If you’ve been inundated with shots of moulded corsets, beanstalk heels and knotted satin dresses all over your social media feeds, then it should come as no surprise that we’re currently in the midst of the fall/winter 2026-2027 haute couture week.
The most prestigious of all fashion weeks, the bi-annual event is a showcase of sartorial artistry, with the capabilities of hallowed ateliers and the exceptional work of the petites mains—a French phrase that refers to the seamstresses, embroiderers, milliners, and button makers who create these garments—on full display.
Presenting a collection during the exclusive event is by invitation only and controlled by Paris’s Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, meaning that only the most exceptional maisons are able to participate. The results are garments that are nothing short of masterpieces, often taking hundreds of hours to complete and rendered with painstakingly accurate and breathtakingly beautiful hand-stitched embroidery, flourishes, sequins and accents.
Each garment is then made-to-order using the precise measurements of the ultra-high-net-worth clients who have the extreme fortune of taking these creations home. However, for many of us, it is just a privilege to see these wearable works of art. That’s why whenever haute couture week rolls around, it’s paramount to take the time to peruse each look and inspect every minuscule stitch and meticulously applied motif.
Despite it being a more considered and pared-back schedule, especially compared to the ready-to-wear seasons staged each February and September, there is still a chance that something exceptional slips you by. To save you the trouble, Who What Wear has compiled a guide to the unmissable moments, exceptional looks and visual references that are dominating conversation in fashion circles.
It goes without saying that a lot of these looks will linger with you. So, without further ado, scroll through for all the noteworthy designs from the FW26 haute couture collections.
Everything of Note From the Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2026–2027 Season
1. At Schiaparelli, Gaudí, Ghostface & Kinky Silicone
For Schiaparelli’s FW26 haute couture collection, creative director Daniel Roseberry penned a manifesto on the “magic of creation”, which can be “found only in total surrender to the unknown”, as he wrote. “Codes—as beloved as they are—aren’t meant to be static”, he continued, explaining his decision to eschew conventional Schiaparelli archetypes for something far more imaginative and inventive.
In lieu of literal anatomical motifs, subversive, surrealist faces were woven into dresses that resembled the Ghostface villain from the Scream franchise. In the place of keyhole symbols, vibrant fish scales adorned dresses and jackets to resemble the architecture and façades of Gaudí masterpieces, including Barcelona’s Casa Batlló.
Furthering the French maison’s innovative spirit, Rosberry fused quotidian materials with superb craftsmanship, creating breathtaking gowns made from subversive latex and dreamy silicone. Indeed, it’s clear that the upper echelon of fashion has caught jelly fever, with Roseberry rendering this gelatinous and aquatic material into sculptural corsets and coral-inspired skirts and sea urchin sandals.
These bustiers were a focal point for the panoply, first made by carving the resin mould by hand before casting it with a porcelain effect and rendering it in hyperrealistic shades that melted to the body. One exceptional moment came not from the runway, but in the hours after.
The closing look, modelled by Ivy Stewart, was whisked from the opulent parlour inside the Petit Palais where it was presented that morning and immediately transported to the red carpet at Leicester Square where Zendaya wore it for the world premiere of The Odyssey that afternoon. Talk about an epic adventure.
Elsewhere, on the front row, Schiaparelli continued its procession of awe-striking designs with the silhouettes it dressed its guests in. Emma Corrin, ever the fashion chameleon, was washed in pastel plumage in a feather-adorned jacket accented with a funnel neckline and protruding, nipple-like talons.
Bad Bunny made his haute couture debut in a buttercream suit and gilded tie that appeared like he was wearing a plait around his neck. Those in the know will recall this is a callback to Schiaparelli’s FW2024 ready-to-wear collection, which invoked a sense of the tailoring seen in Pippa Garner's 1987 photography collection “Future Man!”
The subjects of the legendary 1990 documentary Paris Is Burning might’ve told us that reading is fundamental, but when it comes to fashion, referencing is clearly even more essential.
