Paris Fashion Week SS26 Was a Cultural Battle of Craft, Power and Strategy
- Nada Armanious
- Fashion
Paris Fashion Week SS26 has officially wrapped, and this time the runways felt less like fashion shows and more like a cultural battleground. New eras began, house codes were defended, and marketing played a very strategic role. From headline-making debuts at Dior and Balenciaga to Chanel’s long-awaited recalibration, this season asked a big question: what can fashion express when history, context, and the future collide? Here are some of our favorite highlights from Paris.
Chanel Spring/Summer 2026
We said it before and we’ll say it again: the obsession over this show is completely justified. Newly appointed Artistic Director Matthieu Blazy made his Chanel ready-to-wear debut with a cosmic, galactic-themed spectacle that symbolized a new universe for the house. He struck that sweet spot everyone has been begging for: fresh energy without abandoning identity. Funky wigs, feathered volume, shimmering knits, metallic touches, and yes, tweed remained a loyal soldier.
Saint Laurent Spring/Summer 2026
Saint Laurent opened PFW and, honestly, set the tone for the entire week. Anthony Vaccarello delivered a cinematic masterclass: moody lighting, severe silhouettes, and tension you could feel in the room. We saw double-breasted jackets in deep blacks and earthy olives, crisp cotton gabardine, buttery leather, structured shoulders, sheer seduction, and that deliciously disruptive minimalism Vaccarello does best. Bonus moment? Bella Hadid’s runway return, power move. In a season full of hype tactics, Saint Laurent chose control over chaos.
Balenciaga Spring/Summer 2026
Pierpaolo Piccioli’s debut for Balenciaga was nothing short of historic. Stepping in after Demna, he introduced The Heartbeat, a collection rooted in emotion, intimacy, and human connection. He fused Cristóbal Balenciaga’s architectural couture with modern softness: cocoon coats, infanta shapes, sculptural tailoring, and liquid gowns that scream red carpet. The message was clear: the irony era is over. Balenciaga is a couture house again, and this was a return to dignity.
Christian Louboutin Spring/Summer 2026. Photographed by Gabrielle Resnick
Louboutin doesn’t do shows, he creates experiences. This season, he staged a high-energy athletic performance-meets-fashion moment. It was movement, rhythm, and seduction on loop. Think dancers, body language, tension, and shoes worshipped like artifacts. Beyond the signature red soles, we saw sculptural arches, razor-sharp silhouettes, candy reds, electric pinks, chrome metallics, PVC illusions, satin lace, and jeweled straps. Theatre, desire, and pure Louboutin energy.
Alaïa Spring/Summer 2026
Many called this show a spiritual experience, and they weren’t exaggerating. Pieter Mulier stripped everything back: no theatrics, no distractions, just pure craft. The audience sat close to the clothes, almost inside the process. It was emotional tailoring in motion: knitted leather, macramé engineering, pearl trompe-l’œil, sculpted wool crepe, second-skin jersey. Dominated by black and warmed by ivory, sand, burgundy, and forest tones, this was design devotion, a love letter to the body.
Dior Spring/Summer 2026
All eyes were on Jonathan Anderson as he debuted his first Dior womenswear collection. No pressure, right? He leaned into the house archives, but rewired them. The hourglass silhouette became sharper, more engineered, less romantic. Field jackets met pencil skirts, precision replaced excess, and couture met reality. The palette was strict: black, slate, ink navy, architectural white with quiet flashes of red and moss. Smart, cerebral Dior.
Hermès Spring/Summer 2026
Nadège Vanhee reminded everyone: quiet luxury was never a trend because Hermès has been doing it forever. And yes, they still own leather. The collection was sensual discipline: sculpted leather coats over micro shorts, harness-inspired bodices, column dresses framed with leather architecture, bias-cut silk that whispered luxury. Zero gimmicks. Pure confidence. Soft power at its peak.
Loewe Spring/Summer 2026
For the first time since Karl Lagerfeld’s Chanel-Fendi era, one designer ruled two houses in one season: Jonathan Anderson at both Loewe and Dior. At Loewe, he delivered a clinic in pure design. No chaos, no moodboard storytelling, just fashion at its highest resolution. Sculptural leather, quiet architectural tailoring, pressed wool, liquid metallics, and yes, Loewe’s accessories still ate: origami totes, carved wood jewelry, flat precision sandals, engineered belts. Anti-trend luxury. Loewe is shaping the future.
This PFW was loudly marketing-driven, no one can deny it. Celebrity casting, influencer politics, front-row strategy, off-calendar shows, engineered virality, campaign theatrics: you name it. But here’s the twist: many major houses chose the opposite for their collections. Instead of chasing spectacle, brands like Saint Laurent, Alaïa, Loewe, and Hermès doubled down on craft and silence. And that quiet, confident rebellion spoke louder than any algorithm.