After a 2025 marked by sweeping turnover among creative directors and numerous debuts, this Fall/Winter 2026 edition was more measured, in substance as well as in style.
"It's been a fairly conservative season, without any incredible propositions," Matthieu Morge Zucconi, head of men's fashion at France's Le Figaro newspaper, told AFP.
"We're in a period where we zero in on what's essential. You can feel it in the shows," added Astrid Faguer, fashion journalist at Les Echos newspaper.
Against a backdrop of worrying international news and economic turbulence in the luxury sector, brands are looking to reassure customers rather than risk unsettling them, experts agree.
- Suits in force -
The classic suit-and-tie duo stood out as one of the strongest markers on the runways.
The overall colour palette was fairly classic: black, gray, beige and brown, with a few brighter touches, like the purple seen from Dior to Vuitton, via Issey Miyake and Etudes Studio.
The extravagant over-sized jackets with large shoulder pads of previous seasons have become more fitted -- still loosely tailored, but more traditional.
"I think that with age and the way my view of the world is evolving now, I wanted to create a silhouette that's ... a bit more fitted," head of Paris-based 3.Paradis, Emeric Tchatchoua, told AFP.
Louis Vuitton chief designer Pharrell Williams wrote that his fairly conventional collection was "designed to endure rather than expire, it is a timeless expression."
For Adrien Communier, head of fashion at GQ magazine in France, the restraint signals a return to basics.
"There's really a phenomenon of creating clothes for the now, that will be able to last and take on everyday life," he observes.
According to him, both the public and designers are no longer looking for one-season pieces which are quickly out-of-date, instead opting for styling that will stand the test of time.
"It's impossible not to see a reference to the international context. I think there's something very responsive and pragmatic in relation to that," he told AFP.
The unstable state of the world has weighed on luxury sales over the last few years, crimping profits at luxury groups which had enjoyed a post-Covid sales bonanza.
- 'Normality' -
It was not all sensible shapes and tasteful tailoring.
Dior designer Jonathan Anderson appeared keener than most to take some risks.
He said he didn't want "normality" as he reimagined modern-day aristocrats for his second men's collection, adding that his designs included some "angst and a kind of wrongness, engulfing wrong taste".
He sent out shirts with checks adorned with rhinestone-fringed epaulettes, while models wore yellow or spiked wigs.
The Bar jacket, a Dior signature item, was redesigned in a shrunken format
A grey cape-coat from Dries van Noten had tiny embedded jewels embedded in a gray cape-coat, while there were faux-fur coats for men at KidSuper and Willy Chavarria.
Embroidery showed up in several shows, while floral prints and patchwork bomber jackets also featured.
Simon Longland, chief fashion buyer for London luxury store Harrod's, also said that the past week had been about designers "offering flexibility, comfort and longevity."
"Broadly, collections felt less driven by trend and more focused on creating pieces with purpose -- clothing intended to be worn, lived in and valued over multiple seasons rather than defined by the moment alone," he said.
Men's Fashion Week in Paris: what to watch
Paris, France (AFP) Jan 18, 2026 -
Men's Fashion Week will kick off in Paris on Tuesday, and from Veronique Nichanian's farewell at Hermes to Jonathan Anderson's second Dior collection, AFP has selected the stand-out moments not to be missed.
- Stability and sales -
Over six days and across 36 runway shows and 30 presentations, 66 houses are set to unveil their wardrobes for the next Fall/Winter season.
After a 2025 marked by sweeping changes in some labels' top positions, this season will be more stable, with many newly appointed designers bedding into their new jobs and looking to showcase their vision.
In October, what industry experts dubbed the "Fashion Week of the century" saw the debut of numerous new directors, including Matthieu Blazy at Chanel and Jonathan Anderson for Dior womenswear.
Uncertain economic conditions will continue to weigh on the minds of many labels following several years of weak sales, notably in China.
"We're in the midst of an economic crisis and that has repercussions on creation," according to Marie Ottavi, fashion journalist at France's Liberation newspaper, who predicted "very pragmatic collections" to meet "the imperative of selling".
For several seasons now, "it has been less about creativity and more about predictability", agreed Franck Nauerz, head of menswear at Paris fashion stores Le Bon Marche and La Samaritaine.
- Hermes finale -
On Saturday evening, French designer Veronique Nichanian will present her final collection for Hermes, after 37 years at the helm of the men's line.
The 71-year-old Parisian -- one of few women designing in menswear -- announced her departure in October.
She will leave behind a brand in tremendous financial shape with an image of timeless, refined masculinity that she has helped shape.
Her successor has already been announced: London designer Grace Wales Bonner, who will take up the hotseat in her mid 30s.
Wales Bonner, who is of English and Jamaican heritage, founded her own label and is known for including African influences including handcrafted fabrics or jewellery in her work.
She will unveil her first collection in January 2027.
- Jonathan Anderson -
On Wednesday afternoon, Dior will unveil the second menswear collection by Jonathan Anderson, one of the most anticipated events of this Fashion Week.
His debut show of summer menswear in June last year won widespread praise, but his women's collection in October elicited a more ambivalent reception.
The 41-year-old Northern Irish designer is considered one of the leading talents of his generation, but now needs to convince and cement the new identity he's sketching out for Dior Homme.
"There's a lot of anticipation," noted Alice Feillard, men's buying director at Paris department store Galeries Lafayette.
- One to watch -
A rising figure in French fashion, designer Jeanne Friot will stage her first show on the official calendar after two years of presentations.
Known for her inclusive, socially engaged fashion, Friot will kick off fashion week on Tuesday at 3 pm (1400 GMT), ahead of Pharrell Williams's highly anticipated Louis Vuitton show in the evening.
Among the newcomers, Italian designer Luca Magliano will also make his runway debut after winning the Karl Lagerfeld Prize in 2023, while ERL, KML, Sonia Carrasco, and Ssstein join the calendar for the first time in the "presentation" category.
- Absences -
Spanish brand Loewe, expected to stage its first menswear show under the guidance of US designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, will present a unisex collection during Women's Fashion Week in March.
Saint Laurent, which returned to the official men's calendar in June, has opted out again.
These absences allow "other, more independent brands - smaller but well-established -- to gain greater visibility on the calendar", Feillard pointed out, citing French labels Lemaire and AMI as well as US designer Rick Owens.
Pillars of the calendar, Japanese houses Issey Miyake and Yohji Yamamoto will also be present, along with French labels 3.Paradis and Egonlab.
Much-hyped French designer Simon Jacquemus will close out the week with a show at the Picasso Museum that is expected to draw numerous celebrities.
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