The New Rules of Wearing Animal Prints in 2026

Navigating the fashion landscape can sometimes feel like you’re traversing the Serengeti, especially when it’s laden with Saint Laurent’s safari jackets, Schiaparelli’s trompe-l’œil lion heads and khaki all over the runways, from Johnathan Anderson’s autumn/winter 2026 range for Dior Men’s to Chemena Kamali’s spring/summer 2026 Chloé collection. Of course, the most enduring (and obvious) connection to this is the constant presence of animal prints. If it’s a wild thrill you’re looking for in your clothing, elements like this certainly deliver, because what could be bolder than swathing yourself in the sigils of these apex predators?

It’s something leading fashion houses have done for decades, with Monsieur Dior including leopard print in his debut show for the eponymous Maison back in 1947. (A house code that has since been adopted by all subsequent artistic leads since he launched the “New Look”.) Chanel did the same, with freshly-appointed creative director Matthieu Blazy updating this code of the house in the 2026 Métiers d’Art show, with longline skirts that evoked the textures of insects and jungle cats. It’s not enough to say animal prints are being pulled into the cultural mainstream after years spent in the archives, however, as the leading animal prints of 2026 prove to be fresh trends altogether.

“Animal prints always resurface during moments when people want to express confidence and individuality again,” explains Helle Hestehave and Rikke Baumgarten, the founders of Copenhagen-based brand Baum und Pferdgarten. “Fashion feels more playful right now and there’s a desire to dress with personality rather than perfection,” they add.

“Animal prints are timeless,” the duo notes. “They instantly add character, as even the simplest outfit, jeans and a knit, or a classic coat, becomes more expressive with an animal print. They’re also surprisingly versatile: you can dress them up or down, and they work year-round.” London-based label Rixo echoes this sentiment, with co-founder Orlagh McCloskey revealing that the brand’s use of animal print has risen from a “strong element of nostalgia…which adds to its popularity”.

“For RIXO, animal print has always firmly sat in the timeless camp. The brand was founded on a deep love of vintage, and [animal prints] is one of those prints that consistently appears across decades. We love that it has been worn by strong, stylish women in every era,” she adds. But for this era? Hestehave and Baumgarten divulge that “we’re seeing interest move toward more abstract and unexpected interpretations” of animal prints, including “blurred [styles], hybrid patterns, or animal motifs rendered in unusual colourways.”

As these trend-setters are proving, there’s no need to run for cover when you see this trend. But before you wear it out in the wilderness, acquaint yourself with the leading animal print trends of 2026, below.

The 8 Key Animal Print Trends of 2026

1. Bambi Print

Style Notes: It’s been 84 years since Disney’s iconic fictional fawn, Bambi, graced the screens. But as the adage goes, good things come to those who wait, as for the first time in close to a century, the illustrated doe has been thrust back into the spotlight. Rather than taking tentative steps, as the titular character did on ice, deer prints have dashed right into the throes of the sartorial zeitgeist.

From Tory Burch putting her Manhattanite spin on the print to Sofia Richie Grainge adopting the textured pattern for the debut collection of her ready-to-wear label SRG Atelier and perennial downtown darling Sandy Liang featuring it in her collaboration with GAP, these endorsements are proving that a trip to Richmond’s Old Deer Park can be achieved simply through the pieces you wear.

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2. Dalmatian Print

Style Notes: What’s black, white and spotted all over? Whilst this might sound like the start of a bad joke, it’s a fitting description for the rise of the dalmatian print trend. Cemented in popular culture through the beloved Disney cartoon, 101 Dalmatians, the virality of the trend might just have you wanting to emulate your inner Cruella de Vil, given the posh and sophisticated qualities associated with the print.

Conjuring images of Regent’s Park and long strolls through London’s well-heeled neighbourhoods, it’s only right that this dotted motif come to the forefront in 2026, especially since 2025 was mostly defined by a proliferation of polka dots. With the former mostly evoking an essence of bygone glamour mostly associated with the socialites from the ‘50s and ‘80s, this version of the circular pattern feels far more cosmopolitan.

