Maria's analysis of this month’s trend insights:

September’s Top 10 shows holiday planning moving into full swing, while bows, blue palettes, and playful design directions create some of the month’s most interesting movement.

Kawaii christmas holds firmly at #1 yet again. After months at or near the top, it’s clear that this isn’t simply a seasonal spike. Shoppers are consistently drawn to Christmas through a specific aesthetic lens — cute, girly, preppy, and pastel. Now that we’re moving into fall, that long-running interest is especially important for designers preparing and promoting their holiday collections.

At #2, cute winter climbs three spots, adding another signal that shoppers are transitioning toward colder-weather themes. Rather than relying only on traditional winter imagery, there may be room to interpret the season through softer, more playful motifs — think cute snow scenes, whimsical characters, and cozy patterns that can work throughout winter rather than for Christmas alone.

Bows continue to be one of the strongest stories of 2026. The broad search bow climbs three spots to #3, while the newcomer blue bows enters all the way at #4. Pink bows falls seven positions to #10, but I don’t see that as evidence that bows themselves are fading. Instead, shoppers may be getting more specific about the versions they want. After such a long period dominated by pink and coquette styling, blue bows could point toward a fresh color evolution of an already established motif.

That possibility becomes even more interesting when we look at blue flower, which makes one of the month’s biggest moves, jumping 31 spots to #5. With both blue bows and blue flower in the Top 5, blue is a color direction worth watching. Designers might experiment with combining these signals — blue florals with bows, for example — rather than treating each keyword as an isolated trend.

Another big mover is funny, up 12 spots to #6. This is a much broader search than many of the others in the Top 10, but its rise suggests there’s room for designs driven by humor and personality, not just a particular motif or aesthetic. Quirky illustrations, unexpected combinations, and designs that simply make someone smile may be worth exploring.

At #7, newcomer I love you cursive script brings typography into the Top 10 and adds another layer to the romantic themes we’ve been tracking. The accompanying searches for cursive writing and hearts suggest an opportunity to combine hand-lettered elements with florals, bows, or other sentimental motifs. It could also be an early signal to watch as designers begin thinking ahead to Valentine’s Day.

Christmas returns again at #8 and #9 with preppy christmas and pink christmas. Together with kawaii christmas at #1, three of this month’s Top 10 searches are specifically Christmas-related — and each describes a distinct aesthetic interpretation of the holiday. That distinction matters. Shoppers aren’t necessarily searching simply for “Christmas”; they’re looking for Christmas that fits their personal style.

Finally, pink bows remains in the Top 10 despite its seven-position drop. With bow, blue bows, and pink bows all appearing together, September offers a great example of how a successful motif can branch into multiple searchable micro-trends rather than simply disappearing when its original aesthetic begins to mature.

Overall, September is about specificity. Christmas is breaking into recognizable sub-aesthetics, bows are expanding into new color directions, and blue is showing up strongly across both floral and decorative motifs. For designers, the opportunity may be less about finding the next completely new trend and more about refreshing proven motifs through new colors, combinations, and aesthetics.