This divisive micro trend that surprised even us

If you’re an avid reader of Who What Wear UK, you’ll know that this wave of fashion nostalgia won’t exactly sound like ‘breaking news’ at the moment. We predicted an indie sleaze revival and watched the ‘2026 is the new 2016’ story unfold in real time. But, from time to time a trend takes hold even us Surprising—especially when it’s rooted in a heady mix of subcultures and micro-aesthetics of bygone eras. And now the return of the rooted spiral trend does exactly that.

Inspired by the dark romanticism of 80s punk and 60s biker culture, with a bit of 90s acid woo-woo, the rebellious spirit of the spiral trend has evolved from a niche motif into a full-blown movement. Its graphic, slightly mysterious edge is missing Very A far cry from the dark fantasy aesthetic you might have seen Gwen Stefani wear during that period, the studs make it feel a little tougher. But what makes the design so special in 2026? Well, bringing together so many contrasting aesthetics creates one statement piece – one that instantly catches the attention of the Gen Z fashion set.

The first sign that the fashion world was being shaken came from a unique source: Lithuanian-based brand Urte Kat. Gaining popularity for its contemporary Marc-Jacobs-at-Perry-Ellis-meets-Alexander-McQueen vibe, the brand has found instant fans among the current It Girls group. From Charli studded spiral trousers Which increased his social influence after going viral several times on TikTok and Pinterest.

Latest video from

Since then, spiral shapes have been coming in waves (excuse the pun). Gimaguas’ Cloud Stud Dress It became an instant hit (sold out within seconds), and jewelery brands like Ottoman Hands and YSSO have made a splash in their latest collections. Are you not sure how to style a spiral? They’re also making their way into interior trends, think Sophie Lou Jacobsen’s wavy coasters or L’Objet’s gold-plated cutlery, it looks like this season, spirals are going to be the IYKYK trend that everyone will be wearing. Scroll down to shop the best spiral items on the market right now.