PFW AW/26 Cheat Sheet
- Mar 2
- 7 min read
Paris Fashion Week March 2026: The Only Cheat Sheet You Need
Paris. The big fish, the blueprint – the main event. By now we’ve seen all what New York, London, and Milan had to offer for this season and while they definitely supplied some 'wow' factor and newness, it is undoubtedly Paris that always comes out on top.
Starting later today Paris takes centre stage to allow the largest fashion houses to share their latest and for fashion lovers from all around to stare in wonder! Paris is what we wait for the entirety of fashion month, the pinnacle of excellence... age-old heritage houses, the intellectual designers, the shows that don’t just influence trends but define fashion history for many years to come!
It’s also the longest, densest, and most overwhelming schedule of the entire month. It stresses me so I’m here to supply you with your calm, curated, no‑stress Paris Fashion Week guide… what’s on, when to watch, and why it matters.
The Vibe This Season
Paris AW/26 is about authority, artistry, and long-term impact. This comes from both heritage houses but also fresh faced talent!
So ... I’ve split it down for you into three colour-coded categories:
Up-and-Comers
Debuting Designers
Must-See Shows (The final word of fashion month)
You don’t need to watch everything… so I’ve researched and narrowed down for you! This is what matters.
Day-by-Day: What’s Worth Watching
Monday 2 March – Opening Day
IFM Master of Arts - 2:30 PM - A look at the future of fashion through Paris’s most prestigious fashion institution.
CO - 3:30 - 6:30 PM - Conceptual presentation blending fashion, art, and intellectual design.
Weinsanto - 4 PM - Bold, theatrical silhouettes with a strong Parisian edge.
Kimhēkim - 5:30 - 8 PM - Structural, gender-fluid fashion with architectural precision.
Julie Kegels - 6PM - Playful, wearable experimentation from an emerging voice.
Hodakova - 7 PM - Sustainable, deconstructed luxury with conceptual depth.
Tuesday 3 March
Ganni - 10 - 6 PM - Playful Scandi cool with commercial relevance.
Marie Adam-Leenaerdt - 11:30 AM - Sharp tailoring and intellectual minimalism coming from an up-and-comer in the industry!
Mame Kurogouchi - 1 PM - Precision, texture, and Japanese craftsmanship.
Christian Dior - 2:30 PM - One of the most influential shows of the week, month, and if not, year! Anderson has such an impeccable take on Dior and no collection has let down as of yet. I'm expecting aesthetics of course, but above all else a strong meaning and direction. This is always a temperature-check show - what Dior does will quietly ripple across womenswear for seasons to come.
Pressiat - 4:30 - 7 PM - Dark glamour and sculptural silhouettes.
ALAINPAUL - 6 PM - Clean, modern tailoring with a contemporary Parisian sensibility.
Saint Laurent - 8 PM - After last seasons INSANE show in front of the eiffel tower I have no idea how Anthony Vaccarello will outdo himself! Strong shoulders, precise tailoring, and unapologetic attitude... it never gets old because it is simply YSL! AW26 will likely build on this momentum, reinforcing Saint Laurent’s position as one of Paris’s most culturally dominant houses.
Wednesday 4 March
Courrèges - 10:30 AM - Futuristic Paris minimalism with strong visual identity.
The Row - 12 PM - Quiet luxury at its purest. Always influential.
Balmain - 1:30 PM - High-glamour power dressing with dramatic flair coming from new crearive director Antonin Tron! Excited to see what he does with this iconic maison.
Dries Van Noten - 3 PM - Colour, print, and poetic storytelling.
Stella McCartney - 4 PM - Building on last season’s balance of sustainability and modern tailoring, Stella McCartney’s AW26 should refine on these ideas and define responsible luxury fashion, proving the importance of environmental ethics within the industry.
Acne Studios 5:30 PM - Scandinavian cool with experimental Paris polish as per usual! Excited for Acne.
Tom Ford - 7 PM - Sleek sensuality and brand-defining glamour.
Alaïa - 9 PM - Presenting Pieter Mulier's last collection for the house after he announced his departure from the Maison! He will be missed so this show is a MUST WATCH!
Thursday 5 March
Chloé - 10 AM - Following on from last season the focus on bohemian-chic is something Chloé is renowned for but after it's virality last year the potential is insane! I'm expecting feminine chic, bohemian vibes and of course Parisian romance.
Off-White™ - 11:30 AM - Streetwear luxury with cultural influence.
Carven - 12:30 PM - Modern Paris tailoring with wearable appeal.
Rabanne - 2 PM - Metallics, futurism, and modern glamour.
Uma Wang - 3 PM - Quiet, poetic fashion with artisanal depth.
Cecilie Bahnsen - 4 PM - Romantic volume and modern femininity coming from an up-and-coming house with lots of potential!
Schiaparelli - 5:30 PM - Daniel Roseberry has quite literally never disappointed me. So i'm expecting his usual surrealism, wearable couture, and overtly dramatic fashion theatre. Counting down the minutes to this one! The balance he has between art and fashion is beyond impressive.
Mossi - 6 - 8:30 PM - Experimental luxury and modern craftsmanship.
Rick Owens - 6:30 PM - Dark, brutalist fashion with cult influence.
