CHRISTIAN DIOR, DRIES VAN NOTEN, BALMAIN, VIVIENNE WESTWOOD, MCQUEEN and MIU MIU.
Kitchen Chic Rules Supreme as MIU MIU Elevates the Humble Cotton Apron to Superstar Status while BALMAIN Conjures up One Thousand and One Nights with their Swishy Silk Harem Pants.
At Balmain
Paris’ big guns delivered their high-octane offerings on cue, to audiences gagging for every little clue that arch doyennes Olivier Rousteing and co had up their fashionable sleeves for Spring/Summer 2026.
At the same time the newcomers like Belgian designers Julie Kegels and Meryll Rogge
provided a palpable buzz on the runways in the City of Lights.
As a side show – but by no means secondary, the pavements reverberated with bevies of uber-fashionable divas making their own statements in anticipation to their favourite designer brands on the runway. Parisian chic was truly alive and well!
Celebrities, the likes of Kylie Jenner and Emma Watson at Miu Miu, Nicole Kidman at Chanel, Pamela Anderson and Naomi Watts at Mugler and Paris Hilton at Karl Lagerfeld, to mention but a few, made their own statements of support front row.
As for trends, deep saturated colours ruled the roost – as spotted at Dries Van Noten, Vivienne Westwood and Miu Miu, whereas naturals and nudes were seen in many places, most notably at Balmain and Christian Dior.
Tactile surface textures made a come-back (strikingly beautiful at Balmain); the military jacket never really goes out of fashion – and stunning renditions of things military were seen in many collections, but Dries Van Noten’s version definitely takes the cake.
Oh, and the most delicious swishy fringing was to be seen in many places. Boho chic ruled supreme!
Sit back at savour the best of the designer shows.
At Dries Van Noten
DRIES VAN NOTEN
Watch Dries Van Noten’s show here:
When Dries Van Noten took his final bow in Paris in June 2024, the fashion world was inconsolable. But into his shoes stepped Julian Klausner who has been working alongside the maestro for six years; Dries Van Noten’s inimitable modus operandi was already firmly under Klausner’s skin.
In this, our volatile world, Klausner wanted to conjure up something joyous and positive, and settled on the concept of ‘surfing’ – enjoyable, easy-going and fun.
The show opened with ensembles that mimic monochromatic sandy shores, and steadily gained momentum as the waves curl, to a crescendo of colour, texture and shape when they crash.
Breezy beach kaftans in transparent silk prints rubbed shoulders with striped robes with matching striped cardigans. Micro shorts and skirts with frilly hip-hugging peplums reinforced the seaside theme while little rhinestone encrusted jackets, coats with oversized rhinestone buttons and Eighties shaped brocade jackets contrasted with the sheer chiffon kaftans and skirts worn underneath.
Like a wave the patterning started off very subtle with gentle shapes and shades in silk chiffon, but got increasing bolder as the show progressed, culminating in huge geometric circles, triangles, polka dots and other new age shapes and shades – tomato red, shocking pink, cobalt blue and the brightest of lime green embellished ensembles.
The jewellery may well be one of the most striking aspects of this spectacular collection: bold encrusted rhinestone necklaces were literally dripping off the necks of models.
Equally striking were the footwear: Baroque mules encrusted with diamonte and rhinestones struck a careful balance with the sporty ‘surfer’ sneakers.
Few shows could rival this Dries Van Noten show – and this is with taking into account this author’s biased and undying loyalty to the Dries Van Noten brand! What a reassuring collection to put at ease all Dries Van Noten’s old fans – and no doubt winning the brand innumerable new ones.
At Dries Van Noten
At Dries Van Noten
At Dries Van Noten
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At Dries Van Noten
At Dries Van Noten
At Dries Van Noten
CHRISTIAN DIOR
Watch Christian Dior’s show here:
Creative director Jonathan Anderson claims to have been “looking at the tension, the push-and-pull between dressing up and dressing down” in creating his first range for Christian Dior.
It was clear from the outset that Anderson aimed to acknowledge his famous predecessors’ contributions at the House of Dior – from Christian Dior himself to John Galliano and Maria Grazia Chiuri, but that he was adamant to make his own mark for the iconic bran from here onwards.
The show – with celebrities like Johnny Depp of Sauvage fame, Charlize Theron, Willow Smith and Brigitte Macron front row – started with a Hitchcock-esque assemblage of snippets, accompanied by the eery question, “Do you dare enter… the House of Dior?”
A rollercoaster of extraordinary fashion was to follow. The first look of the show, a lampshade crinoline dress supported by invisible hoops, properly got front row chins wagging.
Bubble dresses, pouf skirts and shrunken bar jackets in Irish Donegal tweed followed. Tuxedos with peplums shared the runway with men’s cargo shorts reworked into miniskirts.
Avant-garde shapes in cage-like constructions swooped across the stage, often topped off by maestro milliner for Christian Dior, Stephen Jones’ headgear creations.
Nina Christen added the final footwear touches to an exceptional collection: loafers and mules were decorated with oversized rosettes. The padded Christian Dior Cigale bag, the ultimate “It” bag of the season, completed many of the looks.
Looking back, the show had a decidedly ‘princess’ feel to it, albeit to the backdrop of big screen paranoia. A sign of our turbulent times?
