Paris has long been considered the capital of fashion, luxury and heritage. Historically, the city held an influential position, from the royal courts and aristocratic circles to the world of haute couture. Fashion houses and legacy brands have put down roots in the French capital, some for generations. Whether it is the romance in the Parisian air, the poetic sense of style, or the glorious architecture and art whispering history into daily life, Paris's status as the ultimate fashion capital is firmly cemented and unlikely to be challenged anytime soon.
Anyone who works in fashion sees Paris as a pilgrimage site. Buyers, media, and celebrities long for that front-row invitation, while brands strive to secure a spot to showcase their creations amid the brutally packed fashion week schedule. The competition is fierce, but a place on the Paris Fashion Week calendar carries its own prestige.
On any given day, Paris already feels like a catwalk. Parisian women's style is often chic, effortless and mysteriously elegant, even when their hair looks a little messy, and they are simply walking around in ballet flats. The Spring/Summer 2027 women's ready-to-wear calendar ran from 28 September to 6 October, packed with back-to-back shows, presentations and events. It is a city where you really want to see everything, even if the schedule makes that almost impossible.
With so many fashion houses presenting their visions for the coming season, narrowing down the highlights is no easy task. There is simply too much to take in; whether we like it or not, these houses influence and shape what we see, what we wear, and what the wider fashion industry will talk about in the months to come.
The evolution of femininity at Chanel
At Chanel, Matthieu Blazy explored past, present and future through the successive chapters of Gabrielle Chanel's life. Across 83 looks, the collection returned to the idea of freedom, expressed through the figure of the bird as well as the construction of the garments themselves. Eased tailoring and smocked tweed added new dimensions to the house's familiar codes, while innovative fabrics let different facets of femininity emerge and transform. It was an exploration of how a legacy can continue to evolve without losing sight of its origins.
A summer breeze at Hermès
At Hermès, summer unfolded through the movement of air, fabric and the body. A recurring fan motif set the tone for a collection built around lightness and sensuality, with silk charmeuse skirts featuring zips that altered their drape and a pongee parka billowing like a parachute. Intricately embroidered strips of leather over mesh added texture to the otherwise airy wardrobe. The result was a vision of summer dressing that felt effortless yet considered, where technical precision served the way a garment moves and feels against the skin.
The art of lightness at Dior
At Christian Dior, Jonathan Anderson explored lightness through technical virtuosity. Tailoring softened, while air seemed to take on a physical presence through lace, silk mousseline, and organza. Transparency and opacity alternated throughout the collection, creating a dialogue between delicacy and structure. Floral volumes, iridescent finishes and shorter silhouettes revisited ideas from the previous season in a distinctly summery context.
Even the setting reflected this interest in nature and renewal. At the Jardin des Tuileries, camphor trees were placed in the octagonal basin at the centre of the show space, with plans to replant them in the garden afterwards. The collection and its surroundings shared a sense of lightness that extended beyond the clothes themselves.
A return to the golden age of glamour at Saint Laurent
At Saint Laurent, for his last show for the brand, Anthony Vaccarello went all in on gold, glamour and velvet. The silhouettes carried his unmistakable signature, with sharp tailoring and sensual lines recalling a golden age of dressing up. Gilded trench coats, sleek blazers and pencil skirts brought opulence into the everyday wardrobe, before the show concluded with a series of black evening looks. It felt like a revival of glamour in its most unapologetic form, reaffirming Vaccarello's ability to make the Saint Laurent woman both powerful and seductive.
Clothing in motion at Louis Vuitton
Nicolas Ghesquière closed Paris Fashion Week with Ergonomie, a collection built around the relationship between clothing, the body and movement. Ultra-light fabrics and fluid constructions created garments designed to move intuitively with the wearer, while the technical complexity of the silhouettes was balanced by accessories in a sumptuous palette. Futuristic headpieces and slim proportions added a distinctive Ghesquière touch. The collection showed how functionality can become an expression of creativity, with freedom of movement itself as a design principle.
Paris keeps reminding us why fashion is more than the clothes themselves: it is a living expression of craftsmanship, history, culture, and expression.
Image credit: Multiple sources - Chanel, Hermes, Dior, Saint Laurent - Hyperbeast.com, Louis Vuitton.
