Next year, we’ll mostly be indulging in maximalist circus decor, working on our poetcore, hunting for the ethereal or eating cabbage in a bid for “individuality and self-preservation”, according to Pinterest.

The organisation’s predictions for Australian trends in 2026 have landed, which – according to the platform used by interior decorators, fashion lovers and creatives of all stripes – includes 1980s, aliens, vampires and “forest magic”.

The bookish and weird is the inspiration for ‘the poet aesthetic’, which jumped in search popularity this year. Photograph: Naomi Rahim/WireImage

Among the Pinterest 2026 trends report’s top 21 themes are “Afrohemian” decor (searches for the term are on the rise by baby boomers and Gen X); “glitchy glam” (asymmetric haircuts and mismatching nails); and “cool blue” (drinks, wedding dresses and makeup with a “glacier aesthetic”).

Pinterest compared English-language search data from September 2024 to August 2025 with those of the year before and claims it has an 88% accuracy rate. More than 9 million Australians use Pinterest each month.

Wednesday’s report found searches for 1980s luxury soared by 225%, “Scotland Highlands aesthetic” by 465% and “the poet aesthetic” by 175%. “Poetcore” – a key trend for Gen Z and millennials - takes its inspiration from the bookish: turtlenecks, fountain pens, satchels and ties.

Photograph: Eugenio Marongiu/Getty Images/Image SourceWill millenials be going poetcore in 2026? Photograph: Alexander Spatari/Getty Images

Driven by Gen Z and millennials, lace will be in, according to the data, including in doily, bandana and makeup form – as will khaki, field jackets and pleated trousers, aka the “paleontologist aesthetic”.

They’ll also be working an intergalactic “aliencore aesthetic”.

For Gen Z and millennials, travel will be adrenaline-seeking; for baby boomers, it will be to places that are “mystical” and “ethereal”. Searches for “Faroe Island aesthetic” almost doubled.

‘Gummy bears aesthetic’ searches aren’t looking for candy – it’s more about makeup products and nail art. Photograph: Anna Efetova/Getty Images

Pinterest predicts boomer and Gen X food trends to be cruciferous, with kimchi, dumplings and golumpki soup all raising the cabbage’s status. A younger trend for a “gummy bears aesthetic” goes beyond sweets and into makeup products and rubberised nail art.

And “niche perfume collection” is having its moment in the sun, as are “perfume layering combinations”.

Pinterest said there was a theme uniting trends as disparate as masquerades and operas, dragonfly wing-patterned nails and animal-inspired outfits, forecasting a move towards individuality and away from imitation.

The future is now for devotees of aliencore aesthetics. Photograph: Jacob Wackerhausen/Getty Images

Melinda Petrunoff, the managing director for Pinterest ANZ, told Guardian Australia that “people are craving comfort, authenticity and grounded optimism in a world that feels increasingly fast and often noisy”.

“What’s driving this is a desire for individuality and self-preservation – people are moving towards curating rather than copying, choosing to engage with what truly resonates with them instead of chasing every viral moment,” she said.

“We’re moving away from one-size-fits-all aesthetics and endless trend cycles that leave people feeling overwhelmed and disconnected.”