SS26 Paris Fashion Week Round-up Part 1

Paris Fashion Week SS26 has only just begun, but the first shows have already set the tone for a season full of history, spectacle, and purpose. From regal fabrics with roots in Versailles to oversized power dressing and intimate moments at the Louvre, here are the highlights so far.

Victor Weinsanto opened the official Paris Fashion Week calendar with a show that blended theatrical flair and historical gravitas. The centerpiece was a corset dress crafted from Jacquard de Soie, an exclusive silk sourced directly from Château de Versailles with the support of the Paris Fashion Federation.

This fabric, taken from the very rooms of Louis XVI, appeared in only two looks throughout the collection. One of them - a structured, modern corset silhouette - embodied Weinsanto’s talent for transforming history into something strikingly contemporary. It was an opening statement that reminded audiences that Paris fashion is not just about style, but also heritage and storytelling.

Anthony Vaccarello set the week alight with a dramatic nighttime show beneath the Eiffel Tower. His SS26 collection embraced the sharp glamour of the 1980s, with towering shoulders, glossy leathers, and exaggerated blouses reimagined for today.

The front row was a star-studded roll call - from Kate Moss and Carla Bruni to Linda Evangelista and Hailey Bieber - turning the runway into a cultural moment as much as a fashion one. Hailey Bieber sparked headlines in a lingerie-inspired romper styled with a sporty windbreaker, amplifying the ongoing underwear-as-outerwear trend.

With Madonna and her daughter Lourdes Leon also making a rare joint appearance, Saint Laurent proved again that its shows are equal parts fashion and theatre.

Nicolas Ghesquière presented Louis Vuitton’s SS26 collection inside the historic Louvre, transforming Anne of Austria’s former apartments into an intimate runway. Rather than high drama, the collection leaned into the comfort of an “indoor wardrobe” -  oversized cardigans, robe-like coats, pajama-style trousers, and knits in soft, fluid shapes.

The staging - complete with gilded interiors, sculptures, and a curated lived-in atmosphere - offered a fresh counterpoint to the season’s louder statements.

By bringing comfort and intimacy into the heart of couture-level fashion, Louis Vuitton suggested that modern luxury can be just as much about ease as about spectacle.