I Just Got Back From Paris Fashion Week—These Are 6 Key Trends I Know Will Matter Next Season

And that's a wrap! The marathon run of Fashion Weeks has now come to a close. New York, London, Milan and now, lastly, Paris ('The Big Four' of fashion) have played host to some of the world's leading brands, designers and 'IYKYK' labels, presenting us with what's to come for the spring/summer 2026 season ahead. It's time to catch our breath a bit (there have been some real show-stopping moments, big-name debuts and lots of fun celebrity cameos) and digest all that we have seen.

A model walks the runway at Matthieu Blazy's debut show for Chanel.

As I took my Eurostar back to London from Gare du Nord (read: misty-eyed and scrolling my camera roll, in part due to the spotty free WiFi), I found myself reflecting on all that Paris had on show over the course of the long weekend, and just how special this season, in particular, has been. Paris has always been at the epicenter of trends, luxury fashion and all things chic (hello Dior, Givenchy, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Hermès, Saint Laurent, and Celine!), so it goes without saying that everything from ready-to-wear, to handbags, shoes and accessories that matter next season will no doubt stem from the French capital yet again.

A model walks the runway at Saint Laurent, framed by the Eiffel Tower.

This season, hotly anticipated creative director debuts were the talk of the town, and stakes were high, most notably for Jonathan Anderson's first appearance at Dior. We then got to see Pierpaolo Piccioli's new vision for Balenciaga, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez kick things off at Loewe, Glenn Martens' new tenure at Maison Margiela, and for the pièce de résistance, and the final swan song of the season, Matthieu Blazy premiering at the monolithic house of Chanel. All in all, these luxury brands, and their new heads of state, gave us rich ground for emerging trends, new ways of getting dressed, modern visions of luxury, and, for me, a little pang in the heart for all the things I want to shop next season.

We also saw a real roster of celebrities, supermodels and household names take to the runway, such as Heidi Klum walking for Vivienne Westwood, Milla Jovovich at Miu Miu, Cara Delevingne strutting her stuff for Vetements, Coco Rocha showing us how it's done at Akris, and lastly, my favourite, alt-pop starlet Caroline Polochek, newly becoming a Chloé girl.

I have taken calculated guesses as to what key trends will emerge next summer, or possibly even sooner, so read on to discover my editor's picks of the 6 biggest themes Paris has to offer.

1. Pencil-Box Brights

Style Notes: A whole host of designers in Paris looked to their art supply cupboards for inspiration. Primary colours, poster paint tones and colouring pencil hues were layered, blended and combined to offer fun, dopamine-dressing options for those looking to get their summer wardrobes looking on the bright side. Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez (founders of the NY-based brand, Proenza Schouler) have entered the ring at Loewe. Key pieces from their debut included a technique of layering of colour-blocked windbreakers, 'denim' jeans and jackets made of fluffy leather, long-sleeve cashmere polos in clashing tones, spray-painted and pleated leather shirting and mini shift dresses, as well as a roster of great accessories, including a new update on the best-selling Flamenco bag, complete with ruffles printed with poster art from the Loewe archive. Miuccia Prada looked to the 80s, specifically of photographs of a German clothing factory, and the female workers who donned aprons for their shifts for Miu Miu's SS26 offering. Printed silk scarves, ditzy florals and awkward length skirts, and, yes, many an apron, all utilising Mrs. Prada's genius way with colour and pattern. Ever influenced by art and colour, Akris' SS25 collection called upon the work of American painter Leon Polk Smith, employing the colours and hard edges found in his large-scale graphic works. And lastly, Celine gave Parisienne dressing a walk in the park, with a troupe of looks with a preppy, everyday, but still very much desirable feel, with punches of blues, reds, yellows in silk scarves, logo sweaters and jacquard mini dresses and shoulder bags. Irreverence, craftsmanship and high-octane cheekiness all came through with these collections, and they were a masterclass in how to show all your colours at once.

Brands to Remember: Loewe, Miu Miu, Akris, Celine.

Key Takeaway: Primary colours; artful inspirations; dopamine-dressing 2.0.

