PHOTOS: Inside the 2026 Grand Dîner du Louvre at Paris Fashion Week

Anya Taylor-Joy. Pierrick Rocher/BFA.com

Two years in, the breathless comparisons between Le Grand Dîner du Louvre and the Met Gala still feel a little overcooked. For starters, this year’s event wasn’t tied to a fashion exhibition the way last year’s was and the looks were overall less daring. Still, last night’s second edition of the museum’s glamorous gala fundraiser—now firmly installed as the unofficial opening of Paris Fashion Week—raised €1.6 million and drew nearly 300 philanthropists, fashion executives, royals, screen stars and assorted global elites to the Louvre.

The theme, “Le Louvre, la nuit” (the Louvre, by night), wasn’t so much inspirational as it was atmospheric. The evening began with cocktails in the Daru Gallery beneath the Winged Victory of Samothrace—a rare treat for any lover of antiquities. Before guests sat for a dinner prepared by Anne-Sophie Pic (the most decorated female chef in Michelin history), they strolled through galleries plunged into near-darkness. Mirroring the full moon shining over the Louvre Pyramid, spotlights illuminated individual works.

The roster of sponsors included not only fashion and beauty industry heavyweights like Chanel, Cartier, Dior, LVMH, L’Oréal, Lancôme and Van Cleef & Arpels but also powerhouses from the world of tech, including artificial intelligence firm Anthropic. Meanwhile, the guest list reflected a similar cross-industry power grid. Screen star Anya Taylor-Joy mingled with European aristocracy in the form of Princess Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and Princess Maria Chiara of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, while seasoned collectors and patrons Mouna Ayoub, Krystyna Campbell-Pretty and Lauren Amos circulated alongside Prince Amyn Aga Khan, a longtime cultural supporter and member of one of the world’s wealthiest philanthropic dynasties. Finance royalty was represented by Stephen Schwarzman, the billionaire co-founder of Blackstone, who attended with his wife, Christine Schwarzman. The design contingent included Christian Louboutin, Jean Paul Gaultier and Camille Miceli, with muses like Barbara Palvin, Alexa Chung, Alex Consani, Natasha Poly, Eva Herzigová and Alton Mason.

The real stars of the evening, however, were the standout ensembles. Sombr arrived in custom Valentino, while Serre dressed Spanish actress Ester Expósito in one of the evening’s most talked-about pieces—a gown constructed from 600 upcycled paintbrushes arranged to resemble feathers. Actor Diane Kruger opted for a semi-sheer avant-garde design by Iris Van Herpen, who also dressed Olympic freestyle skiing star Eileen Gu and Barbara Palvin. WNBA superstar A’ja Wilson appeared in Jacquemus, while Olandria Carthen wore Khaled & Marwan. Here’s what you missed: