From Zomer’s footprint on the runway to Stella McCartney’s call to “Come Together.”
Paris Fashion WeekSpring/Summer 2026 closes the month’s womenswear circuit, but the energy was unbelievable. The city braced itself for a wave of debuts and fresh leadership across its biggest houses. First up was Jonathan Anderson‘s debut at Dior, a highly anticipated moment attended by brand ambassadors and friends of the brand, including Rosalía and Jisoo. Chanel also welcomed a major shift this season as Matthieu Blazy made his debut at the helm of the luxury brand. Meanwhile, Maison Margiela entered a new era with Glenn Martens stepping in as creative director, and Pierpaolo Piccioli presented his debut showcase for Balenciaga.
Outside of debuts, we’ve seen a wide range of emerging designer showcases, collaborations and immersive presentations. Our favorites so far include Zomer‘s multi-colored paint runway, GANNI‘s nod to Parisian classics, Stella McCartney‘s eco-friendly RTW and Cecilie Bahnsen‘s continued partnerships with The North Face and ASICS.
Keep reading to explore our highlights from the SS26 season in the city of love.
Everyone is obsessed with the future, but for SS26, Zomer looked to the past; a world of make believe and dressing up for fun. Playing with the “tension between growing up and blowing up,” Danial Aitouganov marked the brand’s fifth official PFW show with an explosion of color. The models walked down the runway into a giant paint palette, leaving trails of multi-color footsteps in their path. As for the garments, think pocket-sized to supersized with XXL belts, engagement rings and bows. Sleeves ballooned, skirts swelled and proportions went euphorically off-script. Instead of minimalism, Zomer leaned into maximal joy with loud colors, cheerful drama and a healthy sense of humor.
Stella McCartney’s Call to “Come Together”
Stella McCartney turned Centre Pompidou into a rallying cry for the planet. Helen Mirren opened the show by reciting The Beatles’ “Come Together,” which acted as a mission statement and set the tone for a collection rooted in optimism and innovation. Nearly every material was conscious or upcycled, spun into cargo minis with crinoline hems and 80s-inspired ready-to-wear. Deconstructed denim stitched from Pure. Tech literally cleaned the air as it moved. The finale stole the show with the brand’s plant-based “Fevvers” replacing feathers on a lavender bodysuit, worn by Alex Consani.
Cecilie Bahnsen’s ASICS and The North Face Collabs
For her third collaboration with The North Face, Cecilie Bahnsen delivered full gorp-girl energy. The collection continued its floating florals with technical zippers and new transparent iterations if its voluminous gowns. A standout from the collection was the designer’s use of LED lights, which were seen covering the hearts of models as well as under their eyes. As for the colorways, olive layers grounded the garments while bright pinks and deep reds demanded attention. Plus, Bahnsen continued her partnership with ASICS, debuting three new collaborative sneakers with floral motifs and cutouts. In short, why choose between romance and resilience when you can have both?
Torishéju’s “Uncanny” Take on the Classic Uniform
British-Nigerian designer Torishéju Dumi is having a huge year. Fresh from winning the LVMH Savoir-Faire prize and dressing Kendall at the Met Gala, the designer’s SS26 “DŪRER” collection deconstructs the uniform to capture our “uncanny” times. Opened by Naomi Campbell once again, Dumi told Hypebae the collection was about “turning it on its head,” twisting familiar silhouettes into something beautifully strange. Grounded in an “obsession” with pattern cutting, it featured sculptural Kangol hats inspired by Princess Diana and wooden beads exploring themes of hollowness in the digital age, cementing Torishéju as a label that won’t only dress us elegantly but will make us think, too.
Balmain’s Baroque Era Is… Over?
It was a sort of homecoming for Olivier Rousteing, who returned to the glam ballroom of the Intercontinental Hotel for the first time since making his debut at the same venue for the French maison of Balmain back in 2011. Instead of the decadent, tight dresses of that time, the SS26 collection had a far more organic feel to it. Where he was once baroque, there is now a bohemian feel to his designs, albeit generously tasseled and heavily fringed. The seashell pieces stood out most for their mermaid-core aesthetic, but the ’80s silhouette stays strong and true.
Ami Paris’s Presentation
There’s been plenty of talk this season about men dressing women, especially with so many male designers debuting at major fashion houses. But Alexandre Mattiussi is one man who truly knows how to do it, and does so exceptionally well. In a sun-drenched room overlooking Place des Victoires, AMI Paris’s SS26 collection felt as elegant and effortless as ever: a modern take on luxury streetwear rendered in muted greens and mustard yellows, softened by off-whites, beige and subtle stripes. The magic lies in the layering: relaxed yet perfectly composed and effortless. Supple leather pieces stood out as highlights, as did the quietly covetable mini Mimi and Carrousel bags.
grounds’ Alien Footwear
Oh, to be in grounds creative director Mikio Sakabe’s mind for just one day. The Japanese label unveiled its first-ever PFW runway show in a dimly lit parking garage and the vibes were very… alien. For a brand that has never been interested in realism, its SS26 collection pushes further into its futuristic, extraterrestrial realm. The garments were ripped, muddied and ballooned. Even the smallest gestures felt infected: socks became gloves, ties were wired into serpentine coils and models wore bug-eyed shades. As ever, the shoes were the origin point for grounds. Everything above the ankle seemed to evolve in response to the footwear, not the other way around. From head to toe, this is a brand you need to know.
