5 Key Trends From Paris Fashion Week

For those less in the fold, Paris Fashion Week is the last of the ‘Big Four’ cities on the schedule. Last, but certainly not least. In fact, most would probably say that Paris is the most exciting of all. From big players like Dior, Chanel, Loewe, Balenciaga and Chloe, to cult favourites like Acne Studios and Jean Paul Gaultier, as well as some of Britain’s finest like Victoria Beckham, Stella McCartney and McQueen, it’s a jam-packed schedule of one stellar show after another. As such, us editors on the ground are both inspired and exhausted in equal measure by the very end. The shows! The presentations! The parties! The trends! There’s so much to do, see, touch and enjoy, it really is sensory overload. But one we’re happy to have.

Autumn/winter 2026 is an interesting time and a highly anticipated season in fashion. The autumn/winter collections are always a bigger focus than spring/summer, so there’s a higher degree of pressure to deliver. What’s more is after the ‘big reshuffle’ that took place in time for last season, with over 16 new creative directors at major houses, this was the sophomore collection for a lot of high-power luxury brands and the debut of their autumn/winter vision for the respective brands.

In light of this, there’s simply so much to unpack. Particularly so with the major trends that came through from the French capital. To name a few, I noticed a lot of sharp tailoring, some expected and others less so. From Saint Laurent to Givenchy, Dior to Victoria Beckham and Tom Ford, sharp suits had a major moment. There were equestrian influences, too, to marry with the Year of the Horse. Stella McCartney even presented her collection in an actual riding hall with a magnificent horse show at the centre.

Adding to this, check prints, waterproof garments in transparent plastic materials as well as multiple collections that echoed last season’s obsession with the ‘80s, it was yet another display of joy, colour and fantasy.

5 Key Trends From Paris Fashion Week: Autumn/Winter 2026

1. Horse Power

Style notes: According to the Lunar New Year, 2026 is the Year of the Horse. And let’s just say fashion got the memo. From Stella McCartney’s horse show extravaganza within the Paris riding hall Bois de Boulogne, to Acne Studios, Chloe and Hermes (of course) bringing full horse girl energy by way of over-the-knee boots, belted blazers and silk neckerchiefs, equine influences were scattered throughout the week. Whilst equestrian style can venture into feeling slightly preppy, prim and proper, it is here sharp and streamlined. Whilst McCartney’s version felt sportier and slightly more casual with jeans, Schiaparelli’s three-piece suit in butter yellow was cinched and snatched.

Understated Leather

Horsey Jeans

YSL

Julia Boots in Smooth Leather

Chloé

Chloé Crew-Neck Jersey Logo T-Shirt

2. Check Mate

Style notes: Check prints will always have some kind of presence on the runways, because let’s face it, they’re timeless. But this season there were too many to count, and in different variations. Where Dior, Dries van Noten and Acne Studios layered multiple checks one on top of the other, especially on tailoring and outerwear, Chloe stayed true to its bohemian roots, with a ruffled high neck maxi dress. At Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel we expected checks across tweed sets, but not like they came in the closing few looks. Chainmail tartan midi skirts, jewel-adored blazers and trench coats finalised his epic collection—and cemented the resoundingly positive reviews.

‘S Max Mara

Gita Checked Linen Blazer

Acne Studios

Kosa Checked Wool-Blend Top in Blue – Acne Studios

MANOLO BLAHNIK

Atochas 50 Leather-Trimmed Checked Canvas Pumps

3. Against the Elements

Style notes: It may come as no surprise that an autumn/winter season might provide much protection against the cold and wet weather. But be it Loewe’s XXXL rubberised coats, vinyl trench coats at Off-White and Louis Vuitton and metallic windbreakers at Cecilie Bahnsen, practicality was a major focus on the outerwear front. Even Haider Ackermann’s triumphant collection at Tom Ford, which many likened to the costume in the 2000 film American Psycho with its array of sharp ’80s-style suits, also included a series of clear plastic waterproof garments, from hooded raincoats to skirts. If you’re as much a fan of the film as I am, you’ll remember the protagonist Patrick Bateman putting on a plastic raincoat in a specifically violent scene. Of course, none of these connotations are carried with these pieces, but the stylised and cinematic quality this use of plastic gave, instead of feeling cheap, was well noted amongst editors and critics alike.