Paris Fall 2026 belonged to designers settling into their houses, with Matthieu Blazy making it hard not to fall in love with Chanel again and Jonathan Anderson delivering what was probably the collection of the season at Dior. Elsewhere, Saint Laurent marked 60 years of Le Smoking, Antonin Tron made a confident Balmain debut and Pieter Mulier said an honest goodbye to Alaïa. Here is a quick overview of every show we reviewed, with a short take and a few looks from each. The full reviews are linked under every house.
Want to compare seasons? Read our Paris Spring 2026 overview and Paris Fall 2025 overview, or browse every city in our Fashion Week coverage.
Chanel
Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel continues to feel like a love letter to the house, and Fall 2026 made his conversation with Gabrielle Chanel even clearer. Built around Coco’s line about fashion being both “caterpillar and butterfly,” the show opened grounded and wearable: black knit jackets, quiet tweeds and skirt suits loosened into overshirts and relaxed blousons. The 1920s were there in drop waists, pleated skirts and belts slung low on the hips. Then the butterfly emerged, with iridescent metal mesh, embroidered dresses and tweeds reimagined in knitted mesh with pearls or metallic threads. A simple black jersey dress with a camellia suspended at the back closed it perfectly. Honestly, it’s hard not to fall in love with Chanel again… Read the full Chanel review
Dior
This was a moment, and probably the collection of the season. Set inside a greenhouse built in the Tuileries Garden, with water lilies floating on the pond, the show carried the idea of a Parisian promenade, and the clothes felt light, elegant and a little dreamy. Anderson handled Dior’s history with relaxed confidence: the Bar jacket softened into a grey knit cardigan with a scrolling peplum, airy high low skirts with tiny trains, checked suits and frock coats stripped of heaviness. Raffia blooms, floral lace and lily shaped heels kept the flowers coming, and I’m slowly warming up to those knit style bags. If his debut raised questions, this answers them. Jonathan Anderson at Dior suddenly makes complete sense… Read the full Dior review
Louis Vuitton
At this point, Louis Vuitton might have fully mastered the art of ugly chic, and the funny part is that some of the clothes are actually good. Nicolas Ghesquière called it “an anthropology of fashion,” reinterpreting the dress of mountain communities inside a mossy, geometric “neo landscape” at the Louvre designed by Severance production designer Jeremy Hindle. Shaggy wool capes, shearling hats curved like paper boats, kepenek-style shepherd coats, patchwork rompers, plaid wool mini skirts and tuxedo trousers lined with fluffy strips piled texture on texture. You either love it or you absolutely hate it. It might not always land perfectly, but it has a voice: expressive, imaginative and completely its own thing, which feels pretty refreshing… Read the full Louis Vuitton review
Saint Laurent
Saint Laurent felt incredibly focused. Anthony Vaccarello has been on a strong run, and this collection, marking the 60th anniversary of Le Smoking, only reinforced that. It opened with dark trouser suits, many worn with nothing underneath, sloped shoulders and fluid construction keeping them sharp but not stiff. Insanely luxe, and the real highlight. Slicked back buns, smoky eyes and glossy dark red lips nodded to the house’s Helmut Newton era. Then came the contrast: silicone-coated lace dresses and pencil skirts that looked almost like latex, plus oversized shearling coats and bold jewellery. Very sexy, very demure in that quiet YSL way. No one does subtle sex appeal like Saint Laurent, and honestly, he is still killing it… Read the full Saint Laurent review
Valentino
Staged inside Rome’s Palazzo Barberini, Michele’s Interferenze felt like a return to Valentino’s origins, arriving soon after founder Valentino Garavani’s passing. Michele calls himself an “interference” in that legacy, and the collection played as a dialogue between the house’s past and his own eclectic world. Bold 80s shoulders were softened by drapery, pleats and lace, with bow-tied belts, wide satin waistbands, pleated tunics over lace-trimmed jeans, leather wraps, full-length furs and sharply coloured sequined jackets. The most interesting details often sat at the back, and a floor-length red gown with a deep V cutout closed the show. The clothes are undeniably gorgeous, but some felt almost too rooted in the past, leaving the collection somewhere between tribute and transformation… Read the full Valentino review
Balenciaga
