The founders of the Matières Fécales show, design duo couple Hannah Rose Dalton, left, and Steven Raj Bhaskaran, right, during Paris Fashion Week.Matières Fécales/Supplied
“Switcheroo” may be the word on the street at Paris Fashion Week. The spring 2026 season is the unofficial Olympics of designer musical chairs.
After Demna Gvasalia, ex-creative director of Balenciaga, raised the roof at Gucci last week in Milan, all eyes are now on Jonathan Anderson (formerly Loewe) at Dior, Pierpaolo Piccioli (formerly Valentino) at Balenciaga, Matthieu Blazy (formerly Bottega Veneta) at Chanel, and Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez (founders of Proenza Schouler) at Loewe.
We’ve come full circle, and everything old is thrilling again. Here’s what stood out on days one and two.
Saint Laurent
At Saint Laurent, giant pussycat bows were knotted under the chin or pushed down toward the navel for an extreme V-neck.Alessandro Lucioni/Supplied
Staged outdoors in front of the Eiffel Tower that sparkled like a giant champagne glass, models marched through a labyrinth of white hydrangea bushes spelling out the house monogram, YSL. Led by veteran designer Anthony Vaccarello, who joined the prestigious label in 2016, Saint Laurent kickstarted the week with three power looks.
First, a nineties throwback to broad shoulders and pencil skirts materialized in black leather motorcycle jackets and white secretary blouses. The latter were accented by oversized pussycat bows and gold crucifix earrings massive enough to make Madonna proud. Next, glossy, translucent trench coats cut from silky fabrics clung to the skin as though they were wet, in rich hues like grenadine, marmalade and smoky cobalt blue. The finale was a buffet of colourful billowing gowns.
Le Défilé by L’Oréal
From left to right, Rebecca Patricia Armstrong, Zhou Ye, Andie MacDowell, Cara Delevingne, Cindy Bruna, Eva Longoria, Kendall Jenner, Ariana Greenblatt, Aja Naomi King and Nuttanicha Dungwattanawanich walk the runway at Hotel de Ville on Monday.Kristy Sparow/L’Oréal Paris/Getty Images/Supplied
Further down the Seine, L’Oréal presented Le Défilé, an outdoor show at the magnificent Hôtel de Ville in Paris. It wasn’t a fashion show per se, but it was certainly a hype-worthy event thanks to a steady stream of A-list catwalkers including Andie MacDowell, Helen Mirren, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Cara Delevingne and Toronto’s own Coco Rocha.
A roaring crowd welcomed a musical interlude by another Canadian, Charlotte Cardin of Montreal, who performed her French-English hit Feel Good. The celebration of “liberty, equality, sisterhood” – a feminist twist on France’s motto “liberté, égalité, fraternité” – culminated in a runway appearance by Kendall Jenner.
Louis Vuitton
Zendaya attends the Louis Vuitton Womenswear Spring/Summer 2026 show on Tuesday.Arnold Jerocki/r Louis Vuitton/Getty Images/Supplied
Nicolas Ghesquière presented Louis Vuitton’s spring/summer 2026 show at the Louvre. Guests were escorted past the Winged Victory of Samothrace toward the summer apartments of Anne of Austria, Queen of France, which reopened last year after a nearly two-year renovation.
The 17th-century setting was juxtaposed with modern furniture and artwork to simulate a contemporary living space. The soundtrack featured Cate Blanchett reading the lyrics of This Must Be the Place by Talking Heads, which opens, fittingly, with “Home is where I want to be.” Ghesquière’s vision, the press materials noted, explored the idea of an “indoor wardrobe.”
The first look drew on this season’s sheer trend previously established in New York, London and Milan: a bustier tank in the lightest of stone-grey fabrics, structured by black seams and paired with matching pyjama pants and a regal housecoat. Knit wraparounds and pants, draped pleated tunics and floral appliqué blouses with wide-legged jeans followed. Guests – especially those in heels – likely eyed the furry slippers, slouchy socks and moccasin booties with envy.
Matières Fécales
Hannah Rose Dalton at the Matières Fécales show.Matières Fécales/Supplied
An hour later and just a few blocks north, a different crowd gathered in front of Hôtel d’Évreux’s elegant 18th-century façade, next door to the Ritz Paris at Place Vendôme. It isn’t every day that Canadians feature on the Paris Fashion Week circuit, but this pair of 20-somethings from Montreal have been shaking up the scene with their philosophy of non-conformity, self-expression and inclusion.
Design duo (and real-life couple) Hannah Rose Dalton and Steven Raj Bhaskaran, both graduates of Montreal’s LaSalle College, drew a legion of fans to the upscale square. The couple’s goth-alien style, accented by painted shaved heads and otherworldly black eyes, first caught the attention of influential fashion figures such as Rick Owens and Jean Paul Gaultier – but it’s their clear talent in tailoring that’s garnered them widespread high fashion acceptance.
The label’s spring/summer 2026 press release reads like a love letter from Steven to Hannah. It’s a tribute to their union, the drive she instils in him and the shared struggle in their often isolating way of life. It was like Valentine’s Day in September, which explained the wave of pink (a gentler variety than Barbie’s) and trails of chiffon and silk roses.
There were fairytale-inspired couture gowns, Chanel-like sets in ripped tweed and tulle, and sultry trench dresses. Black bomber jackets (modeled by Bhaskaran), oversized stressed denim, and fitted suits featuring the brand’s signature statement shoulders rounded out the collection. Dalton’s finale couture gown was a poetic bouquet of recycled silk roses.
