The Fall/Winter 2026-2027 season offered a particularly rich and contrasting vision of contemporary fashion. The runway shows transformed into narratives, into symbolic universes where memory and imagination intersect.
The Fall/Winter 2026-2027 season offered a particularly rich and contrasting vision of contemporary fashion. Between historical heritage, formal experimentation, and reflections on identity, the houses seemed to be exploring new ways of telling stories about the world through clothing. The runway shows transformed into narratives, into symbolic universes where memory and imagination intersect. From Nina Ricci's rococo silhouettes to Issey Miyake's textile experiments, and Chloé's folkloric inspirations, each house offered a unique interpretation of Parisian fashion.
Nina Ricci:
A delightful surprise awaited at the Nina Ricci show, where, amidst a majestic backdrop, looks both elegant and kitschy unfolded. The event became a festival of beautiful, Rococo-style pieces. Crinolines, floral jacquards, and moiré silk immediately established a temporal setting reminiscent of the prestigious halls of the Palace of Versailles. The brand transported the Nina Ricci woman back in time, creating her own royal court. What if the court of Versailles existed in our era? This was a collection of everyday looks composed of majestic silhouettes. While opulence, even kitsch, is often feared, Harris Reed embraced it, staging a Parisian-style château life. He brought a joyful and playful dimension by mixing all sorts of patterns and materials, from noble ones like duchess satin and French lace to more accessible ones like cotton knit. Nina Ricci presented us on March 8, 2026 with an unpredictable and astonishing collection that allows us to appreciate the opulence of a bygone era in a different way.
Issey Miyake
In this latest show held at the Carrousel du Louvre, Satoshi Kondo, the artistic director of Issey Miyake, attempts to answer these questions: "As designers, to what extent should we emphasize our intention to 'create'? Or, is it perhaps the deliberate will to leave things open and unfinished that 'allows' the inherent beauty to reveal itself?"
In the center of a room bathed in stark contrasts of light, silhouettes emerge, their appearance almost unrecognizable. Issey Miyake has reinvented himself to such an extent that the central theme of this show lies in the intention to create differently, even at the risk of no longer creating something beautiful. Embracing this challenge suggests relinquishing all control and venturing into uncharted territory in order to reveal oneself. Satoshi Kondo explores a method that involves recognizing and allowing the material to exist as it is, with the aim of adapting to it. The show comprises nine small series of garments that emphasize ingenuity over restraint. For example, the Allow series is conceived in the most pragmatic sense: a single piece of fabric covering a tube becomes the garment. The "untitled" series questions our ability to judge a garment as "beautiful or not" when it is unfinished. Satoshi Kondo's practices bring concrete meaning to everyday life, because he constructs his aesthetic in the same way he would solve an equation, through successive approximations.
Chloe:
Chloé's AW 2026-2027 collection is called Devotion, which means "sincere and fervent attachment." Chemena Kamali has openly spoken about her connection to folklore culture and its symbols. Folklore encompasses the skills and knowledge of a people, passed down from generation to generation. These traditional and/or purely functional creations evoke a sense of brotherhood and devotion to the community. Chemena Kamali explores the meaning of the word folklore, whether through the principles of irregular, handcrafted production, tradition, or aesthetic symbols. Certain details are inspired by traditional costumes, such as embroidery and patterns; and hair jewelry evokes community bonds and even rituals. Without explicitly defining a specific folk culture, Chloé creates its own unique style for the house, celebrating each individual, from their hair to their skin tone.
Dries Van Noten
“The AW26 collection begins at this juncture; the transitional moment that takes you from adolescence to adulthood… The fragile time of change, before identity takes hold, lasts only a short while before it disappears. Like a pixelated image, the further you get from this period of endless questioning, the clearer it becomes,” says Julian Klausner, the current creative director of Dries Van Noten. The show conveys a message of tolerance as it illustrates a period in which it is common to be searching for one's identity. This period is characterized by discovery and experimentation; travel and chance encounters awaken open-mindedness. The Dries Van Noten show echoes cultural accessibility and self-discovery through experimentation and dissonance. The looks can be described as hybrid, combining traditional garments with jeans or utilitarian pieces like pea coats or bomber jackets. The parade makes us realize that spontaneity is a treasure that we must embrace.
