“We just make sure we’re ticking the boxes of what people expect from us and want from us,” Jenny Packham says of her resort 2026 collection. What do they want exactly? The designer pauses before answering. “A wow factor,” she says.
That “wow factor” often comes in the form of a color. This season, Packham embraced vibrant sunset hues and ombré shading—she said she felt inspired by the rare blooms one might find in the jungle or on display at the Chelsea Flower Show: “We started off with quite some exotic lilies and orchids as inspiration, which have amazing colors.” (Sometimes that interpretation is quite literal: one dress, for example, is detailed with a Slipper Orchid motif, whereas a structured black evening jacket comes embroidered with dahlias. Another gown features a black tulle cape with cascading, petal-like accents.)
The “wow” also comes in the form of embellishments. Packham loves a sequin, a crystal, a bead, and used them liberally throughout this collection: a sparkly floor length gold dress looks like an Oscar came to life; a gradient evening gown that starts with purple rhinestones at the neckline and ends with a rose pink sequin hem feels like something Ariel from The Little Mermaid would wear if she walked a red carpet with her newfound legs. Examine look 20, and you’ll see it is similar to the famous lavender Jenny Packham dress Kate Middleton wore to the ARK 10th Anniversary Gala Dinner in June 2011—but in black. “It doesn’t mean that it’s over the top. It just means that it’s got that power punch,” Packham said. “It’s about walking in the room and everybody thinking, ‘That’s a great dress.’”
Over the past few months, Sarah Jessica Parker wore custom Jenny Packham while promoting And Just Like That in Paris, Sarah Bareillies attended the Tonys in one of her plunging, silver sequin gowns, and Dita Von Teese recently wore a navy peplum dress during a press appearance for her West End show, Diamonds and Dust. Sometimes, it’s better not to keep it plain and simple.