Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris, the international trade fair organised by Messe Frankfurt France, has announced “Very Middle Ages” as its new trend book for the Spring–Summer 2027 season. The fair will take place from 2 to 4 February 2026 at the Paris–Le Bourget Exhibition Centre.
“At a time when fashion, like the wider world, is experiencing strong turbulence, Very Middle Ages chooses to look to the future by invoking a reinvented past,” Messe Frankfurt France said. The concept is described not as a nostalgic retreat, but as a reflective lens through which contemporary tensions can be examined.
The Spring–Summer 2027 edition of the trend book is intended to support designers seeking renewal and imaginative freedom. It explores a deliberately dark and complex universe that blends notions of protection, conflict, magic and augmented identity, using a reimagined, digital Middle Ages as a metaphor for current upheavals.
Four creative universes
Developed under the direction of Louis Gérin and Grégory Lamaud, artistic directors of Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris, the project draws on the reflections of a collective of stylists, designers, writers and artists. Their starting point was a central question: how to create in a world that doubts its own capacity to imagine?
The answer takes the form of four creative narratives, each highlighting a different point of friction between reality and expectation: a return to primal functionality, the comfort of digital illusion, warrior-like responses to crisis, and the continuous expansion of the digital self.
Rather than presenting a fixed forecast, the organisers describe Very Middle Ages as an instinctive and sometimes unsettling interpretation of the Spring–Summer 2027 season. The approach positions clothing as a means of protection, affirmation, resistance or transformation, at a time when boundaries between the real and the virtual, the natural and the artificial, and the past and the future are increasingly blurred.
The first theme, Digital Lordship, imagines technology giants as modern-day overlords. In this scenario, individuals become voluntary vassals, surrendering privacy and freedom in exchange for perceived security. Fashion reflects this tension through layered, highly functional silhouettes, heavy fabrics, metal-coated finishes and ribbed knits in steel grey, charcoal black and silver holographic tones.
The second theme, Nuclear Sorcery, explores a form of artificial “reenchantment”. While visually rich, it represents an aesthetic of illusion, where advanced technology, including artificial intelligence, offers comfort even as it risks dulling critical thought. The silhouettes emphasise softness and protection, featuring iridescent organza, translucent fabrics, foamy knits, light mohair and second-skin jerseys. The colour palette ranges from spectral purples and carmine red to opaline hues and so-called “radioactive” greens.
The third theme, Speculative Crusade, draws on humanity’s long history of conflict and the pursuit of domination. This darker, martial direction is expressed through armoured, combat-inspired silhouettes and hybrid materials with visceral textures. Colours include dark reds and browns, textured blacks, military khaki and burnt chrome.
The final theme, Data Inquisition, depicts a society under constant surveillance, where difference is swiftly judged and individual identity is absorbed by the collective. In this world, clothing becomes an interface and an extension of the digital self. Garments function as adaptable, modular second skins, presented within an icy, algorithmic palette dominated by cool blues.
Each theme is supported by mood boards and colour palettes structured around three key colours and six complementary shades. The four creative universes will be presented at Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris in the trend forums area of Hall 2, where visitors will be able to explore immersive displays featuring looks developed by the artistic directors using selected materials and finished products.
Louis Gérin is also scheduled to present the full scope of the trend book during a dedicated conference at the February 2026 edition of the fair, offering designers detailed creative insights for developing Spring–Summer 2027 collections.
All images courtesy of Messe Frankfurt France / Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris
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