At Christian Dior
At Christian Dior
At Christian Dior
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At Christian Dior
At Christian Dior
At Christian Dior
At Christian Dior
BALMAIN
Watch Balmain’s show here:
Creative director Olivier Rousteing was back in the ballroom of the Intercontinental Hotel 14 years after his very first collection for Balmain. It’s impossible not to compare what was then, with what is now.
Opulence and luxe in shape, movement and silhouette have always been the Balmain cornerstones under Rousteing, but at age 40 his offering seems to have somewhat softened around the edges: the military trousers from way back then still have their volume and oversized pockets, but the fabric for Spring/ Summer 2026 – satin and parachute silk – is swishy and flowy, soft and breezy, and utterly, utterly delicious.
The collection has an overall organic feel to it. Tactile seashells, macramé, crochet and beading are juxtaposed with the slinky, shiny satins and silks, to extraordinary effect.
Equally the contrast between the voluminous harem pants and body-hugging bodices and skimpy tops couldn’t be more perfect. Off the shoulder cowl rib knits slouch over the slinkiest of miniskirts and jackets slouch over shoulders.
Bags are tactile pieces of swinging fringing, covered in oversized tassels, shouting ‘viva boho chic’!
This collection with its draped ruching, slinky pants and touchy-feely accessories is without a doubt one of the most covetable of all the Paris offerings, a stand-out amongst many noteworthy collections.
In a nutshell, think sand dunes, camels and luscious Bedouin tents, and you’ve nailed the vibe.
At Balmain
At Balmain
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At Balmain
VIVIENNE WESTWOOD
Watch Vivienne Westwood’s show here
Andreas Kronthaler’s collection for Vivienne Westwood was entitled ‘Boudoir’ – invariably conjuring up vivid memories of Vivienne Westwoods’s iconic first perfume.
But the collection was more than a tribute, it was true to the concept of intimacy, of ‘Boudoir’, of, as Kronthaler stated, “a space where you feel closest to yourself’.
The brand now operates from Italy, and the Italian references were everywhere to be see in this Spring/ Summer 2026 range. Relaxed luxe with an Italian flavour was a thread that ran through both the women’s and menswear pieces: the draping, painterly motifs, the milkmaid skirts, theatrical lapels, the fishtail gowns and embroidered slippers…
Dropped-crotch pants in brocade shared the stage with nipped-in-the-waist hand-painted dresses and suave tuxedo suits, all with that inimitable Vivienne Westwood touch.
Duffel bags in various fabric renditions completed an eclectic collection with very little repetition in design or fabric choice – but one that hung together very convincingly in a very Vivienne Westwood kind of way.
Old fans will certainly have approved of this offering, and new fans will be gagging to see more.
At Vivienne Westwood
At Vivienne Westwood
At Vivienne Westwood
At Vivienne Westwood
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At Vivienne Westwood
MCQUEEN
Watch McQueen’s show here
Think 1960s/1970s Mick Jagger in ultra low-slung, body-clinging, bum-revealing hipster pants. Add a skull scarf and an embellished G-string undie to that and you’re in the zone with creative director Sean McGirr’s latest offering for McQueen.
The iconic The Wicker Man offered inspiration for McGirr’s collection; in fact a huge wicker tent structure was backdrop to the show. According to the designer concepts like “raw animal instinct” and “desire” were under the spotlight. Says McGirr, “We push against nature, tempering instinct in the name of order. What happens when we give way, satisfying our deep-seated desires and innate impulses? What does it take to stir and submit to that primal drive?”
Tactile leather strips, fringing, bustier dresses and ‘combustible’ feather-like frocks – and of course all skirts and trousers exaggeratedly low-slung – certainly had a carnal and desirous feel to them.
Pagan elements like wood, wishbone charms, luminous mother of pearl, insect and talisman symbols further played on the ‘nature/ The Wicker Man’ theme.
Water, earth and fire sounds infused with techno-beat was the perfect mantra for this hypnotic collection.
At McQueen
At McQueen
At McQueen
At McQueen
At McQueen
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At McQueen
MIU MIU
Watch Miu Miu’s show here:
Miuccia Prada paid tribute to the humble apron: the pannier, the cleaning lady’s frilly apron, the cobbler’s leather apron, the janitor’s heavy duty apron and the factory worker’s utilitarian apron. This was a show about the humble apron and its endearing wearers.
Says Miuccia Prada, “We in fashion always talk about glamour or rich people, but we have to recognize also that life is very difficult. And to me the apron contains the real difficult life of women in history, from factories to the home.”
Cotton drill pinafores, workmen’s tool belts, D-rings and safety boots hammered home the theme of manual labour, or craftspeople beavering away on factory floors, of domestic workers cleaning homes for a living.
Housecoats and frilly floral smocks looked endearing, often pulled on over jumpers and roll neck sweaters. Mothers, aunts, grandmothers proudly cooking, cleaning and sweeping patios in their starched aprons is a scene many of us are familiar with – and certainly is a very common rural Italian picture.
Shoes – sandals and boots – were flat and comfortable, utilitarian and sensible, as would be expected.
It takes someone of Miuccia Prada’s foresight and confidence to showcase an item as simple and unassuming as the meek and modest apron. It was an endearing and humbling experience to see this rather unfashionable piece of clothing elevated to superstar status.
Bravo Ms Prada!
(Ps, A Manual for Cleaning Ladies next?)
At Miu Miu
At Miu Miu
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At Miu Miu
GOODBYE FROM PARIS FASHION WEEK SPRING/ SUMMER 2026!
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