Tennis-inspired designs and jazzed-up aprons close out Paris Fashion Week | Canada Voices

Another season of Paris Fashion Week comes to a close today. Here are the designers and key looks that we’ll remember.

Lacoste

The Lacoste show took over the courtyard of a high school, decorating it with gleaming tiles and white towels to evoke a locker room setting. Drawing on the brand’s tennis heritage, creative director Pelagia Kolotouros crafted purses in the classic pleat skirt pattern, braided sweatbands into bracelets and transformed the alligator logo into a glittery broach.

Bold monochromatic looks in a reddish-brown colour that recall Paris’s clay tennis courts were followed by Grand Slam hues: Roland-Garros green and orange, U.S. Open blue and green and crisp Wimbledon whites – all rounded out by crowd-pleasing black and beige.

“For tennis use only” was the cheeky message pasted on accessories modelled after VIP lanyards. The sportswear line, which also featured tailored items such as suit jackets, coats and dresses, seems destined for mass appeal both on and off the court.

Anna Wintour, a tennis fan herself, was all smiles chatting with front row neighbours Michelle Williams and Adrien Brody. Also present were a smattering of K-pop stars and tennis legend Venus Williams.

Valentino

Valentino creative director Alessandro Michele opened his Spring 2026 show with a political statement, albeit a poetic one. Employing firefly imagery to represent hope, his first model wore a blue jacket, ruched at the front with two bows, atop a pair of yellow pants. The colours of Ukraine did not go unnoticed.

What followed was a collection that touched on androgyny and eclecticism. There was an endless stream of red-carpet worthy gowns, as well as elegant separates such as velvet fitted skirts and silk blouses with flowers in place of bows. For the finale, models gathered below a light installation of fireflies and stared up at them in awe.

Alexander McQueen

At Alexander McQueen, waistlines hung extremely low, revealing hip bones and backside cleavage. The message at the outset from creative director Seán McGirr was: The timid need not apply.

Other dominant details included cropped military jackets, corset dresses and rows of asymmetrical ruffles.

Miu Miu

In addition to Prada, designer Miuccia Prada also directs its younger, spunky sister line, Miu Miu. This season, a theme of celebrating the work of women manifested as variations on the apron.

The collection showcased a complete range, from a black leather welder’s look to a colourful 1950s housewife version crowned in ruffles. Generous layering over suit jackets with silk ascots and button-up sweaters cut into bibs contrasted with bejewelled babydoll dresses.

Jean Paul Gaultier

Duran Lantink’s first collection for Jean Paul Gaultier was baptized “Junior,” a direct nod to the boss’s more accessible line launched in the late ‘80s geared at stylish club kids.

Classic JPG codes remained intact, with Lantink expressing them in an anything-goes manner. A trompe-l’œil bodysuit of a hairy nude man was shown alongside a pleated tent dress, caught in mid cancan stance, atop a marinière corset.

The designer also experimented with bold, tentacle-like shoulder straps and a skin-bearing, bisected trenchcoat. The result was playful, gender-bending and, at times, downright strange.

Chloé

The Chloé Girl continues to maintain her aura of Parisienne je n’sais quoi. Artistic director Chemena Kamali opted for simple cotton fabrics to create her spring and summer dresses – a novel choice considering the sophisticated draping techniques on display. The name of her collection, “Entre Deux,” explored this concept of straddling prêt-à-porter and haute couture.

Models came down the runway in two waves: The first in pure florals, the next in solids of cream and mocha. Feminine silhouettes included a voluminous sarong style tied in a bow at the hip; an off-the-shoulder babydoll dress; and skinny, high-waisted capri pants.