Pierpaolo Piccioli’s second Balenciaga collection arrived with high expectations after a confident debut, but it felt strangely confusing. Too much and nothing at the same time. Titled ClairObscur, it borrowed Renaissance ideas of light and shadow, framing faces with dramatic collars, funnel necks and sculptural hoods. The outerwear was strong: cocoon coats, balloon-shaped leather bombers and officer coats nodding to Cristóbal Balenciaga. But Sam Levinson’s screens of Euphoria scenes never fully landed with the clothes. The draped silk jersey dresses were beautifully constructed, the sequined gowns recalled Piccioli’s red carpet talent, and the softer Hourglass bags stood out. Still, the vision never came together, swinging between darker, youth-driven Balenciaga and softer couture instincts. Underwhelming, with more questions than answers… Read the full Balenciaga review
Givenchy
Sarah Burton’s Givenchy felt far more instinctive and confident than the past couple of seasons. Tailoring stayed central but looked more relaxed and expressive: pinstriped suits, sculpted jackets with peplum hips and razor-sharp evening coats, all cut with a real understanding of how women actually wear clothes. Then things got playful, with velvets in deep red and emerald, leopard prints, kimono silks, lace and shaggy textures. Bold but controlled, and nothing felt chaotic. A red velvet halter with oversized pleated trousers, a black dress embroidered with poppies and long silk fringe, and leopard-spotted shearling coats stood out. With models cast alongside writers and artists, the Givenchy woman is not just one person. Burton is fully stepping into the house… Read the full Givenchy review
Loewe
Loewe opened in a playful mood, with Cosima von Bonin’s giant sculptural animals around the runway. For their second season, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez were clearly having fun, and the standout was texture that felt almost touchable. Glossy latex dresses were 3D-printed over slips with lace trims and bows, familiar yet surreal. Inflatable parkas, padded scarves and outerwear resembling pool floats sound absurd on paper, but came across light and never gimmicky. Shaved shearling jackets, corduroy made from shearling and wool tailoring kept everything comfortable and wearable, while saturated colour gave the bigger silhouettes rhythm instead of heaviness. It was also the designers’ first step into menswear, which felt surprisingly natural. Shape, texture and humour translate across genders… Read the full Loewe review
Celine
Michael Rider’s third outing for Celine felt very Parisian, with an effortless, slightly mysterious attitude. He moved away from the preppy mood of his earlier shows toward sharper tailoring and slimmer silhouettes: jackets close to the body, narrow or kick-flare trousers, precise overcoats, blazers flaring subtly at the waist. After years of oversized shapes, it felt refreshing. Classic neutrals came with pops of green, red, fuchsia and purple, plus the odd leopard print. The styling did much of the talking, and it worked: wide-rim bowler hats, sculptural leather scarves, mismatched earrings, bright white boots and scarves covering half the face. There was no single big idea driving the show, just clothes with character, reworked enough to feel new… Read the full Celine review
Miu Miu
Miu Miu took a calmer route than its usual girly playful chaos, with Miuccia Prada centring the idea of the small human body against a vast world. The Palais d’Iéna became an indoor woodland of moss, dirt and scattered branches, and the concept felt surprisingly grounded. The clothes stayed restrained: 70s-style trouser suits, pencil skirts, simple shirts and short shift dresses in black, grey, camel and burgundy. Washed cotton poplin, linen and cashmere looked almost pre-worn, leather coats came deliberately rumpled, and fur-effect coats, trapper hats and cropped puffers added volume. Chunky shoes and glittery platforms kept the fun going, and Chloë Sevigny walked. It read as reassurance more than a bold statement: being yourself might already be enough… Read the full Miu Miu review
Chloé
Chloé felt confident, romantic and alive. Chemena Kamali kept that dreamy Chloé energy without tipping into anything overly delicate, looking to folk traditions and community craft. It read as a poetic late 70s world, with the spirit of Joni Mitchell, the theatrical femininity of Kate Bush and echoes of Karl Lagerfeld’s time at the house. Tiered skirts, airy mousseline dresses, faded checks and soft florals gave a prairie mood, while the solid-coloured floaty gowns were the quiet heroes. Sweeping capes and structured jackets went over sheer dresses, with boots from Western to thigh-high Musketeer. Embroidery, knits and hand-worked details sat at the heart of it. These are not fragile prairie girls, but women who are free and in control… Read the full Chloé review
Schiaparelli
Held at the Carrousel du Louvre, Schiaparelli’s real story was the clothes, which felt alive. Daniel Roseberry said he wanted to go “deeper” after couture, starting from a sphinx brooch Alberto Giacometti made for Elsa Schiaparelli and its half-human, half-animal duality. Tailored suits and rumpled pleated trousers grounded things before Aran knits sliced with illusion tulle, laminated silk, printed crocodile scales and leather-like finishes that were actually silk wool. A set made from cassette tapes and thousands of CDs became a shimmering disco moment. The accessories went feral: kitten heels with snarling cats, shoes with tiny Dobermans, handbags resting on chicken feet. It read as couture thinking applied to everyday dressing. It was weird and I loved it… Read the full Schiaparelli review