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2. Cosmic Dreaming

Style Notes: For a flourish of fantasy and spectacle, some of Paris's very best designers provided celestial inspirations and golden finishes, lending the season a gilded touch. Schiaparelli's models were clothed in a pared-back palette of black, white, plus some brown, but most masterfully, head-to-toe gold, with garments resembling sculpture and life-drawing sketches. The most jaw-dropping of looks mimicked torn-up paper, with shreds of the gold dress unfurling to reveal a silver underside, which, too, glimmered to a high shine. Special mention goes to a two-piece outfit made entirely of gold paint-brush tips—yes, you read that right! Gabriela Hearst, too, took inspiration from the astronomical and art worlds, with painterly images on intarsia knitwear, all-over star motifs, inky night sky blues, as well as waisted leather dresses lacquered in gold. Next to go interplanetary was Mugler, whose ensemble of well-dressed bionic women strutted down the catwalk in tones of beige, taupe, chartreuse, black and peach, with choice garments encrusted with galaxies of stars, and punctuated with satellite-esque earrings and brooches, plus belts resembling the rings of Saturn. It goes without saying that Matthieu Blazy's debut show for Chanel has given this trend serious clout—his cast of models orbited a constellation of floating orbs, resembling the planets, within the hallowed halls of the Grand Palais, tapping into Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel's fascination with everything found in the sky above. Premiering his new vision for the house of Chanel, Blazy brought us new takes on the classic house tweed, a plethora of next-gen heritage handbags, as well as suiting and separates for the modern woman, all with a cosmic spin and otherworldly level of craftsmanship. The top designers working in Paris have shown they are worth their weight in gold (excuse the pun) for the summer 2026 season ahead, and will no doubt be for lightyears to come. Give your wardrobe the Midas touch, too, and adopt this metallic mood for evening looks, party season, and the times when you want to light up the room.

Brands to Remember: Chanel, Mugler, Gabriela Hearst, Schiaparelli.

Key Takeaway: All that glitters is, in fact, gold; go for gold with head-to-toe metallics; reach for the stars for party-wear and event dressing.

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3. Nostalgic Opulence

Style Notes: One of the biggest shows to open Paris Fashion Week proceedings is arguably Saint Laurent. Always starting the week with a bang, Anthony Vaccarello tapped the 80s as a major reference, sending models down the runway (framed by the behemoth Eiffel Tower), in XXL leather bomber jackets, ginormous pussy-bow blouses, bug-like black-out sunglasses, glam door-knocker earrings and a flurry of satin-meets-rip-stop trench coats, gowns and separates—all in jewel tones (think garnet, citrine, amber and ruby). Later, we saw Alessandro Michele get nostalgic, too, with a collection for Valentino that resembled a dressing-up box of looks, drawn from a real mix of eras, with glimmering sequins, draped silk, velvets and lace—an abundant display of fun, glitz and OTT glam. For Chemena Kamali at Chloé, the nostalgia came from Chloé's '50s archive, with sickly-sweet floral patterns, later doubling down on drapes, folds and ruching to create decant textures and silhouettes, giving an almost '80s opulent feel. Zimmermann, known for its high-end boho appeal by way of Down Under, looked to the '70s for hazy florals, a psychedelic colour palette and bell-bottom skirting, which zig-zagged through Le Carreau du Temple to the poetic sounds of Lana del Ray. For these notable designers, the message for spring/summer 2025 was clear: we have to look back in order to look forward.

Brands to Remember: Chloé, Saint Laurent, Valentino, Zimmermann.

Key Takeaway: Bright, jewel tones; XXL silhouettes; retro glamour; tapping bygone eras.

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4. Take the High-Neck

Style Notes: Paris Fashion Week is, of course, known for its pomp and theatricality (see previous trends), but I saw a select group of designers bringing a real taste of wearable reality to the catwalks too, and harnessing a trend which has been skyrocketing in popularity this current autumn. The funnel-neck is the thing in question, and it is continuing its reign over jackets well into next spring/summer—Balenciaga, Stella McCartney, Victoria Beckham and Magda Butrym have all got the receipts to prove it. What's key here is its versatility, as it is a shape that stands tall on leather, suede and stiff cotton fabrics. Balenciaga's burgundy leather version resembled a poncho-like cinched anorak, draped over slim blue jeans and ballet flats. Likewise, Stella McCartney showed her take on the trend with jeans (this time, baggy wide-legs), with a taupe suede cropped trench style, which had an everyday ease to it, paired with a tucked white poplin shirt, nerdy specs and loafers. Victoria Beckham and Magda Burtrym both paired their jackets with sultry sunglasses, silky lace mini skirts which fluttered underneath, plus pointed heeled shoes, showing just enough skin, but letting the jacket do the talking. The funnel-neck trend is sure to stick around for some time, and has shown how adaptable it is, not only for day-time practicality and after-dark looks, but for all-year round styling too, which is great for those honing a hard-working capsule wardrobe.