Rabanne’s Fun, Miami-Coded Escape
If the palm leaf-sprouting shoes didn’t get you, the plastic-rimmed mirrored scuba sunnies certainly made you smile. Julien Dossena‘s SS26 collection for Rabanne was a breath of fresh air, as it was utterly joyous, evoking the sunny feeling of sipping a mimosa in the Miami Design District. While other designers this season looked to their newsfeeds with anguish, Dossena searched for escape underwater. Inspired by ’40s and ’50s designs – including cocktail dresses and swimming costumes – his designs echoed couture constructions, but made them fun through cartoony leaves, poppy floral prints, crystal embroideries, and, of course, conceptual chromes à la Rabanne.
Issey Miyake’s Spirited Styles
There was a rebellious streak in Satoshi Kondo’s Issey Miyake this season. The opening garments declared “I am autonomous” and “I am animated,” a nod to the central question behind Kondo’s collection: What if garments were conscious? And these certainly seemed to be. They wore their emotions quite literally on their sleeves, or shoulders, in the case of the angsty teen-y opening looks that seemed to have hunched shoulders, held high around the ears. Other garments had extra sleeves poking from the shoulders or leg holes at the hip, defying convention and uniformity. There was a series of looks that were keen to show off the consumption behind them, too: concealing toilet paper, plastic bottles and even pens behind sheer layers of fabric. Overall, it was a witty exploration of what “dress sense” might mean, not just for the wearer, but for the clothing itself, which has an often-forgotten-about attitude all its own.
Victoria Beckham’s New Mood
It’s a shame that so many headlines will likely focus on Brooklyn and Nicola Peltz Beckham’s absence from the FROW this season once more, but Victoria Beckham‘s famous family and her own history have long loomed over her fashion brand. Still, 20 years into it and on her eighth Paris Fashion Week outing, back at Val-de-Grâce, SS26 felt assured and distinctly grown-up. There was lots of newness on show – including an all-new beauty collection in collaboration with Lucia Pica, boxy bags and lingerie-light dresses – but a great deal of the relaxed, but oh-so-chic tailoring that the British designer has become synonymous with. The palette of creams, tans, navy and black was softly interrupted by flashes of dusky pink, duck egg and cobalt blue. Overall, it felt light, wearable and just the right amount of formal, which perhaps hints at a new, more confident mood for VB.
Vivienne Westwood’s Heidi Klum Moment
Andreas Kronthaler presented his latest collection for Vivienne Westwood this season, titled “Boudoir.” According to the show notes, SS26 took inspiration from the design of old curtain drapes, with Kronthaler paying particular attention to the Italian fabrics found in the markets where he currently lives. “I live in Milan and spent time on a Sicilian island this summer – more than anything, I wanted to capture the spirit of the Mediterranean. What was most important is that everything looks easy and lived in, worn, simple to care for – neither old, nor new – real clothes that belong to the people that wear them. I used skins of lace, punched leather, embroideries left in drawers – nothing went to waste,” the designer explained. Closing the show was model Heidi Klum, who debuted a new white bridal dress.
CELINE’s Skinny Jeans Comeback
According to Michael Rider, CELINE SS26 was a “continuation” of his debut, interrogating what CELINE is and what it isn’t. Looking at how fashion fits into the memories we make, the collection featured a slew of house signatures like classic denim and tailoring, injected with playful hits of color, silk scarves and prints, and most importantly: the controversial return of skinny jeans.
Coperni’s Intimate Affair
Following on from its landmark LAN party and Kylie Jenner at Disneyland-style showcases, Coperni opted for a smaller, more intimate affair this season, diverting our attention to the art of care. The result is the brand’s new C+ range, described by the brand as “a line of innovative carewear, designed to work with the body’s natural microbiome and developed over several years with scientists.” Making its official debut on the runway, the new “Regenerative Garments” comprised a top, bodysuit and leggings, embedded with pre- and probiotics.
thom browne’s Extra-terrestrial Agenda
thom browne was one of this season’s quiet highlights, taking place on the penultimate day of PFW and sandwiched by shows like Miu Miu and Chanel. However, despite the stiff competition, SS26 was probably one of the best shows and collections we’ve seen from the brand to date. Inviting guests to witness a polite alien invasion, the surrealist looks were complemented by crystallized alien helmets, digital auction padels and ultra high platform heels.
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