Alaïa
Pieter Mulier’s final Alaïa collection before he moves to Versace was a quiet recap of his five years at the house. No spectacle: Mulier stripped everything back, with no bags, no jewellery and no distractions. Just the clothes and the body wearing them. Scoop-neck jersey dresses opened with the sensuality that made bodycon famous, followed by double-breasted coats, leather blazers, velvet pantsuits and column skirts with fitted jackets in jersey, viscose, cotton velvet, latex, loden and raw-cut wool. Knitwear stayed central, with soft-flounce dresses and waterfall skirts, a perfectly fitted matte jersey jumpsuit stood out, and his signature straps tethering cutaway skirts to the ankle returned. It was an honest and complete goodbye, and an unforgettable chapter for Alaïa… Read the full Alaïa review
McQueen
A few seasons in, Seán McGirr is showing the direction he is building for McQueen. This time he looked to Todd Haynes’s 1995 film Safe and the tension between perfection and paranoia in a world where everyone feels watched, staged in a labyrinth of curtains with models in masks. The clothes were surprisingly approachable: miniskirts, babydoll dresses and knee-high boots, with Mary Quant’s mini updated through low-slung hips and oversized cargo pockets. A hook-and-eye jacket nodded to 1997’s La Poupée, and a chainmail-inspired crocheted peplum top in metallic rings and Lurex showed real craftsmanship. But the sheer eveningwear looked pretty, not memorable, and the execution felt uneven. McGirr understands the McQueen world, though he may need more time… Read the full McQueen review
Balmain
Antonin Tron’s Balmain debut was a strong and confident start: powerful, chic and clear in direction. Instead of reinventing the house, he reconnected with its foundations, looking back to Pierre Balmain’s early years in late 1940s postwar Paris. His guiding idea is “minimal opulence,” luxury that feels quieter and more controlled. Structure led the way with sculpted shoulders and pilot jackets recalling Balmain’s military edge, softened by fluid draping and body-skimming dresses. Film noir heroines hovered over fitted sleeves, gathered waists and pencil skirts in black, oxblood, deep green and midnight blue. Leopard, tiger and crocodile appeared through embroidery, leather and airy organza without tipping into excess. Cool, confident and unapologetically sexy, it respects the house’s DNA while simplifying it… Read the full Balmain review
Dries Van Noten
Dries has always lived in the details, and Julian Klausner clearly gets it. Shown at Lycée Carnot, the collection explored adolescence, when clothes become self-experimentation. It opened with school uniform codes, toggle coats, blazers, shirts and ties, then loosened into plaids, varsity jackets and denim layered with embroidery, beadwork and pixelated motifs from Flemish still life painting. Like watching someone try on different identities. The palette of rich reds, deep bronzes, jewel tones and flashes of gold was honestly kind of insane, and the Gobelin-style jacquards, chunky knits and sequinned denim make you want to touch everything. Opulence with everyday pieces is very Dries. Possibly one of the strongest collections of the season, with Klausner thriving inside the legacy… Read the full Dries Van Noten review
Elie Saab
Elie Saab’s “Midnight in Manhattan” was a surprising shift in attitude. Usually linked to red carpet romance, he found a sharper edge in 1990s New York and the tension between uptown elegance and downtown attitude. A cherry red leather bustier dress opened through a misty runway, followed by pencil skirts, tailored trousers and sculpted jackets with a sleek sensuality that recalled Tom Ford and a bold 90s glamour close to Versace. Pretty refreshing. The craft stayed, in floral embroideries, beading and hand-painted blooms on glossy leather, alongside a sequin-lined tuxedo coat and an oxblood velvet bustier and pencil skirt made to look like denim. It felt very cool, not a word often tied to Elie Saab, but it worked… Read the full Elie Saab review
Issey Miyake
Titled “Creating, Allowing,” Issey Miyake’s show argued that design need not control everything, and that garments can work best once they leave the designer’s hands. It moved at a quiet, almost meditative pace, with models crossing a floor of shimmering sand. The clothes were calm, focused and considered, pared back in shape with texture and colour bringing the fun: oxblood, lemon and deep orchid against black, grey and white. The standouts were bustiers and corset-like bodices of layered glued paper, lacquered by artisans in Kyoto, both futuristic and slightly nostalgic. Pleats rippled like coral or fossils, knits built broad shoulders and coats had a papery structure. For all the conceptual touches, much of it could realistically enter a wardrobe… Read the full Issey Miyake review
