Paris Fashion Week AW26
Gallery / 42 images
Congratulations. You’ve not only survived the final stop of AW26, but aced fashion month altogether. Paris Fashion Week was a particularly intense finale: creative directors unveiled their sophomore collections, tech bros raised eyebrows in the front row, and Betsey Johnson teamed up with Lyas’s La Watchparty for her Uniform show, revealing the catwalk to the audience behind a disappearing screen.
Elsewhere, the City of Love seemed to be all about contrasts this season. Some designers leaned into their ‘touch grass’ era. Butterflies at Chanel symbolised the circle of life, Jonathan Anderson’s invited us to his (lily) pad at Dior, while models walked through moss at Louis Vuitton. Elsewhere, things went full cyborg, with Duran Lantink’s second outing for Jean Paul Gaultier delivering a slightly toned-down but still characteristically loud take on futurism. Meanwhile, longevity biohacker Bryan Johnson made an unexpected runway appearance at Matières Fécales.
Click here to revisit all those shows and more – but for everything else you missed, scroll through our list below.
For his third collection at Celine, Michael Rider may be settling in, but he is hardly a newcomer. Having spent a decade designing at the house when Phoebe Philo was in charge, his appointment feels less like an arrival and more like a homecoming. Now steering the ship himself, Rider’s own visual language at Celine is becoming clearer with each season. The collection leaned heavily into Parisian chic, a defining principle for Celine, styled in a way that felt ready to walk straight off the runway and into real life. In show notes, Rider made clear that his Celine is about “style without irony” and “rejecting the idea of a ‘concept’.” The result was a wardrobe built on staples: slimline trousers, boxy long wool coats, leopard-print outerwear, and fluid satin sets, as chic as they are wearable. From perfectly cut black midi skirts that could be styled a million ways, to light beige trenches ideal for the spring months, it was clear Rider was aiming for longevity, designing pieces meant to be worn and reworn.
The accessories were equally strong. While we await the next breakout It-bag to follow in the Phantom’s footsteps, Rider’s colourful clutches and totes stepped in as statement pieces, the kind that make you instinctively reach for the ‘Add to cart’ button. After years of ‘Philophiles’ and ‘Hedi Boys’, the question now becomes: what do Rider’s followers call ourselves?
It made sense that one of the most political shows of AW26 would be in Paris, because no one does a political revolution quite like the French. In their AW26 collection, titled The 1%, Matières Fécales designers Hannah Rose Dalton and Steven Raj Bhaskaran offered a piece of their mind. The collection was a study of power, wealth, and those who crave it, explored through obvious cues: gags made of dollar bills, Lady Macbeth-style blood-stained gloves, and gluttonous, powdery mille-feuille skirts. All of these touches were meant to represent the many faces of the 1%, and of course, no Matières Fécales show would be complete without white face paint. Elsewhere, longevity guru Bryan Johnson walked the runway in American Psycho-esque styling, followed by a finance bro quarter-zip ensemble. The collection was charged, critical, and even self-critical at times – luxury holding a mirror up to itself.
In his debut outing for Balmain, Antonin Tron dug his fingers through the archives and honed in on the house’s essence. The collection paid homage to one of Pierre Balmain’s most iconic creations, a uniform originally worn by Danielle Décure, Air France’s first female pilots; here, Tron swapped the traditional blue flight attendant palette for something moodier and more sensual. Extending his homage to the house’s original codes and paying further tribute to Monsieur Balmain, the collection also made use of features and high-quality animal prints, like tiger, leopard, and crocodile.
Tron’s vision steered away from the maximalist flash we saw from his predecessor, Olivier Rousteing. Gone were the Kim K Met Gala dresses, armadillo-esque jeans and geometric crop tops, replaced by structured evening suits; moody, embellished minis, lacy peekaboo detailing, and velvet jackets with cinched shoulders. Power dressing, the Balmain way, for the 2026 woman. Wherever Tron decides to steer things next – sticking with the restraint of his own brand Atlein, or leaning into Rousteing-level spectacle – we’re already on board.
If Haider Ackermann’s previous collections made the ghouls and nightcrawlers walking home at sunrise look attractive, this outing seemed to ask a different question: what if the next day at the office was just as alluring? On the runway, workplace staples were subtly distorted. PVC, an unexpected material in the Tom Ford universe, appeared in pencil skirts, trench coats and headscarves. Shirts hung open but remained tucked in, while blazers arrived without trousers, revealing delicate lace underlayers, as though borrowed in haste from a corporate boyfriend’s wardrobe. The effect was all about contrast.
