In the three-act play that is the fall fashion season, the final act unfolded in Paris. Following a strong opening in New York and a tension-building week in Milan, designers and runway-watchers alike arrived in the French capital ready for a dramatic finale.

As always, the world’s most influential fashion houses turned the city into a spectacle, unveiling their Spring/Summer 2026 collections across more than 100 shows. Front rows glittered with A-list guests, each perfectly styled for the cameras. Here’s your recap of the highlights.

Antoine Arnault, vice-chairman and CEO of Christian Dior, with model and philanthropist Natalia Vodianova and actor Phoebe Dynevor at Louis Vuitton’s Spring/Summer 2026 show — one of the week’s most high-profile front rows. (photo: Swan Gallet, Getty Images)
Antoine Arnault, vice-chairman and CEO of Christian Dior, with model and philanthropist Natalia Vodianova and actor Phoebe Dynevor at Louis Vuitton’s Spring/Summer 2026 show — one of the week’s most high-profile front rows. (photo: Swan Gallet, Getty Images)

The Clothes

Paris Fashion Week has long been the domain of womenswear, with many brands showing exclusively female collections. Still, menswear made its presence felt, offering a glimpse at how next season’s silhouettes will take shape.

The standout trend: a continued revival of 1980s-inspired tailoring—broad-shouldered, loose and unmistakably confident. At Saint Laurent, structured blazers and pleated trousers met slouchy silk shirts in warm oranges, browns and yellows, evoking the louche elegance of Giorgio Armani’s heyday.

Jonathan Anderson, creative director of Loewe and designer of Dior’s Spring/Summer 2026 collection, takes a bow after blending office and off-duty codes on the Paris runway. (photo: Julien de Rosa, Getty Images)
Jonathan Anderson, creative director of Loewe and designer of Dior’s Spring/Summer 2026 collection, takes a bow after blending office and off-duty codes on the Paris runway. (photo: Julien de Rosa, Getty Images)

Louis Vuitton leaned into volume too, reimagining its signature brown in oversized cuts and pairing it with lustrous technical outerwear and crisp denim jackets. At Dior, designer Jonathan Anderson blurred office and off-duty codes, sending models down the runway in a branded three-quarter zip layered over a shirt, tie and jeans—a high-fashion twist on casual Fridays.

The Scene

While the runways drew most of the spotlight, some of Paris Fashion Week’s most memorable moments happened offstage. Chief among them was Virgil Abloh: The Codes at the Grand Palais—the first major European exhibition devoted to the late designer’s legacy. Featuring more than 1,000 pieces from the Virgil Abloh Archive, the show underscored his profound influence on fashion and culture before his passing at just 41.

Actor and musician Jaden Smith turns heads outside the Louis Vuitton show with a bold denim-on-denim look that captured the spirit of Paris Fashion Week. (photo: Edward Berthelot, Getty Images)
Oscar-winning actor Adrien Brody channels relaxed sophistication outside the Lacoste show, part of the brand’s sport-luxe Paris showcase. (photo: Edward Berthelot, Getty Images)
Thai actor and singer Joong Archen Aydin attends Saint Laurent’s Spring/Summer 2026 presentation, where sharp tailoring met relaxed 1980s silhouettes. (photo: Stephane Cardinale, Getty Images)
From Top Left: Actor and musician Jaden Smith turns heads outside the Louis Vuitton show. (photo: Edward Berthelot, Getty Images); Oscar-winning actor Adrien Brody channels relaxed sophistication outside Lacoste. (photo: Edward Berthelot, Getty Images); Thai actor and singer Joong Archen Aydin attends Saint Laurent’s Spring/Summer 2026 presentation, where sharp tailoring met relaxed 1980s silhouettes. (photo: Stephane Cardinale, Getty Images)

The Spectacle

Theatre and surprise are part of Paris Fashion Week’s DNA, and this season didn’t disappoint. Rick Owens delivered one of the week’s most audacious presentations, staging his latest goth-core collection in the middle of a vast reflecting pool. Models descended from a towering metal structure and waded through the water to pose at its edge—a breathtaking mix of drama and defiance (and hopefully water-resistant leather).

Celebrity spotting, as ever, was a sport unto itself. Colman Domingo and Pamela Anderson turned heads at Valentino, while Adrien Brody and Serena Williams brought star power to Lacoste’s tennis-inspired show. The most unexpected sighting? Lana Del Rey and her husband, Louisiana fanboat driver Jeremy Dufrene, who traded his Mossy Oak camo for a head-to-toe designer ensemble.

Singer Lana Del Rey, husband Jeremy Dufrene and photographer Caroline Grant bring star power to Valentino’s front row during Paris Fashion Week. (photo: Vittorio Zunino Celotto, Getty Images)
Singer Lana Del Rey, husband Jeremy Dufrene and photographer Caroline Grant bring star power to Valentino’s front row during Paris Fashion Week. (photo: Vittorio Zunino Celotto, Getty Images)

Paris, once again, proved why it remains the fashion world’s ultimate stage—equal parts theatre, artistry and star power.

Feature image by Edward Berthelot, Getty Images.