Paris Fashion Week - 3rd - 6th Runway Roundup

Wow. So I officially dropped off the face of the earth for a solid 5 days - of which were the most important days in this year for fashion. Classic.

I went through quite the ordeal and had to make some lifechanging decisions for myself, let's just say I'm no longer going to be a university student... Yep, Mimi is free and only lasted a solid three weeks before figuring out uni is not for her.

So with my many panic attacks and anxious meltdowns behind me, I am now reporting on the best of the past four days I missed. We've got lots to catch up on from the final four days of Paris Fashion Week.

So without further ado... Let's start with the legendary Loewe show!!!

Loewe (Jack McCollough & Lazaro Hernandez) - October 3rd @11:30am

Their signature polish has officially steered Loewe into bold new territory. Anticipation for Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez’s debut has been sky-high - especially following JW Anderson’s phenomenal reign. If you read our “Here Comes Super September” post, you’ll remember the duo said they wanted to honour Loewe’s DNA while infusing it with their own voice. And let me tell you: they delivered.

This isn’t their first Paris Fashion Week rodeo. The Proenza Schouler founders had a two-season run in Paris pre-pandemic. Well, fast forward to March, and they had officially replaced Anderson as creative directors of Loewe. A couple months earlier, they’d stepped away from Proenza - a huge, career-defining decision made with unwavering enthusiasm.

And the result? Quite simply: the most Loewe collection I’ve ever seen. Every look had a surreal, animated quality - the tailoring was so sculpted and hyper-polished, it looked like clothing made of plasticine. Moulded jackets, cartoonish silhouettes, and graphic pops of red, green, yellow and blue made every outfit feel playful, expressive, and unmistakably fresh. Intertwined with more wearable pieces of course.

It was intelligent, invigorating, and fully in dialogue with the brand’s heritage while being totally new. McCollough and Hernandez proved not only that they were the perfect choice for this role, but also that two creative minds at the helm might just be the future of fashion. From start to finish, this was fun, fearless fashion - and an absolute masterclass in how to enter a legacy house with style, substance, and zero hesitation.

See the full collection here - https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2026-ready-to-wear/loewe/slideshow/collection

Maison Margiela (Glenn Martens) - October 4th @12pm - 

Maison Margiela is in a transitional moment, following John Galliano’s dramatic exit - a seismic shift for a house built on avant-garde rebellion and theatrical brilliance. All eyes are now on Glenn Martens, and this show was his first real statement since stepping in. What did he do? Well, he debuted his ready-to-wear collection accompanied by a 61-piece orchestra… of children.

The musicians, aged 7 to 15, performed (or attempted) Mozart, Bizet, Strauss, Beethoven and Prokofiev - in oversized tuxedos. It was completely surreal and genuinely heartwarming. It was chaotic and pure, and totally unexpected.

In stark contrast, the models wore metal mouthpieces that held their mouths open, tagged in each corner - “like obligatory smiles,” Martens explained. It was unnerving, and deliberately so. A commentary on forced performance and artificial emotion, echoing Martin Margiela’s original fascination with anonymity and mask-wearing.

TikToker and model Calum Harper vlogged himself walking the show and echoed what I felt: visually striking, but emotionally jarring, the mouth pieces were metaphoric. The metaphor stung a bit - because how often are we just pretending to smile our way through?

The clothes themselves were fine... The silhouettes were safe, the colour palette subdued, and nothing screamed “showstopper.” If anything, the garments played supporting roles to the greater performance. Because let’s be honest: the children weren’t trained musicians. The music was clumsy, sometimes awful, and if you’d only listened without watching, you’d wonder how they found the worst orchestra in France.

But that’s the point. The show was a performance piece more than a fashion moment. It was bold, clever, and very Margiela - just don’t expect TikTok-worthy runway looks.

See the full collection here - https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2026-ready-to-wear/maison-martin-margiela

Balenciaga - October 4th @8pm

Pierpaolo Piccioli’s debut at Balenciaga was one of the most talked-about moments of the season - and not just because it took place inside the actual Balenciaga headquarters. After nearly a decade of dreamy, romantic reign at Valentino, Piccioli’s move marked a major shift for both him and the house. So yes, expectations were sky-high.

There were glimmers of his signature, those poetic couture volumes, refined tailoring, and painterly colour choices were all present. For those who adored his Valentino era, it felt like a familiar friend walking into a new space. But here’s the thing: this wasn’t Valentino. It was Balenciaga. And the two couldn’t be more different in aesthetic heritage.

The collection, while undeniably beautiful in parts, didn’t quite land. It felt polished, but slightly hollow - like an edit of Pierpaolo’s past work transplanted into a setting that didn’t quite fit. There were some standout moments of course! A knitted floral dress, petal appliqués cascading from a skirt - but they didn’t feel rooted in Balenciaga’s DNA. The only truly Balenciaga-coded touches were the classic oversized bug-eyed sunglasses and the return of the classic BB belt.

It wasn’t a disaster by any means, just a little unsure of itself. Piccioli has the vision, no doubt. But for this new chapter, he’ll need time to find the Balenciaga within him.