Isabel Marant - 8 P M - Effortless Parisian cool that never tries too hard, AW26 I'm hopeful for cozy, layered knits, sleek boots and a continuation on what they do best... boho.
Friday 6 March
Mugler - 10 AM - Body-conscious glamour and sharp silhouettes.
Loewe - 11:30 AM - After pushing craft and sculptural experimentation last season, Loewe remains one of Paris’s most intellectually influential houses and with Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez now at the helm it can only get better and better!
Ruohan - 12:30 - 3 PM - Soft tailoring and refined elegance.
Issey Miyake - 1 PM - Innovation, movement, and fabric technology.
Lanvin - 3:30 PM - Parisian heritage reinterpreted.
Nina Ricci - 4:30 PM - Soft glamour and modern elegance.
Givenchy - 5:30 PM - Refined luxury with strong brand heritage.
Yohji Yamamoto - 7 PM - Intellectual fashion with emotional depth.
Victoria Beckham - 8 PM - After her last collection refined the brand’s signature sharp tailoring and understated sensuality, Victoria Beckham’s AW26 show will be one to watch for its continued evolution into confident, modern Parisian elegance + the family drama of course!
Saturday 7 March
Celine - 12 PM - One of the most watched shows of the season - for me atleast! I am a Celine girl through and through.
Noir Kei Ninomiya - 1 PM - Sculptural fashion as wearable art.
Hermès - 2:30 PM - Timeless luxury and craftsmanship.
Vivienne Westwood - 3:30 PM - Punk heritage and political fashion as per I hope.
MAXHOSA AFRICA - 4-6:30 PM - Cultural storytelling through knitwear.
Elie Saab - 4:30 PM - Elie Saab always supplies THE wow factor for red-carpet dresses, events, and even bridal. Uber-feminitiy and the upmost glamour ooze from every inch of this show. One of my faves for sure.
Comme des Garçons - 5:30 PM - Conceptual fashion at its most radical.
Balenciaga - 8 PM - One of the most polarising and discussed shows of the week.
Sunday 8 March
Margaret Howell - 10:30 - 1 PM - Quiet British tailoring in Paris.
Paloma Wool - 11 - 1:30 PM - Artistic, wearable fashion with a cult following.
Lacoste - 12:30 PM - Sport-luxe with Parisian polish.
Akris - 2 PM - Precision tailoring and understated luxury.
Niccolò Pasqualetti - 3 PM - Emerging designer with strong craft focus.
Jean Paul Gaultier - 4:30 PM - Always theatrical and emotionally charged.
Ottolinger - 6:30 PM - Deconstructed, experimental fashion.
McQueen - 8 PM - Always darkly romantic but impeccably structured... I can imagine AW26 leaning into moodier textures and dramatic tailoring with that signature McQueen edge.
Monday 9 March
Zimmermann - 10 AM - Romantic femininity with global appeal.
Gabriela Hearst - 1 PM - Sustainable luxury with artisanal focus.
Abra - 4-6:30 PM - Experimental silhouettes and youthful energy.
Chanel - 7 PM - If we are being real PFW ends after this show, nothing can top it! Matthieu Blazy has not dissapointed thus far and following his haute couture collection rooted in tweed, proportion, and cinematic staging, this show will continue to define Parisian luxury - for ready-to-wear!
Tuesday 10 March - Closing Day
Louis Vuitton - 12 PM - A global spectacle and one of the most influential shows of fashion month. Usually quite inventive, especially in recent years so I'm expecting more sleek luxury with clever nods to tech, inventive outerwear and maybe a statement leather.
Miu Miu - 2 PM - Youthful, trend-setting, and endlessly copied, because who doesn't want to copy the best in the game! AW26 I'm thinking will be quirky, whimisical, playful, and endlessly feminine. Miu Miu is perfect for those who want fun with a little edge - of which I am one!
Litkovska - 5 PM - Minimalist elegance with a twist, this Ukrainian brand host their first official runway at PFW.
Situationist - 6 PM - This Georgian brand are having their big break! Showing their first runway show in the official calendar.
Pierre Cardin - 7 PM - Futuristic heritage and legacy design.
If You’re Short on Time… Prioritise These 5
Christian Dior
Saint Laurent
Schiaparelli
Loewe
Chanel
That sounds like the perfect mix of experimental jaw-dropping artistry , sculptural design and full-on production shows.
How to Use This Cheat Sheet
New to Paris? Start with the Must-See list.
Trend-spotting? Watch Up-and-Comers first - they will grow the fastest.
Industry-focused? Track the Debuts for long-term shifts.
Final Thoughts
Paris Fashion Week is the conclusion that defines everything before it. Less chaos than London, less commercial pressure than Milan, and more ‘WOW’ big names than any other city. If I had my own Maison and I wasn't at Paris Fashion Week I know I’d be aspiring towards it!
Use this guide as your master map. Watch what excites you, skip what doesn’t. Paris doesn’t require you to watch everything, whatever calls to you watch that!
Over the week, I’ll be breaking down the most important collections, key trends, silhouettes, colours, and moments shaping AW26 (although I’ve just moved to Korea so jet-lag is kicking my butt. Pray for me lol)
With love,
Mimi x
Stay up to date with me while I'm in Korea! (and of course reporting all things fashion) -
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