Panty bottoms, sheer madness and more enduring trends from Paris Fashion Week | Canada Voices

Another edition of Paris Fashion Week wrapped up Tuesday. The real spring and summer season is still another six months away, but in the meantime, here are the style notes from the spring/summer 2027 shows worth keeping in mind.

Canadian brands make their mark at Paris Fashion Week

Sheer is still strong

In a continuation of a trend seen in previous seasons, see-through was omnipresent on the runways. Top layers caressed skin like ethereal veils, as seen in Louis Vuitton’s opener: a stone-grey shift-dress with a feather-light frontal cape.

Carven, whose new creative director Kai Nesselrath injected fresh energy into the brand, introduced a simple white floor-length sheath.

Ann Demeulemeester’s rocker version played with lace and frills in gothic black.

And at Loewe, slip dresses were knit with rows of glass beads, creating a novel translucent texture.

Pin-up panty bottoms

With an abundance of sheer fabrics on view, eyes naturally landed on the models’ undergarments, unanimously accepted these days as outerwear. The omnipresent panty bottom hovered low at the hip like that of a 1950s pin-up girl, evoking a vintage silhouette.

Chanel’s much-anticipated collection opened with a sheer, negligée-inspired dress and full-bottom panty. Gabrielle Chanel’s own 2.55 purse, pulled from the archives, accented the look.

Hermès presented a high-waisted version with matching multiband bra tops beneath fine-netted tank dresses and skirts. Bodysuit panty shorts also featured in the rotation, paired with the French maison’s classic riding boots.

At Loewe, mini short shorts came down the runway in bright orange and seafoam green, embroidered with sequined floral details.

Fluidity and movement

The concept of wind, air and breath flowed freely at several labels. Models at Issey Miyake marched with windswept hair locked in a freeze-frame. Tent-like jackets billowed like balloons, and the brand’s iconic mini pleats bounced with each stride like jello.

Similar kinetic energy graced a Grecian-style frock with draped pleats at Victoria Beckham, and Lacoste’s playful party dress featured oversized yellow sequins that evoked bouncy tennis balls.

The perennial trench

Almost every collection included at least one trench coat, an enduring wardrobe staple that reinvents itself every season. Traditionally worn as a cover-up, here it was the star of an outfit.

Maison Margiela’s eccentric take featured a rigid plate on the bodice. Reminiscent of the metal corsets of the Renaissance, it openly challenged the trench’s classic silhouette.

Another reinterpretation came by way of Jean Paul Gaultier, whose version featured the designer’s iconic cone adornments.

Victoria Beckham’s willowy, dual-layered proposition was in contrast with the stripped down and unadorned offering at Carven.

A stylish mess

Several collections offered looks that were mixed- and messed-up, but nevertheless curated with intention. Julian Klausner, at Dries Van Noten, is the king of texture on texture, print on print, juxtaposing soft and romantic with bold and structured.

Miu Miu daringly paired scuba shirts with sparkly bras. Even glamour icon Valentino blended a concoction of plaid, paisley appliqués and feathers, as well as a sequined chinoiserie top folded into men’s boxers that popped up out of low-slung denim.

Reaching into the brand’s tennis history, Lacoste designer Pelagia Kolotouros stained traditional white garments with Roland Garros red clay. She also served the fresh idea of capturing post-Grand Slam victory, where “sweat becomes a badge of honour,” as she mentioned in the show notes. A crafty ruching effect mimicked fabric being sucked into the skin by perspiration.

Wrap-up

A skating rink is an iconic symbol of Canadian wintertime, but a curious choice for a spring and summer fashion show. Nevertheless, this is what Paris Fashion Week spectators arriving at the Espace Sportif Pailleron for the Pierre Cardin show were confronted with.

The historic French house’s icy runway showcased models in futuristic sportswear, interspersed with French figure skating stars, including the decorated Philippe Candeloro, putting on a show.

If there is one image that lingers after Paris’s spring/summer 2027 season, it might be the flock of birds soaring under the atrium of the Grand Palais at the Chanel show. For creative director Matthieu Blazy, the birds in flight were symbolic of the groundbreaking steps Gabrielle Chanel took toward sartorial freedom. For Torontonians, the image may recall Michael Snow’s Flight Stop, the installation of flying geese at the Toronto Eaton Centre.