The Tamesis
After an unprecedented spring 2026 designer debut, the focus in Paris is on follow-ups and third shows. This is a rich and decisive autumn.
Ahead of the launch of Chanel’s Autumn/Winter 2026 collection, editors and VIPs flocked to shop Matthieu Blazy’s first piece, which landed in Chanel boutiques in Paris on March 5 and has become the talk of the town. “In my 20 years attending Paris shows, no other first collection has moved the fashion world so much,” wrote. fashion show and fashion business Global Director Nicole Phelps.
Monday night’s show featured Blazy’s second ready-to-wear collection for the French brand, cementing his vision. “Chanel is the best show of the season. It’s such a joy. Fashion has the power to make us dream – but at Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel show, you actually wear dream,” fashion show says contributor Tiziana Cardini.
Alix Morabito, chief merchandising officer at Galeries Lafayette, agreed: “Matthieu Blazy continues the fantastic path he started for Chanel, introducing more knitwear and ultra-low-rise styles that echo the era of Gabrielle Chanel.” Morabito also praised “Celine’s perfect silhouettes and attitude” and Jonathan Anderson’s second women’s show for Dior. “He introduced a new, relaxed attitude to Dior’s classic clientele and invited new audiences. The decorations he built in the Tuileries Garden helped usher in a new era of airy air, emphasizing pools, ‘nature’ and light,” she added.
The celebrity scene added to the buzz: Oprah Winfrey flew to Paris to watch Stella McCartney be made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor in a ceremony at the Élysée Palace, and while in Paris she also took the opportunity to attend the Chloé and Chanel shows. fierce competition– The frenzy continues, with François Arnaud attending the Saint Laurent show and Hudson Williams sitting front row at Balenciaga, as news spreads of a confirmed collaboration with Balenciaga EuphoriaSam Levinson — sent fans into a frenzy and blocked the Champs Elysées. love story Star Paul Anthony Kelly stole the show at Dior and Tom Ford, while co-star Sarah Pidgeon lit up Loewe’s show. The Culkin brothers were also in town: Kieran attended the Lacoste show, and Macaulay appeared at the Dior and Jean Paul Gaultier shows.
“There are so many celebrities today because there are more brand ambassadors than ever before. It’s a fierce competition that shows how ruthlessly brands compete for media attention,” says PR guru Lucien Pagès. Before fashion week, Balenciaga announced 11 brand ambassadors, including Williams. Three days before the show, Chanel announced Bhavitha Mandava, a model from Hyderabad, India, as its next brand ambassador.
Read on for the highlights from Paris Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2026.
Address what’s happening in the world
Paris Fashion Week (PFW) takes place against the backdrop of conflict in Iran and across the Middle East. It was in stark contrast to the collections on the catwalk, perhaps even uncomfortable.
Osama Chabbi, a French-Tunisian stylist and fashion commentator based in Dubai, said: “It felt completely dissonant to be at a fashion week, but at the same time I told myself that maybe people want to see something lighter. That’s what I’m sticking to.” Flights to Dubai have gradually resumed on some airlines, but Chabbi is not sure whether he will return home after his final show. “I’m lucky enough to be a freelancer.”
The fashion world is no stranger to perseverance in the face of political turmoil. “9/11 happened during fashion week, COVID happened during fashion week, and now the conflict in the Middle East happened during fashion week. That either means too much conflict or too much fashion week,” said Moda Operandi co-founder Lauren Santo Domingo.