Where Ford often leaned into overt sensuality, Ackermann seems more interested in tension, or the quiet power of suggestion. Nothing here was explicitly vulgar. Instead, the collection teased. Everyday garments were quietly reprogrammed into something charged, proving that under Ackermann’s watch, almost nothing at Tom Ford is safe from being eroticised.
Generally in fashion, being told your most recent collection is your simplest yet might seem like a back-handed compliment. For Alaïa, however, a house defined by a famously sleek aesthetic, it feels more like a pat on the back, and this is undeniably one of Pieter Mulier’s most “Alaïa” collections yet. Under bright fluorescent lighting, with a flock of A-listers at arm’s length, you start to realise how brave Mulier is. Every stitch and every flaw has the potential to be visible, yet his craftsmanship means that everything is taken care of.
Now, as he prepares to move from his quieter home to Versace, a notably louder house, we can’t help but wonder how his skills will translate. One thing is certain, though: Pieter Mulier is good at goodbyes, specifically the kind stitched with enough precision to linger in your mind and wardrobe for seasons to come.
There is always an extra bit of magic in collections designed by women. Whether it’s the way they embrace femininity, working alongside the female form instead of against it, or the way they create practical clothing, understanding the need for pockets, we always wait eagerly for their collections, because they are likely to become our daily staples. Chemena Kamali seemed to design her AW26 collection with exactly that spirit in mind. The functional layering and feminine structures which have always embodied the carefree ‘Chloé girl’ were present, but remade in a way that drew upon folklore and traditional costumes: imagine “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush if she was strutting through a Nordic forest.
Speaking of, shoes are always a highlight at Chloé and this collection did not disappoint. Thigh-high embroidered boots quickly became an audience favourite, with the only real complaint being that guests would have to wait six months before they could wear them themselves.
Is the hottest accessory this season going to be a neon neck? Daniel Roseberry certainly thinks so. In his latest collection for Schiaparelli, the American mastermind continued to enthrall us with the absurd-turned-elegant, from knitted midi skirts panelled with mesh to literal kitten heels with cats sculpted into the toes. Elsewhere, Roseberry presented an array of sculpted three-piece suits contrasted by liquid-gold maxi evening dresses and glamorous mesh-embellished ensembles. There is something for everyone in a Roseberry collection. As long as you have an eye for show-stopping tailoring and a taste for glamour, he’s got you covered. With a Schiaparelli exhibition opening at the V&A this spring, this collection would fit seamlessly among the rest of the museum’s artwork.
Avant-garde draped silhouettes, ghoulish casting, and a front row that could pass for an eldritch court are all things you expect at a Rick Owens show. But would you expect colourful furs? Patterned ballooned sleeves? Sequined boots? In his AW26 collection, Owens pushed his vision further than ever, proving the limitless scope of his creative direction. Titled Tower, the collection referenced the prayer “Temple of Love, Tower of Light”, exploring the contrast of hope and devotion beside enforcement and control.
Long-haired goat hide coats and draped velvet sat next to mélange wool pieces; high-collared marbled felt cloaks paired with elf ears conjured the sense that an army of elves had taken over the runway. Kevlar, a fibre typically used in bulletproof vests, was woven into many of the garments, meaning these mythical figures were not just stylish – they were battle-ready.
After a hectic Saturday at PFW, the new collection from Issey Miyake felt like meditating in a Zen garden. Its usual pilot, Satoshi Kondo, presented a collection defined by the sculptural innovation that has long been the house’s signature. The wardrobe leaned into staples: beige suit trousers, draped long black coats, and structured tailoring featuring high architectural necks and sculpted shoulders. Even the bolder pieces, rendered in statement colours, mostly stuck to the house’s signature geometric silhouettes. The designs felt timeless, rather than dictacted by the churn of seasonal trends.
Structured blouses and sculpted leather pieces, though fixed in architectural shapes, never felt heavy or restrictive, reading as wearable clothing rather than something which sits awkwardly on top of the body. One standout was a dress featuring wax-like corsetry, created from layers of glued paper by Kyoto artisans, which controlled a sea of fabric draped around the bodice.
