Paris Fashion Week: Pierpaolo Piccioli debuts at Balenciaga; Hermès showcases leather brassiere tops; Beckham shows slip dresses; McCartney shows raffia dresses; LV opts for knitwear
PARIS — Creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli held his first runway show for Balenciaga on Saturday, presenting a summer lineup that included brightly colored gowns and minimalist leather jackets, dubbed “The Heartbeat” collection.
“I don’t want to deny what has been here before me,” the Italian designer told a crowd of journalists and well-wishers after the show. He said he seeks to bring couture elements to everyday clothing like chinos and T-shirts. (Watch the show here: https://tinyurl.com/ynyabtha)
Mr. Piccioli, who previously worked at Valentino for 25 years, took the reins of the Kering-owned fashion house in July. He succeeded Demna, who moved to Gucci, as part of a broad management and design reshuffle aimed at reversing a decline in group sales.
The show opened with a sack dress — a long garment with no waist, first introduced by house founder Cristobal Balenciaga in the late 1950s.
The model also wore visor-like sunglasses that wrapped around her head, covering much of her face, topped with glittering white stones, like a crown.
Other styles included long, gathered skirts worn with cropped tops and leather jackets stripped of lapels, and even the sleeves, worn like capes.
One of the most highly anticipated debuts in a packed fashion season, the show was held at the brand headquarters — a historic 17th century building that also houses Kering’s offices. It drew crowds of celebrities including Meghan Markle, Lauren Sanchez, and Kristin Scott Thomas.
HERMÈS
Hermès designer Nadège Vanhee sent out a collection of brassiere tops, quilted silk coats, and racer-backed dresses for the French fashion house’s spring/summer runway show on Saturday. (See the show here: https://tinyurl.com/y2fah7vs)
Guests walked in from the blustery streets to find a beige set, lined with benches, the floor covered in sand and bits of broken shells.
Models marched around the space in tall riding boots, their silky ponytails swishing. They wore sandy-colored shirts, skirts and brassiere ensembles, cinched snugly with leather straps and lacework. Racerbacks revealed shoulder blades, while leather bra tops held silk fabric in place, covering the chest.
The color palette was dominated by muted beige and khaki tones, with a few touches of bright red — a leather trouser set, a handbag, and motifs on scarves.
Hermès has outperformed rival luxury groups like LVMH, Kering, and Chanel as the sector grapples with a prolonged downturn. Dozens of brands including Dior, Chanel, and Gucci have brought on new designers to try to reignite sales.
At Hermès, Ms. Vanhee, who heads womenswear designs, has held her position for over a decade.
VICTORIA BECKHAM
Victoria Beckham showed a collection of slip dresses, roomy suits, and soft leather jackets with crinkled edges for her namesake label’s spring-summer runway show, held at the 17th century Val-de-Grace abbey in Paris on Friday. (Watch the show here: https://tinyurl.com/3jrw8ad2)
Models marched under the arched corridors in sharp-toed shoes, parading dresses cut in asymmetric shapes and uneven hems, the fabric bunched together in places, some covered with a dusting of spray paint.
Trousers were low-waisted, cinched with thin belts and paired with tops that were slit open in front, while suit jackets came in boxy shapes, without lapels.
Handbags included a roomy duffle bag, a structured camera bag and one that resembled an accordion.
In written show notes, the brand described the collection as an “abstract adaptation of the coming-of-age wardrobe,” noting that Ms. Beckham had spent time reviewing photos of herself as a young adult.
DIOR
Dior creative director Jonathan Anderson unveiled a new aesthetic for women’s ready-to-wear on Wednesday, showing his take on house classics such as the bar jacket at one of the hottest tickets in a packed season of designer debuts. (Watch the show here: https://tinyurl.com/ut32b5r2)
Mr. Anderson joined the LVMH-owned label in March, and showed menswear in June. He is part of a new generation bringing change to the luxury industry, which faces a prolonged slump.
Famous for its nipped waist, Mr. Anderson’s bar jacket was loosened, with added volume at the back and paired with a pleated mini skirt that also jutted out behind.
The look set the tone for “a bold new chapter” at the brand, said Simon Longland, director of buying for the fashion department at Harrods.
“The show was a collection of contrasts — couture against everyday ease, femininity with androgyny, covered versus sheer,” he said.
The show, held in the Tuileries Gardens, started with a fast-paced film, showing images from the label’s past but styled like a black-and-white horror film.
The models then strode onto the runway. They paraded miniskirts paired with long, wool capes covering the shoulders and arms, suit jackets worn with high collars, dresses that opened in the back, and lightweight knit ensembles. Jeans were slim or ample, barrel-legged style, while coats had high collars.
STELLA MCCARTNEY
Stella McCartney showed a summer collection packed with cocktail dresses in new, feathery materials, further expanding the range of textures used by her label, known for an ecological bent. (See the show here: https://tinyurl.com/5t4dphsj)
“This collection was about coming together, bringing together handwork, craft, bringing together different innovations,” Ms. McCartney told Reuters after the show.
Models moved quickly down the runway, parading short dresses made from piles of raffia and pastel gowns in an airy plant-based feather alternative. There were also double-breasted suits with sharp shoulders, short skirts with extra flounce, and slouchy jeans.
Known for her use of alternatives to leather and fur, Ms. McCartney in January announced she would repurchase LVMH’s minority stake in her label, but would continue to advise the French luxury conglomerate on sustainability matters.
LOUIS VUITTON
Louis Vuitton womenswear designer Nicolas Ghesquière showed his spring/summer 2026 collection in a southern wing of the Louvre Museum, where models clad in flat, slipper-like shoes paraded soft knits, silky pajama-like trousers, and loose bermudas. (Watch the show here: https://tinyurl.com/4huu6wfm)
“The atmosphere I was wishing to share with you was really this serenity that you can feel when you are in the comfort of your home,” Mr. Ghesquière told journalists after the show.
Models paraded through what used to be the summer apartments of Anne of Austria, Queen of France, refitted with Art Deco seats and 19th century sculptures.
They wore knit bermudas, cardigans with deep pockets, and robe-like coats, some with chunky scarves, others baring a shoulder — or two.
Mr. Ghesquière, who has helmed women’s designs at the LVMH-owned label since 2013, is one of a handful of designers to remain in place amid a broad creative reset sweeping across the sector. — Reuters
