from background detail to lead statement, and The Design Agent's forecast flags blurred, soft-focus florals with diffused edges and hazy gradients.
- Motifs: cabbage roses, sprigs, trailing stems, small-scale ditsy florals clashed against larger blooms.
- Scale: two extremes. Tight, busy chintz repeats and ultra-zoomed single blooms.
- Colour: faded, slightly "sun-bleached" versions of vintage colourways, or acid-bright for the MSGM route.
Who it suits
Womenswear dresses, shirts and skirts first. Then home: this story is literally borrowed from interiors, so bedding, cushions and wallpaper buyers will recognise it immediately. Ditsy versions work for kidswear and nightwear.
What to design now
- Build a chintz story with deliberate clash: two or three florals at different scales designed to be worn or styled together.
- Take one hero floral and zoom in until it becomes an engineered placement for a dress or a swim panel.
- Offer a soft-focus or blurred version of your best-selling floral. It is a quick way to update a proven design for SS27.
- Check your repeats at both scales. Dense chintz exposes a weak repeat fast.
2. Preppy checks and madras
What it looks like
If florals are the headline, checks are the volume. NSS Magazine's Milan trend report lists checks across the city: Marni's mini A-line dresses in buttery-toned checks, Prada's grey checked dress, MM6 Maison Margiela's checks and stripes on reworked rugby polos, and bold, clashing checks at MSGM and Moschino. Gucci used tartan on skirts and linings. Trendalytics points to Thom Browne's vivid madras, seersucker and graphic-check wools as the driver of the preppy, collegiate mood. In Paris, Miu Miu showed houndstooth skirts, and Wallpaper notes Burberry loosened up its house check.
In menswear, The Design Agent's SS27 menswear print report calls this "Soft Structure": deconstructed plaids at Comme des Garçons, washed checks at Louis Vuitton and vibrant plaid colourways at Etro.
- Motifs: madras, gingham, houndstooth, tartan, windowpane, mixed checks.
- Scale: mini checks for dresses and shirting; oversized for statement pieces.
- Colour: butter yellows and creams, or hyper-saturated madras brights.
Who it suits
Everyone. Womenswear, menswear shirting, kidswear (gingham is a staple in The Design Agent's "Vintage Nostalgia" kids direction), and home textiles, especially table linen and bedding.
What to design now
- Design checks as yarn-dye simulations with texture, not flat vector grids. Buyers want that woven, slightly irregular feel.
- Create a "check family": one gingham, one madras, one windowpane, all in the same colourway, so a buyer can build a capsule from your collection.
- Pair each floral from story 1 with a coordinating check. Florals and checks are the easiest SS27 combination to sell.
3. Painterly stripes
What it looks like
The stripe is loosening up. Trendalytics forecasts irregular stripes with uneven widths, painterly effects and colour-blocked combinations, and says uniform pinstripes are out. In menswear, The Design Agent's "Stripe Theory" cites Ralph Lauren's multi-directional stripe shirts and Dries Van Noten's softly blurred stripes, alongside watercolour, hand-painted and ombré stripes. Marni's vertical stripes on shirts and jackets show the cleaner, vintage end of the story.
- Motifs: hand-painted bands, ombré and fade effects, stripe-on-stripe, deckchair and awning stripes.
- Scale: mixed widths within one repeat.
- Colour: sun-faded tones and unexpected pairings.
Who it suits
Menswear and womenswear shirting, swim and resort, beach towels, outdoor and garden textiles, and stationery.
What to design now
- Paint your stripes by hand or with textured brushes, then build them into a clean repeat. The imperfection is the point.
- Make ombré and fade versions for swim and towels.
- Offer every stripe in at least three colourways. Stripes are often bought as coordinates, so colour flexibility sells them.
4. Snakeskin and the new animal
What it looks like
Dazed's Paris SS27 trend report put it simply: snakes were everywhere. It cites snakeskin print at Telfar, Mugler and Yaku Stapleton, and literal snake graphics at Dries Van Noten. In New York, Sergio Hudson made tiger print a standout. The Design Agent's forecast adds that WGSN data points to renewed interpretations of animal skins.
- Motifs: python and snake scales, tiger stripes, illustrated snakes as conversational motifs.
- Scale: all-over skin textures, plus larger engineered snakes as placements.
- Colour: tonal and naturalistic, or recoloured in cobalt, lime and lilac for a fresher take.
Who it suits
Womenswear, accessories, swim and footwear. Illustrated snakes also work for kidswear and teen graphics, and recoloured skins can work in home for cushions and throws.
What to design now
- Draw your own skins rather than relying on scanned textures. Hand-rendered scales feel more premium and avoid looking generic.
- Recolour your skins in the SS27 palette below. A cobalt python is more SS27 than a brown one.
- Try a conversational snake print: small, illustrated snakes in a tossed layout.
5. Paisley, revived
What it looks like
The Design Agent's forecast says paisley is set for a revival, citing WGSN data and The Tiffany Hill Studio's "Decorative Paisley Boho Chic" direction: reworked teardrop motifs with fresh palettes, fluid linework and bold scale shifts. It fits naturally with the nostalgic mood of the season, and it bridges into autumn, where The Design Agent already sees decorative paisleys as a key theme (more on that in our AW27 print trends guide, coming in December).