Brands to Remember: Balenciaga, Stella McCartney, Victoria Beckham, Magda Butrym.

Key Takeaway: High-neck; buttoned or zipped to the top; leather, suede and twill options available.

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5. XXL Feathers

Style Notes: One of the first shows I attended when I touched down in Paris was Issey Miyake, which is typically famous for its pleats, trompe l'oeil and origami-like techniques. A selection of their looks for SS26 were decorated in sharp, feather-like forms, which swirled around garments and bounced and swayed as the models walked, most notably on a pillar-box red two-piece ensemble, which looked striking, but actually pretty wearable. Similarly, Stella McCartney used cruelty-free feathers to give volume and drama to eveningwear, the stand-out being a Palma Violets-hued column gown worn by modern supermodel, Alex Consani. Sarah Burton gave the trend a platform at Givenchy, too, by way of a peach-toned bralette, skirt and heels combo, which was swathed in a feather-alternative fabric, which was plush, soft and fluid when in motion. The trend was solidified when the finale look for Chanel, newly helmed by French-Belgian designer Matthieu Blazy, floated down the center of the Grand Palais. The look consisted of a white oversized silk t-shirt and a floor-length skirt (complete with train) with all-over silk plumage, in a cacophony of colours ranging from mint, butter yellow, white, scarlet and lavender. This sort of look, trend and surface decoration is perfect for show-stopping looks for the evening, and this season's designers made a case for keeping the styling simple, elegant and uncomplicated, as not to distract from the drama of the feathers.

Brands to Remember: Chanel, Issey Miyake, Stella McCartney, Givenchy.

Key Takeaway: The bigger the feather, the better; single colours work best; high drama, high reward; team with a simple luxe white t-shirt if in doubt.

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6. Gothic Glamour

Style Notes: A world away from the rainbow-like, kaleidoscopic moods of the previous trends, the dark and alternative underbelly of Paris style was underscored at Dior, by way of Jonathan Anderson's introductory film, which was played before models took to the stage at his debut show for the house. A heady mix of horror and cult classic film clips converged with vignettes of past seasons, previous creative directors and catwalk BTS clips, mixed to the sounds of American gothic songstress Ethel Cain, and later, Lana del Ray. Playing up to the ghosts of fashion season's past, Anderson put some witchy-looking ensembles on the catwalk, complete with capes, spider-like beading adornments, sheer lace, 3-D sculptural waistlines and an array of crushed, pointed hats, fresh from being stashed in a Halloween box of tricks. Later, Acne Studios followed suit. Their closing chapter looks for SS26 consisted of oodles of black, leather, lace and fringing, finished with cowboy boots, decadent gemstone earrings and plenty of cold, silver hardware. At McQueen, Seán McGirr delved into the house signatures, namely the infamous bumster trousers, corsetry, military uniform inspirations, and slashed Savile Row-like suiting. Metal coiling, laser-cut leather, talisman-like earrings and blackened eye make-up all sealed the deal on what can only be described as a love letter to 90s McQueen shows and classic house codes. And, as ever, forever faithful to the goths, Ann Demeulemeester, under the leadership of wonderkind Stefano Gallici, presented a cult of models wearing swathes of black lace and crochet, Jack Skellington-like pinstripes and 00s denim jeans, many looks of which were trimmed with black feathers, which are synonymous to the brand. To quote Ms Ethel Cain, "the darker the fruit, the sweeter", so cloak yourself in monochromatic black 'fits and all of the baroque paraphernalia that your heart desires to emulate this mood.

Brands to Remember: Dior, Acne Studios, McQueen, Ann Demeulemeester.

Key Takeaway: All black, head-to-toe looks; pretty meets punk; leather and lace.

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