Overview

• An unusual number of leadership changes defined the season, with around 10 Paris houses unveiling new creative directors, including closely watched debuts at Chanel, Dior and Balenciaga.
• Matthieu Blazy’s first Chanel collection drew strong praise for a contemporary take on house codes and was widely cited as the week’s defining moment.
• Industry reaction coalesced around a return to elegance—preppy bourgeois styling, revived sex appeal and optimistic color—while some debuts were described as commercially reassuring rather than risk-taking.
• Designers pushed fashion–beauty convergence, from Coperni’s C+ skincare-infused activewear to Vaquera’s new fragrance with Comme des Garçons Parfums and Chopova Lowena’s scented runway.
• Cultural visibility shaped the narrative, highlighted by Meghan Markle’s front-row appearance at Balenciaga and Vogue’s identification of a new cohort of breakout Spring 2026 models.