As creative director Peter Copping noted, “Jeanne Lanvin was a visionary of her time whose interests and passions extended far beyond fashion, as do my own.” Eveningwear proved to be the collection’s focus, with more than twenty gowns embodying the refined Parisian femininity that has long defined the house. Sequined midi dresses shimmering from head to toe sat alongside all-black ensembles and vibrant floral maxis, each nodding to the elegance of 1920s silhouettes. There was, quite simply, an evening dress for every taste and occasion.
The true statement pieces, however, were the hats. Oversized and cape-like, often falling low enough to obscure the eyes, they appeared in multiple fabrics and colours, accessorising both suits and gowns while adding an air of mystery to the collection. Leading France’s longest-standing fashion house carries immense pressure, but it appears that Copping is unfazed by the challenge.
Presented at the historic Hôtel de Ville, Yohji Yamamoto’s AW26 collection felt like an intimate gathering of old friends. Few guests were invited, and as the greeting cards specified, no screens were allowed – just us and the clothes. The collection drew on Yamamoto’s heritage, with the kimono reimagined as modern armor. Draping was altered, layered, and ultimately transformed for contemporary wear, pairing Japanese fabrication with Parisian craftsmanship.
Patterned coats, knotted dresses, and multifabric ensembles blurred the line between garment types: was it a shirt, trousers, a dress, or one impossibly constructed piece? Garments refused to be boxed by archetypes or constrained by expectation, moving instead in free-flowing forms. Laced panelled dresses and intricate knotting swayed as models walked slowly down the runway, each step revealing the fluidity of the design. Hair was gelled upright and adorned with the seemingly impossible – telephones, broken plates, tassels – continuing the mystique of Yamamoto’s craftsmanship and our fascination with his enduring inventiveness.
Junya Watanabe has long been fascinated with deconstruction, and this season was no exception. The collection arrived as a patchwork of unorthodox materials and unexpected garments – heeled boots worn as sleeves, a dress constructed from rulers, and another threaded with strands of hair sewn directly into the fabric. Irina Shayk, for example, wore a bodice assembled entirely from gloves. The melting together of these patched materials warped the viewer’s perception. Pieces blended into one another, disorienting the eye until it became difficult to distinguish where one garment ended and another began. After all, in Watanabe’s world, it’s all fabric at the end of the day.
Runny makeup and the show’s signature choreography (models swaying from side to side before tossing jackets to the floor) only intensified the sense of visual confusion. Toys, emergency blankets, and helmets stitched into gowns should not make sense, yet under Watanabe’s hand they shed their original purpose, transforming utilitarian objects into something entirely new.
When you think of Hermès, you often think of traditional silhouettes, more often than not pulled from the archives. For her AW26 collection, however, Nadège Vanhée gave that ethos a utilitarian, futuristic edge. Equestrian references, long a house signature, returned once again. Jumping boots, this time stretched over the knee, appeared alongside fitted riding-style bodysuits cut from supple leathers in a range of earthy tones. But these familiar shapes were sharpened with modern, technical details: utilitarian zip-through panelling, lightweight materials that maintained both breathability and structure, and streamlined utility touches that subtly pushed the silhouette into the future.
Even the beloved Birkin bag received a practical update in a new cargo-style iteration. In contrast, smaller leather goods such as the Picotin bag appeared in compact micro versions rendered in polished box leather. Vanhée described the collection as “resolutely about modernism”, exploring how design can move with fluidity and sensuality while also addressing questions of female agency.
Ottolinger has always made clothes for women who refuse to behave. Titled The Female Fool, its AW26 collection took its cue from the German artist Isa Genzken, who once described herself as “the only female fool”, reclaiming the idea of the unruly woman who takes up space, speaks her mind, and refuses to apologise. On the runway, outerwear took centre stage. Twisted brown teddy-fur coats appeared in multiple variations all cut from the same cloth. Some cropped, others long and belted, with one sculpted to echo corsetry. Leather pieces were intricately shaped, emphasising structure and movement.
The show was soundtracked by Madonna’s daughter Lourdes Leon, who also sat front row. The atmosphere felt deliberately unruly, but the result was less about shock and more about celebration, an ode to women doing exactly what they want. It was a fitting show to be presented on International Women’s Day.
