For the past few seasons, the ultimate fashion buzzword has undeniably been "craft." Brands across the global luxury and contemporary markets have leaned heavily into boasting the hidden hands of untraditional techniques, tactile surfaces, and unique textiles more than ever before. Sometimes, this emphasis on artisanal labor and material innovation has taken precedence even over a designer’s take on the trending silhouette or the hot new hue of the moment.
If during couture—fashion’s ambitious summer runway outings—that unconventional material choice was rubber, defying traditional expectations of drape and structure, the spring 2027 ready-to-wear collections have revealed a common denominator that is, if possible, even more unexpected: airbrushing.
More closely associated with a long, storied history in music culture, streetwear, or the sort of chintzy souvenir T-shirts tinged with childhood memories of family vacations, this DIY technique is suddenly popping up across the major runways from Maison Margiela to Dries Van Noten and beyond.
As fashion continually cycles through infinite stages of nostalgia—particularly drawing on the brashness of the 1980s and the sleek, techy sportiness of the 1990s—there is something about airbrushing that feels less overt and delightfully irreverent. The technique does not necessarily harken back to one specific historical era, though it certainly reached a distinct peak of pop-cultural popularity at the turn of the millennium.
Instead, it feels familiarly fun. There is a guilty pleasure in subverting a cheesy tourist tee, turning a low-brow craft object into a high-fashion statement. Over at Torishéju, the designer utilized the spray-paint technique to give classic trompe l’œil a simple, modern twist. Plus, over the two centuries since the tool’s invention as a photo retouching applicator, the style has evolved countless times, transitioning from industrial utility into a refined art form in its own right.
In the true spirit of hands-on creativity, Neverworns host Liana Satenstein took matters into her own hands while partnering with Tory Burch for this season’s show. Recalling the inspiration behind the collaboration, Satenstein notes that she was on a FaceTime call with the team from Tory Burch discussing the upcoming show while wearing a spring 1999 Stella McCartney-era Chloé tank top that showcases an iconic, sand-strewn island scene—a deeply memorable piece of fashion history.
Coincidentally, Stella McCartney herself returned to airbrushing on her own runway this season, presenting similar vacation-scenery-printed white jeans that captured the exact same mood. Encouraged by the Tory Burch team to make her own airbrushed merchandise for the show, Satenstein turned to Etsy, found an independent artist, and had a white tank top featuring a vibrant hot pink Tory Burch logo whipped up specifically for the occasion.
Reflecting on the enduring appeal of the medium, Satenstein explains that she loves airbrushing so much because it evokes a distinctly carefree, social atmosphere, capturing perpetual vacation vibes and a sense of effortless leisure.
That effortless spirit, however, belies a deliberate commentary on modern production methods. At Margiela, the technique served as a relevant and timely reminder of the irreplaceable importance of handmade craft at a moment when artistic output can so easily be digitally rendered or replaced entirely by artificial intelligence.
This complex relationship between humans and technology is not entirely new to the luxury sector; it is a dynamic that Louis Vuitton’s artistic director Nicolas Ghesquière explored a decade ago with airbrushed leather jackets in his spring 2016 collection.
For the spring 2027 season, Margiela partnered with designer Gerrit Jacob, whose signature airbrushed dragon and animal illustrations have become defining elements of his own eponymous, Berlin-based brand. The collaboration was originally inspired by creative director Glenn Martens’s own personal fascination with avian imagery.
During the early stages of the production process, intricate hawk illustrations were sprayed directly onto white fabric bases while the draping was held tightly in place with tape. Once the spray was applied, the fabric was released, revealing beautifully distorted, unpredictable results.
Where Jacob’s hands-on process successfully worked with the natural spontaneity—and the necessary trial and error—of human craftsmanship and physical textiles, artificial intelligence would likely have produced a sterile digital render, perhaps giving the birds a warped beak or an extra foot. Ultimately, the spring 2027 collections have made a strong case that fashion remains significantly more compelling, and far more fun, when it retains a distinct human touch.