2. At Dior, Fans, Ferns and a Glimpse at Jonathan Anderson's Bridal Visions
Jonathan Anderson might’ve designed Taylor Swift’s wedding dress, the first haute couture creation of its kind for a celebrity since the Northern Irish designer took the helm of the brand, but he skipped the exclusive New York City nuptials over the weekend ahead to stay in Paris for Dior’s FW26 haute couture show.
Despite remaining quite tight-lipped after the show—he told the press that “it was a joy to work with her”—he did provide a glimpse of what his vision for a bride would entail. In the esteemed couture tradition, he concluded his collection with a dreamy off-the-shoulder white gown, complete with resplendent fern motifs and rosette details.
Botanicals have been a consistent part of Anderson’s work at the luxuriate, from his lily pad heels to his frog chainmail clutches. (A continuation of Monsieur Dior’s sartorial green thumb, of course.) This season, it took a starring role as the Jardin des Tuileries was transformed into a greenhouse flanked with black-lacquered wood and lined with fronds. On the runway, a verdant, grass-like fabric was woven throughout the collection, appearing in long robes, cropped bar jackets and fringed scarves.
But where boutonnières and embroidered petals constantly appear, Anderson used the collection to honour the work of American sculptor Lynda Benglis. Using her methodology of knotting and moulding as a framework for textile manipulation, Anderson created sumptuous dresses that pleated like accordions. This idea of folding hit a literal note in the suite of fans that appeared in the collection, perhaps a nod to the fact that Paris had just encountered a record-breaking heatwave in the weeks prior? Metallic plissé hats were also a highlight and cemented Anderson as not only an incredibly cerebral designer, but one who always relishes humorous touches.
On a more serious note, Dior also embraced the long-standing relationship Benglis has with artisans in the Ahmedabad and Gujarat regions by showcasing the Indian crafts of chintz and gemstone carving. The latter specifically, which is a finely woven cotton textile bearing floral motifs, was on display through the clutch bags that bore antique chintz prints that date back to the 18th Century.
But if designing the most important dress of Taylor Swift’s life wasn’t the biggest thing to happen to Anderson this week, this sophomore show certainly is. But he wouldn’t get by without a little help from his friends: Sabrina Carpenter, whom he also dressed for her magnum opus Coachella headliner, Josh O’Connor, whom he dressed for Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers and Alexa Chung, who recently wore a custom chartreuse Dior dress to the 2026 Met Gala.
3. At Chanel, Mattieu Blazy Gets His Happily Ever After
Once upon a time, there was a man named Matthieu Blazy who landed the job of one’s dreams as the artistic director of Chanel. The designer knows his life is a fashion fairy tale, and for the French maison’s latest haute couture collection, he materialised the whimsical universe he occupies, complete with climbing vines, beanstalk heels and magpie treasures.
The first model stepped out onto the runway carrying a century-old leatherbound book of fairytales that was owned by Coco Chanel herself. Compounding this ode to fantasy was the soundtrack, featuring snippets of The Lord of the Rings soundtrack and “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None The Richer, arguably one of the most romantic songs of the ‘90s.
The collection itself was laden with references to literary archetypes and folklore, including a miniature sleeping bear bag that would suit the Goldilocks amongst us and stilettos accented with thorned roses à la Beauty and the Beast. The Golden Goose, Swan Lake, Snow White and Princess and the Pea were all obvious references, too.
Elsewhere, the front row was matched with a dramatic line-up, including Teyana Taylor, Pedro Pascal, Sarah Pidgeon, Alexa Demie and Elizabeth Debecki. The most noteworthy addition was Joël Blanc, who is a French artist who specialises in live watercolour landscapes from prestigious sporting events, including Roland Garros. In a world fixated on the return of physical media, could there be a more charming form of documentation than this?
The question that remains, however, is whether Chanel would get its happily ever after. Given that Blazy is quite the romantic, the answer should be obvious. In his imagination, however, the narrative doesn’t end with the princess being swept off her feet by her prince and heading down the aisle, despite the presence of a fantastical wedding dress.
Instead, he looks to the lives of Gabrielle Chanel and Princess Diana, ending the show with a revenge dress rendered in sultry black, proving that the women he designs for aren’t in need of rescuing, but elegant clothes to write their own story in.
