Los Angeles: everything the fashion world needs to know for 2026

From the next edition of Frieze to Dior’s fashion show and the opening of the highly anticipated Lucas Museum, 2026 promises to be a rich and joyful year in Los Angeles. FashionNetwork.com takes stock of the events not to be missed.

Trade shows: January, March, June

It was said that Fashion Week had been revived in Los Angeles. Not so, the event has simply been removed from the 2025 calendar. With a press officer dismissed and a decimated team nowhere to be seen, the event, which had failed to really convince when it was taken over by N4XT in 2023, is unlikely to continue in 2026.

More popular with buyers, the Brand Assembly trade show is back for a new series of editions with a first Summer-Pre-Fall 2026 session organised at the Cooper Design Space in Downtown from January 12 to 14. The next one, even more popular and dedicated to the Fall Winter 2026 collections, will take place from March 9 to 11 at the same location. 

There will be a new format for the Preface trade show, which will take place on January 28 and 29. It will feature a partnership with two organisations, RE/Assembly and Here/After, focusing on circular fashion, and a competition dedicated to young talent. Organised in Los Angeles since 2023, Texworld & Apparel Sourcing Los Angeles, the trade show specialising in “sourcing, manufacturing, sustainable materials, and innovative trends,” will take place from June 21 to 23 at the California Market Center in Downtown.

Frieze Los Angeles, February 26 to March 1

The seventh edition of Frieze in Los Angeles is set to cause quite a stir in LA. Over four days, the contemporary art fair will present its selection of 95 art galleries from around the world in the aircraft hangar and outdoor space at Santa Monica Airport. This increasingly popular event in LA attracted more than 30,000 visitors last year.

Complementing Frieze, FelixFair will begin a day earlier, on February 25. Founded in 2019 by brothers Al and Mills Morán and Dean Valentine, the event will once again be held in the suites and cabanas of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. This legendary Los Angeles hotel, where the first Oscars ceremony was held and where the spirit of Marilyn Monroe, who lived there for two years, still lingers, will host a cocktail party around the pool painted by David Hockney. 

A must-see during Frieze, the Melrose Hill neighbourhood is sure to be the headquarters for all traveling creatives. Currently undergoing rapid development, the neighbourhood has around 15 galleries to visit, including David Zwirner, Morán Morán Gallery, and Southern Guild, a number of great restaurants such as Ètra and Little Fish, and several fashion outlets including Kiko Kostadinov stores, the vintage shop Ending Soon, and the Co. fashion brand store. 

In parallel with Frieze, the exhibition “Monuments” at The Brick gallery in Melrose Hill unveils artist Kara Walker’s “controversial” work based on the toppled Confederate statues until May, 3. The exhibition is also being held at MOCA Downtown.

Dior fashion show in May 

It’s the fashion event of the year in Los Angeles. After a year with virtually no big ticket fashion shows in 2025, Jonathan Anderson will organise his first cruise show for the House of Dior on May 13. The announcement was made after the opening at the end of October of the brand new House of Dior Beverly Hills on Rodeo Drive and the restaurant of Michelin-starred chef Dominique Crenn, Monsieur Dior by Dominique Crenn, on the third floor of the building. 

The show scheduled for May follows two other Dior shows held in Los Angeles. In 2023, Kim Jones, former creative director of Dior menswear, staged a resort collection in Venice Beach, in collaboration with local designer ERL. Maria Grazia Chiuri also chose the Calabasas neighbourhood for her debut cruise show in 2017.

The Denim Institute Museum in June 

The first Denim Institute Museum will open next summer in the historic Fashion District of Downtown. It will occupy 11,000 square feet in the Gerry Building, a Streamline Modern structure dating from 1947. Founded by Jonny Saven and Loren Cronk, two veterans of the fashion industry who have worked with Levi’s, Ralph Lauren, Diesel, and Wrangler, among others, the museum aims to be “a denim hub with a short-course school and learning centre focused on a sustainable future.”

Specifically, the Denim Institute Museum, dedicated to preservation, education, and innovation, will document and celebrate the rich history of denim through the “Legacy Brand Hall,” which will bring together 25 global denim brands. Beyond that, visitors will discover hundreds of brands, from the explosion of premium denim during the Y2K era to influential Japanese and European brands, designer labels, and collectible names. Rotating seasonal exhibits, a Jean Makers Festival, and sustainability forums will enliven the cultural calendar. Finally, the School of Denim will focus on short, workshop-style courses designed to give students both knowledge and hands-on experience.

FIFA World Cup, June 12

Two years before the Los Angeles Olympic Games, the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the sporting event of the year in Los Angeles. Thousands of tourists are expected to attend height matches at Sofi Stadium in Inglewood. The US men’s team will kick off the competition on June 12 against Paraguay. Several group matches will be played, as well as the round of 32 and quarter-finals, with the others being shared between Mexico and Canada. 

Adidas will be the official partner of the competition and creator of the ‘Trionda ball’ and national team jerseys. Fanatics is the official retail partner, handling merchandise for all venues and providing city T-shirts and tumblers, along with general team apparel and fan items.