Christian Dior:
The Dior AW 2026-2027 show was a veritable stroll through the Tuileries Gardens. Jonathan Anderson paid homage to these gardens, originally commissioned by Catherine de Medici and later redesigned under Louis XIV. The place is so unique that one color instinctively brings it to mind: pastel green. It's the color of the chairs where all types of Parisians can be seen relaxing. The models walked on a giant structure suspended above the water, which became a stage for a glimpse of Parisian life softened by the colors and flowers of the garden. The collection echoed a soothing tranquility in the heart of a bustling city. The fabrics were ethereal, the shapes fluid, and the outfits light—it was a true modern-day fairytale. The artistic director wishes to represent "the encounter" that symbolizes these gardens, using a "mix and match" of patterns and colors such as checks, flowers, rhinestones, polka dots, stripes, etc.
Jonathan Anderson transformed this garden into a metaphor through his collection, evoking a place where chance encounters, blossoming flowers, and first kisses occur.
Balmain:
Olivier Rousteing recently left the House of Balmain, leaving behind a strong identity and 14 years of archives. The new artistic director, Antonin Tron, played it safe for his first show. In a room dimly lit by long white curtains, a few obvious symbols of the House made an appearance: leopard print, gold, bandages, thigh-high boots… Shoulders were squared when waists were cinched, and legs were often bare, even though this was a winter collection. With great subtlety, Antonin Tron created light undertones, like the shadow of something hidden behind a curtain. By delving into the archives of Pierre Balmain, he chose, rather than taking risks, to demonstrate his mastery of the territory he was about to explore. The artistic director embraced the brand's favorite paradox: "minimal opulence."
Jean Paul Gaultier:
Duran Lantik presented his second ready-to-wear collection at Jean Paul Gaultier. While the first collection may have left some questions unanswered, this latest collection further revealed Duran Lantik's genius. Mystical music and large white curtains create a mysterious atmosphere, much like the models walking the runway with their hoods up. Except this time, the hood is a shirt or blazer collar. The theme is already established; the men's wardrobe, and tailoring in particular, is literally reconstructed. Duran Lantik creates a new silhouette, neither male nor female. This silhouette varies according to a series of experiments: jewelry is made of tires, abstract forms emerge from the garments, collars are doubled in volume, smoke rises from some of the pieces… By using the tire and speed as allegories, Duran Lantik illustrates change through the transformation of tailoring, drawing on masculine and feminine codes. The show closed with flowing, draped dresses contrasted by large volumes at the waist and neckline. The balance between soft shapes and their dominance symbolizes Duran Lantik's message of hope for a just balance between women and men.
Louis Vuitton:
Thunder rumbles and geometric shapes emerge from the ground beneath the greenery. In the Cour Carrée of the Louvre, Louis Vuitton imagined a verdant valley inspired by the Jura region, the birthplace of the leather goods maker. With determined steps, in rhythm with the sound, the models bear the weight of their geometric shoulders. The first coats worn were inspired by those Turkish shepherds made to protect themselves from the elements. The rest of the show paid homage to mountain shepherds and forest animals. Furs and leathers offered a wide variety of shapes and silhouettes, allowing our imaginations to wander in an idealized rural world. Accompanied by walking sticks and headwear that protected them from any weather, the models traversed the valleys, barely looking back. Within this expansive, high-altitude landscape, Louis Vuitton constructed its abstract vision of nature and its ecosystem. Within this opposition between its radical forms and the original organic forms of nature, a new style inspired by mountain codes is emerging.
Thus, these Fall/Winter 2026-2027 collections illustrate the diversity of directions fashion can take today. Some houses, like Issey Miyake, prioritize experimentation and reflection on the creative process. Others, such as Dries Van Noten, Chloé, and Louis Vuitton, explore identity, community, or our relationship with nature. Through these multiple visions, fashion reveals its ability to engage with its time while remaining a space for freedom and imagination.