Jean Paul Gaultier
Second time’s the charm. Lantink’s debut at Jean Paul Gaultier felt almost too absurd and built for shock value, but this season was far more grounded and controlled. Starting from Marlene Dietrich and her play with masculine and feminine codes, “Madame Masculinity” leaned on heavy tailoring with twists: deconstructed suits, coats pinched at the waist and menswear fabrics turned into skirts, corsetry and hybrids. The tailoring was the highlight, with sculptural shoulders and padding now purposeful, not chaotic. Western hats, lingerie, sportswear and archival nods made a wardrobe of personalities. There were a lot of ideas, maybe too many, but craftsmanship held it together, and two padded, pleated gowns were real fashion moments. Lantink might actually belong here… Read the full Jean Paul Gaultier review
Junya Watanabe
Junya Watanabe’s “The Art of Assemblage Couture” played out in an imagined tango club set to “Libertango,” with models spinning, pausing, throwing coats and staring down the audience. The clothes were built from gloves, helmets, protective padding, faux fur, stuffed toys and found objects, like fashion’s version of junk journaling stitched into couture-like silhouettes. Maggie Maurer’s motorcycle gloves and protective gear with a flared skirt summed up the chaotic elegance. Motorcycle culture shaped exaggerated shoulders, sculptural sleeves and peplums, some with a cyborg, armour-like quality for a slightly strange future, yet Watanabe’s control of shape kept it surprisingly coherent. Chaotic and theatrical from the wild child of Japanese avant-garde fashion, and honestly, it was hard not to love it… Read the full Junya Watanabe review
Lacoste
Lacoste felt like an underdog moment that turned out surprisingly strong. Pelagia Kolotouros went back to the house’s tennis roots, citing a rain-soaked 1923 match played by founder René Lacoste, which led to weather-ready outerwear and a Mackintosh collaboration of trenches, a full skirt and a polo. An early highlight fused an oversized track jacket with a pleated tennis skirt, its dropped waist a quiet nod to 1920s tennis style. Her Queens upbringing and 80s sportswear culture shaped relaxed tracksuits, long striped piqué polos, poncho-like track tops and tailoring with zip-up hoodies. Crocodile-handled umbrellas, tennis ball bags and sou’wester rain hats kept it playful. The retro never felt forced, and the easy, street-leaning confidence makes Lacoste feel current again… Read the full Lacoste review
Lanvin
Peter Copping took Lanvin back to the 1920s and 1930s for a vintage chic mood that never felt costume-like. Quietly cinematic, with a little mystery. It opened with tailoring that nodded to the house’s menswear history: structured coats, coatdresses and skirts in traditional fabrics, cinched at the waist. Solid, but mostly a calm introduction. Once the dresses arrived, the collection really found its rhythm in draped, elongated silhouettes. A high-neck black silk dress with draping at the hip was the standout, returning in velvet and floral versions. Tall boots, heavy stoles and oversized hats added a slightly dark glamour, like a stylish villain from an old black-and-white film. By leaning into Lanvin’s dressmaking strength, Copping kept it refreshingly focused… Read the full Lanvin review
Matières Fécales
Staged inside the Palais Brongniart, the former Paris stock exchange, Matières Fécales took aim at the world’s wealthiest elite. Hannah Rose Dalton and Steven Raj Bhaskaran turned power, privilege and the one percent into a performance of characters both glamorous and unsettling, and it may be their strongest show yet. Dollar-bill masks, blood-stained opera gloves, bandages and prosthetics pushed the grotesque beauty further. Tailoring was sharp but deliberately damaged, in shredded tweeds. Some of the wealthy archetypes looked cartoonish, and the tech bro in a grey quarter-zip was too literal. Hooded robes and crucifix-stitched biker shapes darkened the mood before darted wool dresses and Elizabethan-inspired silhouettes closed with surprising elegance. Beneath the prosthetics, the clothes are seriously well made… Read the full Matières Fécales review
Mugler
Miguel Castro Freitas’s second Mugler collection, “The Commander,” is part two of his “Trilogy of Glorified Clichés” and revisits power dressing through Joan of Arc, Joan Crawford, military uniforms, 80s corporate dressing, Bauhaus geometry and Art Deco. Broad shoulders were everywhere, paired with cinched waists and sleek skirts or trousers. At times it felt like flipping through an 80s fashion catalogue, which is not necessarily bad. The tailoring is precise and the clothes objectively strong: a pale grey wool jersey column dress with a floating jewelled plastron, pleated lamé dresses, leather skirt suits, metallic pink leather jackets and gold belts. But Mugler’s outrageous, sexy, dramatic energy felt restrained. The show captured the power silhouettes, just not the theatrical edge… Read the full Mugler review
