PAUSE Highlights: Our Favourite Shows from Paris Fashion Week

Life moves fast, but Paris Fashion Week moves even faster. In just a few days, Fall/Winter 2026 collections unfolded through runway shows, presentations, re-sees and lookbooks, each arriving one after another in a whirlwind of ideas.

Amid the pace, one thing became clear: fashion is in a moment of transition, with designers redefining heritage while experimenting with new narratives. From romantic reinterpretations to sharp reflections on power, nature, and identity, the season offered a wide range of perspectives. Here’s PAUSE recap of some of our favourite collections from the season.

Jonathan Anderson’s Fall/Winter 2026 collection for Dior unfolded in a greenhouse by the Tuileries fountain, bringing a poetic runway moment into the Parisian public space. Inspired by water, nature, and the tradition of the promenade, the collection imagined dressing up for a simple walk through the city. Romantic silhouettes dominated, with ruffled skirts, puffed shapes, and fluid polka-dot dresses paired with sharp mini Bar jackets. Organic prints and natural forms gave the clothes a soft, dreamlike quality. The show felt like a more focused evolution of Anderson’s debut, suggesting a growing harmony between Dior’s heritage and his own imaginative vision.

Satoshi Kondo knows how to deliver a silhouette, and FW26 wasn’t an exception. Keeping with the “less is more” mindset, he once again focused on meaningful garments, relying on endless possibilities in construction and material. The biggest winners were the bustiers, which created new shapes for the body, made from layers of glued paper and lacquered by artisans in Kyoto. Elongated, structural coats continued the search for new proportions. The same experimentation appeared in the runway’s subtle tonal variations.

Matières Fécales presented a disturbing yet fascinating show that explored wealth, power, and extreme privilege. The designers imagined a world of ultra-rich “immortals,” inspired by billionaires obsessed with longevity and status. Prosthetics, altered faces, and uncanny footwear created a dystopian aesthetic that blurred fashion and body modification. Luxury symbols like money, jewelry, and tailoring were twisted into grotesque exaggerations.

If there’s one show that never disappoints, it’s Lacoste. The collection revisited the brand’s tennis heritage through a cinematic story about playing tennis in the rain. Creative director Pelagia Kolotouros looked back to a 1923 match where founder René Lacoste competed during a heavy storm. That moment inspired technical outerwear, trench coats, and sporty layers designed for unpredictable weather. Classic polos, tracksuits, and knits were reworked with modern proportions and bold graphics.

Givenchy explored the idea of the modern powerful woman through contrast and structure. Creative director Sarah Burtoncombined masculine tailoring with soft, sensual silhouettes. The inspiration came partly from Old Master paintings, visible in dramatic headpieces and sculptural styling. Strong suits, fluid dresses, and statement jewelry emphasized strength, elegance, and individuality. Overall, the collection presented a layered portrait of femininity that felt both historic and contemporary.