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3. Zebra Print

Style Notes: If Azzedine Alaïa had leopards, then John Galliano had zebras. A crucial part of the British designer’s sartorial vocabulary, the striped fabric appeared in many of what are to be considered his magnum opus collection, including the Cleopatra-meets-Nancy-Spungen collection he presented for his eponymous label during the autumn/winter 1997 season and the venerated Christian Dior spring/summer 2008 collection that channelled Marlene Dietrich tailoring and New York street appeal.

All this to say, those in the know have always been aware of the power of a punchy animal print. Featured in collections from Conner Ives and Ganni, this is a style that stays under the radar but is equally elegant.

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4. Tiger Print

Style Notes: Another style that’s on the prowl for 2026 is tiger print. Under the reigns of Belgian creative director Pieter Mulier, Alaïa has shifted allegiance in its preferred feline, with the rainforest- dwelling cat now taking precedence. This was demonstrated in the French Maison’s Resort 2026 collection, where feline coats rendered in “Guggenheim silhouettes”, as the designer called it in a press release, made a repeat appearance. (The piece was later given its maiden voyage when Rihanna wore it for a night out with her rapper boyfriend A$AP Rocky).

But across the City of Lights and a year earlier, Chloé too had fallen in with this proverbial pride, showcasing an equally covetable tiger-print coat for its own Resort 2025 range. They say birds of a feather flock together, but something equally seismic is clearly at play here.

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5. Cow Print

Style Notes: From the paddock to Provence, cow print has become the latest prairie-inspired fashion trend to turn mainstream. Though this style first reared its head at the beginning of the decade—who here amongst us can attest to investing in the trending cow prints from brands like Emma Mulholland on Holiday or blasting Doja Cat’s breakout single “Mooo!” during the depths of the pandemic—it’s now taken a sleeker approach for 2026. It’s less rodeo and more Rodeo Drive, whilst still fuelling our desires for designs that are unexpected and organic.

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6. Tortoiseshell Print

Style Notes: If you were to look at any tasteful dresser throughout history, you’d be bound to see a pair of tortoiseshell frames perched on the bridge of their nose. From Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’s bug-eyed François Pinton sunglasses to Joan Didion’s Celine Triomphes—a pair that were first immortalised in the brand’s 2015 eyewear campaign and later sold for $27,000 USD at auction following the author’s death—an animal print that’s always been associated with the sophisticated and elite.

Now, following on from this rise in wearing ostentatious pieces every day, tortoiseshell is garnering new interest. From combs to hair clips, headbands and resin bags, imitate these polished few by adding this subtle accent. You know it would earn Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s tick of approval.

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7. Mock Croc Print

Style Notes: Pieces like the Diamond Himalaya Birkin, a rare Hermes bag made from crocodile skin, have always been heralded as the acme of luxury. (And always come with eye-watering price tags.) But in 2026, the mainstream is shifting away from these exotic materials and into something more environmentally conscious: mock crock.

The tail end of 2025 saw a slew of mock croc appearances, from the buttery heels worn by Alexa Chung to The Fashion Awards to the razor-sharp embossed pair adorned by Victoria Beckham for her husband David’s knighthood investiture ceremony. Elevate the trend further by considering other arenas where mock crocs can be saturated in, including, but not limited to, the strap of your watch, the fabric of your winter gloves and even your go-to belt.

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8. Leopard Print

Style Notes: A leopard never changes its spots, which is why you’ll find leopard print trending year after year. There’s been a leopard print to suit every decade and desire, from the more upmarket iterations worn by Elizabeth Taylor to the rock’n’roll versions seen on Kate Moss and hybrid styles that straddle the two, adorned by the likes of the Olsen Twins and Jennifer Lawrence.

“We’ve had the leopard print in our collections since the beginning,” says Hestehave and Baumgarten. “[This print] signals confidence and sensuality, and it’s unapologetic and strong,” they add. With qualities like this, why ever adjust?

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