MomSkoop
Fashion never happens in a vacuum. Every season, a handful of bold personalities shape what we wear, how we wear it, and why certain styles feel so right at a particular moment.
Autumn 2026 is no different, with a mix of models, musicians, and actors quietly steering the direction of coats, colours, and silhouettes on runways and streets alike. Here are the 11 fashion figures whose fingerprints are all over this season’s most exciting looks.
1. Bella Hadid
Few people make getting dressed look as effortlessly cool as Bella Hadid.
Her model-off-duty approach blends vintage references with bold glamour in a way that feels both nostalgic and completely fresh.
Low-rise trousers, retro denim, and carefully chosen statement pieces are her trademarks.
For autumn 2026, her influence shows up in the revival of early-2000s silhouettes, particularly those hip-skimming cuts and sleek leather outerwear that are everywhere this season.
Designers and stylists openly reference her archive looks when building fall collections.
If you want to channel that mix of cool-girl ease and red-carpet drama, Bella Hadid is the place to start looking for inspiration.
2. Zendaya
Zendaya does not follow trends.
She creates them, then moves on before anyone else has caught up.
Her September 2026 Prada appearances were a masterclass in what experimental tailoring can look like when worn with total conviction.
Unusual colour pairings and sculptural skirts made every look feel genuinely surprising.
Those red-carpet moments directly echo what is happening in autumn 2026 collections right now.
Think oversized shoulders, rich jewel tones, and skirts that demand attention from across the room.
Her willingness to try combinations that should not work, but absolutely do, is exactly the kind of fearless energy that makes fall 2026 such an exciting season to dress for.
3. Hailey Bieber
Hailey Bieber has built her entire fashion identity around the idea that basics are only boring if you let them be.
She layers quiet, minimalist pieces with one unexpected pop of colour or a single trend-forward item, and the result always looks intentional rather than accidental.
Her love of slipper mules has helped push that shoe style into autumn wardrobes where it genuinely works.
Most notably, her pairing of electric yellow with black has become one of the more talked-about colour combinations heading into fall 2026.
It sounds risky on paper but looks sharp in practice.
Her approach proves that a restrained wardrobe and a bold accent piece can coexist beautifully.
4. Zoe Kravitz
British Vogue has specifically named Zoe Kravitz as an autumn 2026 style reference, and it is easy to see why.
Her wardrobe reads like a perfectly curated mood board: long coats, sheer slip skirts layered over basics, crisp white shirts, and well-worn denim that looks like it has a history.
Nothing about her approach shouts for attention, yet every outfit lands with real impact.
That deliberate simplicity is actually quite hard to pull off.
She makes the case that true style comes from knowing exactly what to leave out.
For anyone building a fall wardrobe around understated pieces rather than statement buys, her looks offer a genuinely useful and elegant roadmap to follow.
5. Alexa Chung
There is something wonderfully reliable about Alexa Chung.
She has been doing indie-preppy dressing since the late 2000s, and now that the 2010s aesthetic is officially back in fashion, her archive looks feel more relevant than ever.
Duffle coats, leather, ballet flats, and slogan tees are her signature building blocks.
What makes her influence so useful for autumn 2026 is that her formula translates easily into real wardrobes.
You do not need a stylist or a huge budget to dress like Alexa Chung.
A good coat, a favourite band tee, and a pair of jeans that fit well get you most of the way there.
Her style is aspirational without being intimidating, which is a rare and valuable thing.
6. Kate Moss
Kate Moss invented a version of cool that nobody has quite managed to replicate in thirty years of trying.
The indie sleaze aesthetic she helped define in the 1990s and early 2000s is cycling back hard right now, and British Vogue confirms her influence is carrying directly into autumn 2026.
Fuzzy statement coats, slouchy denim, ankle boots, and a general rock-and-roll nonchalance are the tools of her trade.
What sets her apart is the attitude behind the clothes.
The pieces themselves are often quite simple, but worn with a certain carelessness that makes them feel iconic.
If your autumn wardrobe needs an edge, looking at how Kate Moss approaches a basic outfit is a genuinely good starting point.
7. Rihanna
Rihanna approaches getting dressed like she approaches everything else: on her own terms, with complete confidence, and usually a step ahead of everyone else.
Her particular gift is making sportswear feel luxurious without stripping away any of its energy.
A track jacket becomes a fashion statement when she wears it.
Fall 2026 has a strong early-2000s sportswear revival running through it, and Rihanna is the clearest reference point for how to wear that trend with genuine flair.
Her looks combine athletic pieces with unexpected tailoring or accessories that elevate the whole outfit.
The lesson here is that sporty and polished are not opposites.
When styled with intention, they create something far more interesting than either alone.
8. Dua Lipa
Dua Lipa is having a fashion moment that shows no sign of slowing down.
Her AW26 couture appearance was one of the most directly on-trend looks of the season, mixing gothic romance with the kind of bold colour work that only someone with real confidence can pull off.
Dramatic silhouettes and deep jewel tones all featured.
Her eveningwear choices are particularly relevant to autumn 2026, where romantic and slightly dark styling is having a genuine resurgence.
But her daytime looks matter too.
Bold colour combinations worn with a playful attitude are becoming a signature move that many are already borrowing.
Dua Lipa is proof that committing fully to a look, however risky, almost always pays off.
9. Margot Robbie
Margot Robbie has a knack for wearing vintage-inspired pieces in a way that feels completely current rather than costume-like.
Her love of 1970s silhouettes, particularly wide-leg flares and suede separates, fits neatly into what autumn 2026 collections are offering.
Oversized tailoring and leather outerwear round out a wardrobe that feels rich and considered.
What is interesting about her influence is that it proves retro dressing works best when you commit to the era rather than cherry-picking one piece.
A suede jacket over flares with leather outerwear on top creates a cohesive story.
For anyone looking to build a fall wardrobe with warmth, texture, and a nod to a genuinely stylish decade, her looks provide clear and wearable direction.
10. Emily Ratajkowski
Vogue recently placed Emily Ratajkowski directly on its Fall 2026 mood board, and her downtown casual approach to dressing is a big reason why.
Brown corduroy, suede textures, Ugg boots, and oversized sunglasses are her go-to autumn tools, and they happen to align perfectly with where the season is heading.
Her style is relaxed in a way that reads as intentional rather than lazy.
Every piece feels chosen rather than grabbed, even when the overall effect is deliberately low-key.
The brown and suede palette she favours connects to a wider autumn 2026 trend toward earthy, tactile dressing that prioritises comfort without sacrificing visual interest.
She makes a strong case that the most stylish outfits are sometimes the least complicated ones.
11. Charli XCX
Charli XCX and the Brat aesthetic she unleashed on the world have not finished making their mark on fashion.
Edgy leather pieces, distressed styling, and a general attitude of clubwear-meets-streetwear are still very much part of the autumn 2026 conversation, largely because of how thoroughly she embedded that energy into pop culture.
Her individualistic approach is what makes the influence stick.
Brat is not a trend you follow step by step.
It is a mindset you either have or you work to develop.
For fall 2026, that translates into wearing leather with confidence, choosing pieces that feel slightly confrontational, and never looking like you tried too hard.
Charli XCX reminds us that sometimes the boldest fashion statement is simply not caring what anyone thinks.