he Paris Fashion Week for Spring/Summer 2026 menswear and Fall/Winter 2025–2026 Haute Couture delivered a remarkable blend of creative renewal, historical homage and heightened celebrity visibility. Held across two high-profile segments from June 24 to 29 (Menswear) and July 7 to 10 (Couture), the season captured both a nostalgic reverence for fashion heritage and a daring push into the future. With 69 official menswear shows (39 runways and 30 presentations) and 27 couture houses on the roster, Paris reaffirmed its status as fashion's ultimate epicenter.

The Spring/Summer 2026 menswear season was marked by pivotal shifts: numerous major fashion houses introduced new creative directors or returned after prolonged absences. Notably, Saint Laurent staged its first dedicated menswear show in years. Dior Homme debuted under Jonathan Anderson, and Craig Green returned to Paris after a three-year hiatus. Dries Van Noten's first menswear show under new designer Julian Klausner was another milestone. The atmosphere was dynamic and transitional, balancing heritage with experimental spirit.

‍

‍

Louis Vuitton by Pharrell Williams: "Paris to India"

Pharrell Williams' latest collection for Louis Vuitton, showcased in front of the Centre Pompidou, was titled "Paris to India" and drew rich inspiration from contemporary Indian sartorial culture. Following research trips to Delhi, Mumbai and Jaipur, the collection featured a vivid palette: turmeric yellow, terracotta orange, earthy chartreuse and deep violet. Silhouettes ranged from loose tailoring for tropical climates to gorpcore-influenced parkas with removable trousers. Playful Damier prints and hand-painted motifs. Including a giant snakes-and-ladders runway installation. Paid homage to Wes Anderson's The Darjeeling Limited. Williams paired retro suits with shrunken sweaters, creating a nostalgic but fresh silhouette. Everyday garments like polos and chinos were rendered in luxury fabrics. The show accompanied by a live gospel choir, sitar ensemble, and music by A.R. Rahman was widely considered his strongest LV presentation yet. Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Omar Sy, Spike Lee and NBA star Victor Wembanyama added A-list luster to the front row.

‍

Dior Homme by Jonathan Anderson: Debut of a New Era

Anderson’s debut at Dior Homme, held in the historic Cour du Dôme, was a critical success. As the first designer since Christian Dior himself to oversee both menswear and couture, expectations were sky-high. Anderson responded with a collection blending eccentric prep and Dior’s archival elements. He reimagined Dior’s iconic Bar Jacket in tweed with exaggerated cargo shorts. The palette broke with the house’s gray-dominated legacy, offering vibrant greens, pinks and blues. Proportions were daring - knee-length shorts paired with puffed vests and Jabot collars. Dior classics like the Book Tote were updated with Dracula and Dangerous Liaisons prints. Front-row attendees included Rihanna, Daniel Craig and the Arnault family.

‍

Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello: Fire Island Fantasy

Returning to the menswear calendar, Saint Laurent presented a queer-coded beach fantasy inspired by Fire Island. Under 30°C heat and a windswept outdoor runway, models wore neon shorts, see-through mesh tank tops and 1980s business tailoring. Gender-fluid elements like silk blouses and safari jackets nodded to the YSL womenswear archives. The show was described as an energetic queer-coded vacation trip. Celebrities like Zoë Kravitz and Charlotte Gainsbourg were present.

‍

Temple

Rick Owens surprised audiences with a spiritual, subdued show titled "Temple" staged in front of the Palais Galliera. Set to Klaus Nomi’s operatic Dido’s Lament, the show unfolded like a ritual procession. Owens opted for softened versions of his signature aggression: deconstructed leathers, flowing parkas in recycled nylons, and exposed skin. His concept of "gritty softness" defined the collection. The hybrid Burrito sneakers combined orthopedic forms with futuristic flair.

‍

Kawakubo's Post-Apocalyptic Art

Rei Kawakubo delivered a typically avant-garde presentation with sculptural suits, padded silhouettes and surreal headgear. Her themes remained cryptic, though critics saw a commentary on deconstructing traditional masculinity. Featuring baby doll prints and voluminous skirts, the collection blurred gender codes and once again set an anti-trend tone.

Nigo’s Kenzo mixed Japanese streetwear with varsity motifs. Wales Bonner juxtaposed British tailoring with Caribbean influences. Yohji Yamamoto stayed true to his noir poeticism with calligraphy-accented black layers. Hermès emphasized "quiet luxury" sumptuous basics in suede and silk. Demna’s earlier F/W collection for Balenciaga poked fun at the quiet luxury trend with hoodies labeled "Luxury" lined in cashmere. Menswear in Paris embraced two currents: classic craftsmanship and theatrical reinvention.

‍

Haute Couture F/W 2025–26

From July 7 to 10, 2025, Paris hosted a transformative couture week with 27 houses participating. Major shifts defined the season: Maria Grazia Chiuri’s departure from Dior left a gap, while Chanel prepared for Virginie Viard’s final studio-led collection. Meanwhile, Demna bid farewell to Balenciaga with a radical exhibition show, and Glenn Martens debuted spectacularly at Maison Margiela.

‍

Schiaparelli & Iris van Herpen Lead Opening Day

Schiaparelli’s Daniel Roseberry opened with a surreal, gold-torso-laden show. Iris van Herpen followed with futuristic couture fusing organic forms and 3D printing. Later, Georges Hobeika, Imane Ayissi, Rahul Mishra and Giambattista Valli (with his signature tulle extravaganza) rounded out the day.

‍

Chanel's Nostalgic Farewell

Chanel’s final Viard-era collection highlighted tweed suits, oversized pearls and crystal bows. A double showing accommodated a high-profile audience including Margot Robbie and Penélope Cruz. Matthieu Blazy is set to take over in late 2025.

‍

Demna’s Balenciaga Exit

Demna transformed Balenciaga’s atelier into a walkthrough gallery of 50 couture "exhibits". Referencing Cristóbal Balenciaga’s iconic silhouettes, he fused historical couture with subversive streetwear (e.g., hoodies lined with cashmere, Simpsons ballgowns). It was a tour de force of archival homage and anti-luxury commentary. A retrospective exhibition followed at Balenciaga HQ.

‍

Martens at Margiela

Glenn Martens’ couture debut at Maison Margiela featured 48 unique looks referencing 100 years of fashion. Each piece had a name and a "list" of inspirations: foulard patchworks, half-historical dress hybrids and plastic-taffeta mixes. Critics hailed it as a high-concept revival of the Margiela spirit.

‍

Emerging Voices & Innovations

Kevin Germanier closed couture week with upcycled glam made from CDs and mirror shards. Aelis, ArdAzAei, Peet Dullaert and Rami Al Ali offered fresh visions in sustainability and gender-fluid design. Rahul Mishra and Iris van Herpen emphasized ethical couture and technology-infused beauty.

Front rows were lined with global celebrities: Emma Watson, Greta Gerwig, Cardi B, Doja Cat, Kristen Stewart and even France’s First Lady Brigitte Macron. Demna’s farewell drew Kim Kardashian and Anna Wintour. Alessandro Michele, while absent from the runway, hosted a private Valentino dinner post-wedding for Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez.

The consensus among critics was clear: Paris staged a rare dual-season that balanced legacy and reinvention, spectacle and substance. From Pharrell’s musical menswear journey to Martens’ artisanal explosion, Paris solidified its status as the nexus of global fashion transformation.

‍