From Dior’s debut by Jonathan Anderson to political runway protests, dreamwear at Hermès, and Saint Laurent’s heatwave seduction—discover what shaped Paris Men’s Fashion Week SS26.
Jonathan Anderson’s Dior Debut Redefines the Moment
Photo by Adrien Dirand, courtesy of Dior.
The most anticipated event of the week came on Day 4, as Jonathan Anderson unveiled his first Dior menswear collection. Carefully balancing heritage codes and subtle disruption, Anderson set the tone for a five-part narrative to unfold across seasons. It was smart, slow-burning, and unmistakably Dior—yet full of promise for evolution.
Paris Dreams: Pyjamas, Surrealism, and Escapism on the Runway
Mercedes-Benz Class of Creators: KidSuper unveils his unique superhero CLA art piece and a capsule collection at Paris Fashion Week // Mercedes-Benz Class of Creators: KidSuper präsentiert sein einzigartiges CLA Superhelden Kunstwerk und eine Capsule Kollektion während der Paris Fashion Week
Dreaming emerged as the defining theme of the penultimate day. At KidSuper, Colm Dillane turned the runway into a literal storybook, with models stepping from the pages of The Boy Who Jumped the Moon. At Hermès, Véronique Nichanian’s gauzy, yacht-bound elegance felt like a soft, lucid dream of the Mediterranean.
Saint Laurent captured a different fantasy—Parisian sensuality in the heat, with silk shirts that clung lightly to the body, somewhere between suiting and seduction.
Activism on the Runway: Fashion Speaks Out
Courtesy of Willy Chavarria.
The most politically potent statements at men’s fashion week came from, Willy Chavarria, whose show opened with 35 men in ACLU-partnered white T-shirts—calling out injustice in immigrant detention. Chavarria’s use of vibrant factory colors (reds, greens, blues) tied fashion directly to labor realities in oppressive systems. A$AP Rocky’s AWGE and his off-schedule show joined this wave of fashion-as-resistance.
Optimism, Celebrity, and Cinematic Storytelling Shape the Mood
Courtesy of IM Men’s.
Despite heatwaves and political tension, the overall mood was hopeful, creative, and cinematic: Louis Gabriel Nouchi (LGN) presented an animated short film, echoing Blade Runner, bringing 80s nostalgia into the future. At Issey Miyake, kinetic garments moved like water—an elegant break from the noise, reminding us that innovation can still feel human. Jacquemus, showing at the Versailles Orangery, closed the week with a poetic gesture of purity, channeling memories of childhood Sunday best.
Prada’s Stripped-Back Surrealism
Courtesy of Prada.
Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons leaned into what they called instinct and ease. At the Fondazione’s bare Deposito space, micro shorts, wave-printed shirting, and airy knits conjured a seaside dreamscape. The show felt fluid, personal, and stripped of conceptual weight—inviting calm clarity in a chaotic world.
Inspired by India
Courtesy of Louis Vuitton.
Under the glowing Parisian sun and the colorful scaffolding of the Centre Pompidou, Pharrell Williams unveiled his Spring/Summer 2026 men’s collection for Louis Vuitton. The multi-sensory odyssey began with travel—from the heart of Paris, where the maison’s atelier is, to the vibrancy of India. In collaboration with Studio Mumbai and its founder, Bijoy Jain, Williams created both a setting and a collection rooted in metaphors of journey, consciousness, and community.