- Motifs: teardrop, boteh, bandana borders, paisley mixed with florals.
- Scale: big, loose, hand-drawn paisleys and compact, dense versions.
- Colour: fresh, lighter palettes rather than traditional reds and golds.
Who it suits
Womenswear (boho dresses, blouses and scarves), menswear shirting, swim cover-ups and home.
What to design now
- Redraw paisley with a looser, more fluid hand. Avoid copying archive paisleys line for line.
- Design border and scarf layouts as well as all-overs. Buyers will want placements.
- Recolour in rose blush, meadow green or satsuma to feel new.
6. Postcards, citrus and seaside souvenirs
What it looks like
This is the narrative print story. The Design Agent's menswear report highlights "Scenic Stories" (Kenzo's map-printed co-ords, Dolce & Gabbana's nostalgic postcard motifs and Amiri's sunset landscapes on silk shirts) and "Organic Placements" (Dolce & Gabbana's citrus graphics and tropical landscapes at Louis Vuitton). In kidswear, its forecast flags "Nautical Vibes" (sea creatures, anchors, shells, harbour scenes) and "Retro Geos".
- Motifs: lemons and oranges, postcards and stamps, maps, coastlines, sunsets, shells, boats.
- Scale: large engineered placements for shirts; small tossed motifs for kids and swim.
- Colour: satsuma, sunny yellows and cobalt, with sun-faded backgrounds.
Who it suits
Menswear resort shirts, swim, kidswear, beach towels and outdoor dining, and stationery and gift wrap.
What to design now
- Design one engineered placement shirt panel per collection. These are high-value pieces for menswear buyers.
- Build a kids' nautical story with a hero print, two coordinates and a simple stripe.
- Keep imagery original. Avoid real landmarks or postcard artwork you do not own.
The SS27 colour palette
The colour story is consistent across forecasts. The Design Agent shares WGSN x Coloro's five SS27 key colours: Cobalt Blue, Satsuma, Rose Blush, Meadow Green and Terracotta Pot. Trendalytics also calls cobalt the colour of the season, and suggests pairing one warm vintage tone with one cool accent. On the runways, Hypebae spotted purple at AGRO Studio, Gucci, Bottega Veneta and Ester Manas.
- Cobalt Blue – Hero colour across all six stories
- Satsuma – Citrus, retro geos, warm stripes
- Rose Blush – Soft florals, paisley, loungewear
- Meadow Green – Checks, botanicals, menswear
- Terracotta Pot – Neutral grounds, especially for home
What buyers are searching for right now
Forecasts tell you where the season is heading. Your buyers tell you what they actually need. Look back at the briefs, requests and questions you have had from buyers since the summer, and note the words they use: "chintz", "madras", "painterly stripe", "cobalt". Then check which of your own designs they have been viewing, saving or asking about.
Use this alongside the forecasts. If buyers are already asking for a story, prioritise it in your next upload.
How to turn these SS27 print trends into a collection
You do not need all six stories. Pick the two or three that fit your studio and your buyers, then go deep.
- Choose your stories. Look at what sold last spring and summer. If florals and checks are your bestsellers, stories 1 and 2 are your core.
- Build a board first. Pull your references, palette and motifs into one place. Our guide on how to create a mood board walks through it.
- Design in groups of 8–12. A hero print, supporting prints and coordinates in a shared palette sell better than one-offs.
- Colourway everything. At least two or three colourways per hero design.
- Upload early and tag clearly. Use searchable names ("SS27 nostalgic chintz floral", not "Garden 04") so buyers find you. Add mock-ups too, so buyers can picture each print on a dress, shirt or cushion.
As one studio puts it:
“Having the option to add mock-ups easily is fantastic, and I think it really elevates the designs within my portfolio.” – Alice Potter, Petite Fleur Studio
If you want more on getting those designs in front of buyers, read our guide to selling surface pattern designs.
FAQ
What are the key SS27 print trends?
The main SS27 print trends are nostalgic, home-furnishing-inspired florals, preppy checks and madras, painterly and irregular stripes, snakeskin and animal prints, a paisley revival, and narrative prints such as postcards, citrus and nautical motifs. Florals and checks are the most widely seen on the runway.
What is the colour of the season for SS27?
Several forecasters, including WGSN x Coloro and Trendalytics, highlight cobalt blue as the key SS27 colour. Satsuma, Rose Blush, Meadow Green and Terracotta Pot complete WGSN x Coloro's SS27 key colours.
When should studios design for SS27?
Now. The SS27 shows ended in early October 2026 and buyers are sourcing prints for spring/summer 2027 over the coming months. Upload SS27-ready collections as early as possible so they are visible while buyers are briefing.
Are SS27 trends relevant for home and stationery?
Yes. Several SS27 stories borrow directly from interiors, especially the chintz and wallpaper-style florals. Checks, stripes and paisley also translate well to bedding, table linen, outdoor textiles and paper goods.
When SS27 requests start coming in, you want to spend your time designing, not chasing files and invoices. The Pattern Cloud gives your studio a secure online shop with buyer logins, pinboards, invoicing and high-res file delivery in one place. See how it works or book a one-to-one call with our team.