See the full collection here - https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2026-ready-to-wear/balenciaga/slideshow/collection

Jean Paul Gaultier - October 5th @4pm

I’m not even going to begin commenting on this. EW. 

Please save yourself and don’t view the entire collection here - https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2026-ready-to-wear/jean-paul-gaultier

Chloe - October 5th @7pm

Look 50

I’ve always been a Chloé girl - through and through. The brand has long stood for timeless elegance, effortless bohemian luxury, and an unapologetic celebration of femininity. But this season? It left me semi-underwhelmed (I hate to say it!)

Chemena Kamali, stepping confidently into her creative stride, clearly wanted to shake things up. “We’re living through such a unique moment in fashion history,” she said during fittings. And yes, I get it - the energy of reinvention, the pull to redefine a brand’s DNA. But for the first 49 looks, it felt more like trial and error than evolution. The colour palette was jarring in places, with odd pops that felt incohesive and off-brand. It lacked the fluid romanticism and polish that usually defines Chloé.

But then - Look 50 (above). Finally. Piles of dreamy lace and cascading ruffles, silhouettes that whispered luxury without shouting. That floaty, ethereal femininity came rushing back in. The final nine looks delivered what I’d been waiting for: elegant shapes, fluid pleats, and all the soft power of boho-chic done right.

Kamali dipped back into the archives, pulling inspiration from Gaby Aghion’s 1950s and ‘60s designs - minus the stiffness, minus the petticoats. It was a homage to Chloé’s roots, just updated for now. I just wish we’d felt more of that spirit earlier on.

But when Kamali did successfully channel Chloé? It was perfect. Here’s hoping next season delivers that magic from start to finish.

See the full collection here - https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2026-ready-to-wear/chloe

McQueen  - October 5th @8pm

With feral sighs and guttural squawks echoing through the speakers, we took our seats on a set that felt somewhere between a pagan ritual and an underground rave. We could only be at McQueen.

For Spring 2026, Sean McGirr channelled The Wicker Man - a haunting 1973 folk horror film laced with religious obsession, eerie isolation, and unsettling femininity. McGirr used it as a launchpad to explore classic McQueen themes: faith, sex, nature in all its strange beauty and brutal force - and, crucially, the power of the feminine. “It’s the first time I’m doing a womenswear-only show,” he noted. And god, did it show. He had a unique take on it and did a first womenswear debut PERFECTLY!

This was McQueen in full theatrical glory. It was sexy, shadowy, weird, and brilliantly unhinged in all the right ways. Low-rise isn’t just back - it’s below the belt. Literally. Models like Alex Consani wore theirs so low we may need to collectively rethink our thresholds, and get a wax. Lace trousers, sheer panels, visible crack - it was sex on a stick. But clever.

McGirr brought that visceral, performative McQueen energy we haven’t felt in a while - where the show is the spectacle and the clothes follow. It felt inherently true to Lee’s original vision: fashion as drama, darkness, and desire.

And look - if McQueen says low-rise is the move? I’m buying a belt, getting a bikini wax and and heading down under. End of.

See the full collection here - https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2026-ready-to-wear/alexander-mcqueen

Chanel!!! - October 6th @8pm

Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel debut had been one of the most anticipated shows of the season, and it was saved for last, closing out Paris Fashion Week with a bang. Ten months in the making, and following 14 other Spring/Summer 2026 debuts, the moment had finally arrived.

The Grand Palais - once home to Lagerfeld’s most iconic Chanel shows, set the stage. And hanging above the runway? A glowing solar system of planetary orbs, casting light down on an otherworldly collection. The scale was cosmic, and so was the delivery.

The clothes were superb in craftsmanship. There was the signature Chanel suiting and classical tailoring, reimagined with Blazy’s personal flare. Cascading feathers, embroidery so detailed it was almost surreal, and dresses layered in fringe-petal florals. The classic plaid returned in full force, this time via knitted blazers and tailored skirts - while pops of tomato red lit up the darker accents of maroon and burgundy. The colour palette flowed like a constellation, bold yet beautifully balanced against the galactic backdrop.

Accessories didn’t miss either: classic leather bags, colourful chains, subtle stripes. And as for the soundtrack? A bold mix of music and iconic speeches, adding texture to an already multisensory experience.

Final Look

Then came the closer. A silk t-shirt paired with a voluminous, jaw-dropping skirt made of multicoloured fringe and feathers, almost tie-dyed in vibrant hues. It moved like liquid light. The model danced her way down the runway, completely owning the moment, before embracing Blazy in a celebratory hug. It was pure joy, and pure Chanel.

Blazy isn’t just a worthy successor - he’s the future of the house. And judging by this debut? Chanel’s in very good hands!

See the full collection here - https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2026-ready-to-wear/chanel

Back to normal...

After dropping off the face of the earth, I am now very much back (she says after only being gone for four days - so dramatic!) Back to our regular bi-weekly scheduling on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Starting with an in depth dive to my (brief) time as an embroidery intern for a Paris Fashion Week designer on Saturday...

With love,

Mimi xx