The Kurator’s Men’s Fashion Week roundup: Summer 2026 in Paris and Milan

Men’s fashion took bold steps forward this season, with Summer 2026 collections in Paris and Milan combining together heritage, innovation, and a fresh sense of fluidity. Designers played with contrasts - between structure and ease, concealment and revelation, past and future - to define a new paradigm of masculine elegance.

Presented at the Bourse de Commerce in Paris, Anthony Vaccarello’s Summer 2026 menswear collection for Yves Saint Laurent felt like a poetic moment suspended between worlds -  Paris and Fire Island, reality and memory. The show was framed by clinamen, an installation by Céleste Boursier-Mougenot featuring drifting porcelain bowls on water, creating invisible connections and resonances -  a perfect metaphor for the collection’s themes. 

Vaccarello’s designs paid homage to a lost generation of artists and to Yves Saint Laurent himself, who in 1974 withdrew from the public eye to create anew. The silhouettes floated lightly, shaped with cinched waists and extended shoulders, crafted in silk and nylon that traced the body with ease. The muted palette - sand, salt, pale ochre, dry moss, and pool blue - reflected a daylight clarity, rejecting artificial theatricality for a sensuality that felt intimate and held. Shorts echoed those once worn by a young Yves, a subtle nod without explicit reference. 

This collection wasn’t an homage in the traditional sense, but a continuation - an elegy to desire as style, and elegance as ambiguity. 

Jonathan Anderson’s first Dior menswear show at the Hôtel National des Invalides in Paris revisited the House’s rich sartorial history through a joyful lens. The collection merged formality with playfulness, presenting Bar jackets in tweed adorned with tuxedo details, alongside archival couture shapes reimagined as cargo shorts.

 The embroidery of 18th and 19th-century French motifs blossomed on sweaters and sneakers, blending high culture with streetwise sensibility. Sharp frockcoats met relaxed denim, creating a compelling tension between structure and ease. 

Set against velvet-lined walls inspired by Berlin’s Gemäldegalerie - adorned with 18th-century still lifes loaned by the Louvre and National Galleries of Scotland - the show embodied a refined spontaneity. Here, empathy redefined elegance, inviting men to dress with both history and heart. 

Prada: A shift in tone, a new movement

Milan hosted Prada’s Spring/Summer 2026 menswear show at the Deposito in Fondazione Prada, where elemental inspirations ruled: land, air, sun, and nature formed the collection’s beating heart. 

Prada dismantled traditional meanings and power structures with nonconformist harmonies and an impulse toward freedom. The collection evoked imaginary places -  the lover’s lake, peak’s end, and last swim - crafting a mood both elemental and emotional. The clothes moved with ease, reflecting a liberated spirit ready to embrace new beginnings. 

Brunello Cucinelli’s vision of summer menswear played on contrasts between fluidity and structure, color and calm. His ‘Shape of Light’ narrative introduced a man who wears elegance effortlessly - balancing refined tailoring with relaxed silhouettes. 

The color story featured vibrant oranges, apricots, royal blues, and coral reds alongside whites and soft neutrals. Silhouettes blended soft trousers with slightly lengthened blazers, knitwear with light textures, and outerwear crafted from pure silk and supple leather. Footwear followed suit, with deconstructed loafers and sneakers designed for comfort and sophistication. 

This collection captured a modern masculinity defined not by rigidity, but by grace, lightness, and a celebration of spontaneity.

At Paris Fashion Week, Hermès’ long-serving menswear artistic director Véronique Nichanian presented a collection that balanced lightness and tradition with impeccable craftsmanship. Woven leather trousers paired with airy sleeveless tops and striped overshirts captured a summer spirit defined by ease and sophistication. 

The warm color palette of browns and beiges was complemented by roomy canvas bags with leather straps, while rope sandals and silk bandanas added subtle finishing touches. The collection spoke quietly yet confidently to the enduring allure of Hermès, a brand that continues to outpace its rivals by staying true to its legacy while embracing modernity. 

Louis Vuitton by Pharrell Williams: Cultural fusion and playful adventure

Louis Vuitton’s presentation at the Centre Pompidou was a vibrant exploration of cultural intersections, guided by Pharrell Williams’ creative vision. The runway unfolded like a giant Snakes and Ladders game, blending Indian influences with mountain expedition aesthetics. 

Layered looks combined functional outerwear with bold prints, while accessories reinforced the adventurous spirit. The collection was a celebration of movement and multicultural storytelling, underpinned by an infectious musical score that energized the show from start to finish.

Over in Milan, Amiri’s Summer 2026 collection channeled its signature Los Angeles attitude through meticulously crafted Italian tailoring. The brand balanced streetwear cool with luxury detailing, showcasing distressed denim, leather jackets, and embroidered shirts that spoke to a raw yet refined masculinity.

 Bold textures and layered silhouettes created dynamic contrasts, while rich tones grounded the collection in warmth and intensity. Amiri’s offering was a nod to the globalized nature of modern menswear - where cultural influences merge effortlessly to create something distinctly contemporary.

Across these houses, Summer 2026 men’s fashion is less about loud declarations and more about subtle dialogues - between eras, moods, and cities. It’s an invitation to dress with intention, embracing vulnerability as strength, and tradition as a living, breathing narrative.