Details We Loved from Paris Fashion Week

Miu Miu: The Apron

At Miu Miu, Miuccia Prada turned her gaze to the work of women. “The importance of work. Its significance, its relevance and meaning,” the show notes began. The apron, appearing in variations on 42 of the 65 looks, became a muse and metaphor for this sometimes invisible labor. Rendered in crisp cottons, polished satins and worn-in leather, it grounded Miu Miu’s elegance in something deeply human. In Mrs Prada’s hands, the apron wasn’t nostalgic or purely practical; it became a canvas for the complexity and multitudes of women’s working experiences, a symbol of effort, resilience and care.

Rabanne: Reimagined Metals

Metal, the eternal Rabanne signature, was uniquely reimagined this season. Instead of the chainmail that defined the house’s past, Julien Dossena manipulated the material’s edges, weaving it into skirts, shoes and embellishments that caught the light like fragments of armor. Metallic leaves bloomed along heels, bending as if sun-warmed, while a tiered “car crash” skirt (a cascade of articulated tiers) clanked with sculptural movement. Through these transformations, Dossena reminded us that metal at Rabanne is never static. Rather, like the women who wear it, it’s always evolving.

Balmain: A Soft Touch

Balmain was one of the season’s most fascinating shows, in that creative director Olivier Rousteing delivered a collection that went utterly against expectations. The crowd — women in tight leather dresses, blazers with pointy shoulders or cocooning leopard coats of past Balmain seasons — witnessed a range of soft, billowy silhouettes: slouchy knits, harem pants and beautifully draped tops and dresses. The light touch was most welcome.

Celine: Fresh Air

Sunday morning’s Celine show required a voyage (by Parisian standards) to the picturesque Parc de Saint Cloud, which provided a sunny setting for Michael Rider’s second collection. Musical director Frank Maston’s soundtrack of schoolyard chant-style songs set an upbeat tone, and the opening looks – short dresses with full skirts in black or floral prints – were a breath of fresh air.

Issey Miyake: You Are What You Shop

Issey Miyake’s show notes are always poetic bordering on enigmatic, but one line clearly resonated this season: “If the body becomes an object.” In one part of the show, everyday objects — a plastic bottle, a roll of toilet paper — were clearly visible beneath clothes made of thin jersey, as if the models were thieves smuggling them out of the venue. Artistic director Satoshi Kondo intended it as a commentary on overconsumption and its impact on the shopper’s body. It made for dynamic, surprising silhouettes.

Hermès: The Big Reveal

Season after season, Hermès women’s artistic director Nadège Vanhée adds nuance to the buttoned-up, immaculately dressed horse girl archetype. Last season, we saw her sexier side, and for Spring-Summer 2026 she revealed even more. Long skirts with slits up the middle; bare torsos beneath unbuttoned shirts; leather corset crop tops with exposed midriffs; it was clothing that considered the wearer’s skin and made it part of the look.

Louis Vuitton: Lounging in Elegance 

The Spring/Summer ’26 collection presented itself with a subtleness and delicacy that was both poetic and refreshing, from the color palette to the embroidery and materials. Inspired by a lady who lounges about, receiving guests in her home, some personal favorite details from the show were the corseted slip dresses, a model’s hair tucked in the collar of her cream blouse, and eccentric shoe and sock pairings.

Ann Demeulemeester: Feathers and Dusty Pink

I have long been a fan of Ann’s work, and I find creative director Stefano Gallici does a successful job in keeping the pulse of the brand’s beating heart alive, designing pieces that both embody the DNA of the brand but also bring his effortless cool, androgynous twist. With collections often opening in more neutral color tones, I loved the dusty pink notes in the first few looks, as well as the spiderweb knits and feather accents – a gothic trademark in Ann’s work. Devotees will know she hid feathers in her pieces, inspired by her first encounter with her husband, Patrick Robyn, who had a pigeon feather tucked inside his jacket pocket – a detail she found both romantic and magical.

Comme Des Garçons: Romance the Rei Way

“I believe in the positiveness and the value that can be born from the damaging of perfect things” Rei Kawakubo show notes read for the Comme Des Garçons SS26 show. What does this damage look like? Raw fabrics like burlap dip dyed with pink, white lace blending into linen and the stand out piece – a headpiece seemingly made of fabric scraps, receipts and other everyday items wrapped in a delicate tulle. This is romance the Rei way. 

Junya Watanabe: Home as Inspiration

Junya Watanabe’s take on ready-made clothing brought us into the home. Silverware, stemware, closet hangers, even luggage were transformed into dresses and separates. The models held couture-like cards that said what items their looks were made out of –  “dress with straw hats” and “stockings” were held by the more “classic” Junya looks – black sculptural dresses made from stockings. Some looks were completed with hair that resembled a woman stepping out of the shower – white with foam and wrapped in a towel. Watanabe teaches us you don’t have to look too far for creative inspiration, it’s all in your hall closet. 

Chanel: A New Dawn

A new dawn in the Chanel universe! For Matthieu Blazy’s debut collection at Chanel he took us amongst the moon, sun and plants. So, who is the new Chanel woman? She’s definitely got an ease to her. Her classic flap bag got left out in the rain and warped. She rolls up her suit jacket sleeves. She pairs her classic button down shirt with a textured evening skirt. As Mastermind favorite model Awar Odhiang took her final lap, the crowd cheered in joy. To new beginnings!