LACMA, “Fashioning Chinese Women,” June, 14

Partially unveiled to the public in the summer of 2025, the new LACMA museum structure, designed by architect Peter Zumthor, revealed a spectacular new wing, a sort of suspended gallery made entirely of glass and concrete. It will house the David Geffen galleries, larger spaces for costume and textile displays, a new restaurant, and a boutique. The project was launched in 2019 and will finally open its doors to the public next April.

Among the fashion-related exhibitions, don’t miss ‘Fashioning Chinese Women: Empire to Modernity,’ which traces a century of transformation through more than 70 ensembles from Shanghai, Hong Kong, and America. Displayed on mannequins customised by fashion designer Jason Wu, the works in the exhibition present a story of how Chinese and Chinese American women expressed identity, navigated change, and shaped their lives through dress. The exhibition will run from June 14 to October 25. 

Opened in early November, the exhibition ‘Deep Cuts: Block Printing Across Cultures’ presents more than 150 works from Asia, Europe, and the Americas created using the ancient craft of block printing. A section developed with Los Angeles-based Block Shop also highlights how contemporary makers continue to reinterpret this enduring art form.

Bulgari, the last opening on Rodeo Drive

In addition to the opening of The House of Dior Beverly Hills, followed by the first Casablanca store in early November, the end of 2025 saw the unveiling of the brand new flagship store for jewellery brand Bulgari at 401 Rodeo Drive, just a few doors down from its former boutique. 

Behind its spectacular façade, adorned with the ‘Rosetta’ motif- drawn from the clasp of a heritage bracelet from the 1930s- the Italian brand’s third boutique occupies a 5,800 square foot space spread across three levels. Inside, travertine columns, fluted walls, and a ceiling adorned with a handmade gypsum Serpenti evoke the brand’s Roman heritage. The centrepiece of the boutique is a transparent sweeping staircase decorated in golden tones, adorned with a curtain made from 1,400 Murano-blown glass elements crafted by master artisans. Finally, a terrace on the top floor is available for private events. 

The eagerly awaited Cartier boutique is still under construction and is expected to open in 2027. The Louis Vuitton mega-flagship is scheduled to open in 2029. Among the latest openings to see are the Khaite boutique in Melrose Place, Fashionphile at The Row DTLA, and Recess in Beverly Hills.

Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, September 22

After numerous delays, the opening of the George Lucas Museum is the most anticipated cultural event in Los Angeles in 2026. Located in the Exposition Park neighbourhood, a huge spaceship designed by Ma Yansong (Mad Architects), the Lucas Museum seeks to explore how stories connect people and capture the human experience. “Stories are mythology, and when illustrated, they help humans understand the mysteries of life,” said George Lucas.

The museum was built on the belief that illustrated storytelling is a universal language. The permanent collection will hold more than 40,000 works, representing one of the most significant collections of narrative art. The 35 galleries will display familiar pieces by illustrators; mural paintings from the 20th and 21st centuries; comic art, of which the museum has deep and extensive holdings; science fiction illustrations; movie posters; cinematic artifacts; and documentaries.

Restaurants: the Noma pop-up and the must-visit places

Renowned worldwide for its three Michelin stars and its title as the world’s best restaurant by World’s Best Restaurant, the Danish restaurant Noma is coming to Los Angeles for the first time in a six-month pop-up format at the fantastic Paramour Estate villa in Silver Lake. Set to open in spring 2026. 

Also worth noting are the openings announced for 2026 of Spacca Tutto, a new restaurant by chef Nancy Silverton of Osteria Mozza, planned for the Palisades Village, which was damaged by fires last year. The chef is also preparing to open a diner in Larchmont called Max & Helen in partnership with television host and producer Phil Rosenthal.

Still among the most popular restaurants in the fashion world, Barr Seco and Bar Siesta in Silver Lake, Horses in West Hollywood, Ètra in Melrose Hill, Café Tondo in Chinatown, The Benjamin in Hollywood, Cipriani in Beverly Hills, Vespertine in Culver City, and RVR in Venice are the places to be this year.

Hotels: Public West Hollywood and Hotel Lucile

Following the Mondrian Hotel and The West Hollywood Edition Hotel, hotelier Ian Schrager will open the Public West Hollywood Hotel in March 2026, almost 10 years after the opening of the New York location. 

Located on the Sunset Strip in a landmark building, the Public West Hollywood will offer 137 rooms with a design executed by Schrager in collaboration with British architect John Pawson. Standout amenities will include a pool and a social hub lobby, in addition to three destination food, beverage, and entertainment outlets. The crowning glory of the hotel will be a lushly landscaped 16,000-square-foot open-air rooftop terrace with 360-degree views of Los Angeles.

The hotel will showcase “Schrager’s vision of democratic luxury through curated multi-sensory experiences built on great service, style, entertainment, and experience,” according to the press release. Reservations will be available in early January 2026.

Announced in early 2025, the Lucile boutique hotel in Silver Lake is finally set to open its doors in the first quarter of 2026 in a former church dating back to 1931. The Casetta hotel group will operate this 25-room hotel with a swimming pool, rooftop, restaurant, and bar.