Nina Ricci
This might be Harris Reed’s last show for Nina Ricci, and it might also be his strongest. I kind of liked it. “Marie Antoinette goes to Glastonbury” sounds chaotic, but it read more clearly on the runway than expected: 18th-century panniers, corsetry and crinoline shapes with a grounded, playful twist. It was busy, with millefeuille cheetah print skirts, floral jacquard suits, moiré silks and velvet, in black and moss green against softer blue, pink and yellow. A double-collar jacket echoed the house’s 1950s archives. Some crinoline looks leaned into costume, but the floral pantsuits and corsets layered over simple pieces felt surprisingly wearable. Buckled knee-high boots and reflective visor sunglasses pushed the fantasy of aristocratic drama meeting festival energy… Read the full Nina Ricci review
Rabanne
Julien Dossena’s Rabanne was energetic, textured and slightly rebellious. The styling stood out straight away, playful and easy to picture in real wardrobes. His starting point was 1940s tea dresses found in London markets and shops, handled loosely and never nostalgically. Soft tea-dress shapes were layered with chunky knits and oversized plaid jackets, some with fringe or metal mesh, alongside sequins, crystals, chain mail and fur trims. A delicate dress could shift into heavy swinging fringe, and tailored blazers were punctured with oversized metal grommets like bold piercings, giving a subtle punk attitude without losing the femininity. Burgundy trenches came with electric blue fur collars. It all added up to a femininity that feels real and slightly imperfect… Read the full Rabanne review
Stella McCartney
Stella McCartney staged her show in a Paris equestrian arena, with real horses guided by Jean-François Pignon, a theatrical and emotional nod to her lifelong love of horses. It was not just a visual spectacle, though: the collection looked back at her life, influences and values over two decades in fashion. Sustainability stayed at the core, with about 93 percent sustainable materials, RCO100 recycled denim and black from algae-based ink. Strong-shouldered suits recalled 80s power dressing and her Savile Row background, ribbed knits and crochet her Scottish childhood, with lace-inserted dresses, stirrup trousers and fringe like a horse’s mane. Full of forever wardrobe builders, it showed fashion can push ideas forward and still be clothes people want to wear… Read the full Stella McCartney review
Tom Ford
Haider Ackermann’s Tom Ford was corporate dressing turned slightly dangerous. Black and white dominated, with sharp tailoring that felt office-coded yet seductive: boardroom and late night power energy. Double-breasted suits, crisp shirts and structured jackets were the backbone, with trousers slung low on the hips and held by thin belts like waist chains. Transparent PVC cropped blazers, trenches and skirts looked sleek, revealing lace undergarments and logo stockings. Collars in perforated leather or contrasting colours kept the tailoring playful, and dark rinse denim came relaxed for women and ultra high-waisted for men. Eveningwear was kept to just two black dresses with delicate straps. Ackermann seems increasingly at home in the Tom Ford universe. Sexy, but never trying too hard… Read the full Tom Ford review
Zimmermann
Zimmermann brings joy. This season looked back to the 1920s and to women like writer Miles Franklin and adventurers Kathleen Howell and Jean Robertson, who drove across Australia, plus a nod to the designer’s grandmother, a beach lifeguard when women were rarely allowed such roles. Their independence, curiosity and strength shaped the clothes. A dress of silk scarves printed with vintage illustrations opened the show, followed by lingerie-inspired gowns layered with lace, cosy knitwear, flared silhouettes and cricket-inspired striped cotton skirts. A cropped champagne tuxedo jacket with lace-detailed trousers balanced softness and structure. These clothes get called pretty, but there is more beneath. The ultra boho dresses are girly but strong, made for women in constant motion… Read the full Zimmermann review
Zuhair Murad
This was a more controlled version of Zuhair Murad, the glamour arriving with a restraint that makes many pieces even more striking. He looked to Giovanni Boldini’s Belle Époque portraits of society women, and the idea of movement translated beautifully in chiffon, satin and burnout velvet. Architectural jackets, corsetry and defined waists gave structure, while airy drapes kept things romantic without feeling overly dramatic. The draping was gorgeous. Sequins, lace, feathers and embroidery came with a lighter touch: a chandelier-like embroidered cropped top with a long black skirt and floral appliqués on tailoring. Burgundy, rust and deep purple grounded it all, and an oxblood dress with a built-in scarf stood out. Murad still knows how to deliver beautiful eveningwear… Read the full Zuhair Murad review
Pictures courtesy of Vogue Runway
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