Everything we loved at Paris Fashion Week SS26 (until now)

Fashion month has already given us plenty to talk about—from the buzzy runways of New York to the bold statements in London and the sleek sophistication of Milan. But Paris, as always, saves the best for last. With 74 shows and 37 presentations lined up, the city’s glittering nine-day finale promises nothing short of a blockbuster season. And this year, anticipation is running higher than ever, thanks to a string of landmark debuts: Jonathan Anderson at Dior, Miguel Castro Freitas at Mugler, Mark Thomas at Carven, Jack & Lazaro at Loewe, Glenn Martens at Maison Margiela, Pierpaolo Piccioli at Balenciaga, Duran Lantink at Jean Paul Gaultier, and Matthieu Blazy at Chanel. It’s a schedule packed to the brim, but then again—when it comes to fashion, we’ll always have Paris.

Here are some of the hottest moments from Paris Fashion Week S/S26.

Day 1

Saint Laurent
 

Saint Laurent kicked off PFW with a dreamy night under the stars, and the Eiffel Tower, of course. Anthony Vaccarello leaned into his signatures this season, delivering razor-sharp tailoring, fluid draping, and a brand of sensual minimalism that makes an impact without raising its voice. The collection played with opposites—strong-shouldered jackets set against slinky, asymmetrical dresses, oversized leather bombers balanced by sheer, weightless fabrics. Each look carried a quiet confidence, showing that power and seduction aren’t opposing forces, but two sides of the same coin.

 

It was a supermodel summit—Linda Evangelista, Kate Moss, and Carla Bruni on the runway. Bella Hadid walked in a translucent black trenchcoat, accessorised with oversized sunglasses and statement earrings. This collection wasn’t just about elegance; it was about intent. Models walked through a garden of white hydrangeas, hedges forming the YSL logo from above, with the Eiffel Tower glowing behind them, which is perhaps exactly how fashion heaven looks. Vaccarello’s vision reminded us that Saint Laurent is not only timeless, but also deeply attuned to the way women want to dress right now: unapologetically, with purpose, and always with an edge.

 

Day 2

Louis Vuitton
 

 

Nicolas Ghesquiere flipped the script at Louis Vuitton this season, trading his trademark futurism for something softer: the comfort of home. Shown in the newly restored summer apartments of Anne of Austria at the Louvre, the collection was a study in intimacy and ease, but elevated to a Vuitton scale. “It’s fun to dress up at home too,” Ghesquiere said backstage, and that sentiment unfolded in coats with teddy-bear textures, bathrobe-inspired outerwear, fuzzy knits, and toga-like dresses that felt both playful and serene.

 

Experimentation was not far away—he reimagined a camel coat as a romper, showered brushed silk robes with scattered jewels, and closed with gowns strung in degrade beading that resembled blurred garden vistas. Even the simplest looks—cotton tops, wide-legged silk trousers, socks and sandals (in glossy brocade, no less) carried a luxe ease that made “domestic dressing” suddenly aspirational. The setting only reinforced the theme: guests wandered through a closed Louvre, past Winged Victory and gilded ceilings, into rooms staged with antiques, Art Deco seating, and ceramics curated by Marie-Anne Derville. Cate Blanchett’s voice floated over the show, reading Talking Heads’ This Must Be the Place. Home, in Vuitton’s world, is where comfort and couture meet.

 

Courreges
 

At Courreges, Nicolas Di Felice staged a show that felt like watching the sun rise and burn across the sky. The quintessential square runway was replaced with a circle to set the stage for a cyclical narrative of heat and light. Guests were primed for the theme even before they arrived—the invite was a pair of Courreges sunglasses, which everyone wore as the show began (so Anna Wintour wasn’t the only one sporting a pair). Beneath the seats, the sound system thumped, vibrating as the first models emerged in accessories that seemed to be “melting” away. The collection climbed in degrees, from icy 22 to blazing 30.

 

At the start, cool teal and navy washed over sheer tops, skirts, and veiled caps. Midway, swimsuits fused with checkered bottoms and leather outerwear, before the heat flared at 26 with cutout bombers, sleek co-ords, and fluid eveningwear. By 30 degrees, metallic accessories, slashed vinyl, and bleached dresses closed the show with both urgency and radiance. It was futuristic, sensual, and charged with Di Felice’s signature build of intensity—a meditation on climate, extremes, and the allure of Courreges' heat.

 

Dries Van Noten
 

At Dries Van Noten, spring was all about catching a wave, literally! Inspired by surfers and the rhythm of the sea, creative director Julian Klausner translated the simple yet majestic act of surfing into a collection brimming with optimism and colour. Models emerged like radiant sea creatures, awash in shades of lemon, lime, tangerine, and bright green. Sheer kaftans shimmered with sequins that mimicked sunlight on water, while rhinestone-trimmed shifts rippled with movement. Klausner’s trademark contrasts were everywhere: sculptural wool tops recalling wetsuits paired with diaphanous skirts, boyish olive shorts transformed with ornate embroidery, and Seargant Pepper-style military coats rendered in unexpected hues like canary yellow and midnight velvet.

 

Even wardrobe staples—fluid jersey tops with exaggerated ruffles, tailored jackets in two-tone combinations—were given a shot of drama and wit. Accessories kept the energy alive, with slim sneakers in a rainbow of colours grounding the collection in Klausner’s vision of “accessible, beautiful” clothes that radiate joy. The overall effect was couture-meets-coastline: part surfer’s wetsuit, part grand couture fantasy, entirely Dries. This season, Van Noten proved once again that fashion doesn’t have to choose between strength and softness, utility and fantasy. Sometimes, like riding a wave, it’s about finding the perfect balance.

 

Stella McCartney

 

 

Leave it to Stella McCartney to turn Paris Fashion Week into both a runway and a rallying cry. The Spring/Summer 2026 show at the Centre Pompidou opened with none other than Helen Mirren reciting the Beatles’ Come Together, and from that moment, the message was clear: this wasn’t just fashion, it was protest, poetry, and power. On the runway, Stella served up sharp boxy suits, marshmallowy dresses, pom-poms, and feather-free feathery cocktail looks. Alex Consani glided out in lilac ruffles that looked light as air but carried the weight of McCartney’s eco-driven vision. The palette balanced dreamy pastels with jolts of turquoise and pink, proving that softness and strength can walk hand-in-hand. And then came the finale– three jaw-dropping gowns adorned with feathers that weren’t feathers at all, but Fevvers, the world’s first plant-based alternative. Glamour without cruelty, decadence without compromise. “Brands who continue to use feathers are choosing cruelty over creativity,” McCartney declared, and the audience knew they’d just witnessed a turning point. This was Stella at her best: playful, powerful, and planet-conscious. In a week full of archival revivals, she reminded us that the future (bold, bright, and feather-free) can still strut with serious style.

 

Lead image: Getty Images

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