PFW: In The Private Sphere At Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2026

Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2026 / All images: supplied

At Louis Vuitton, a runway is never just a runway. Where last season saw medieval influences become a theatre of old-world craftsmanship, for Spring/Summer 2026, Nicolas Ghesquière once again took over the Louvre for a sartorial spectacle. This time, it was the summer apartments of Queen Anne of Austria, mother of Louis XIV, that transformed seven red-marble rooms into a contemporary home infused with centuries of French taste. Marie-Anne Derville’s scenography mingled cabinetmaker Georges Jacob with Art Deco by Michel Dufet and ceramics by Pierre-Adrien Dalpayrat, converging into a richly layered mise-en-scène.

Naturally, the show drew some of the Maison’s A-list ambassadors, including BLACKPINK’s Lisa, Zendaya, Felix, Emma Stone, Jennifer Connelly, Lea Seydoux, Sophie Turner and Jaden Smith, to name a few. But it was Cate Blanchett’s voice that commanded the room, reading David Byrne’s lyrics to ‘This Must Be the Place’. “Home is where I want to be”, she began, setting a tone of intimate stillness. As always with Ghesquière, this mood of connection was felt throughout the show, with a collection that explored the “stylistic liberation” of bringing the private into the public.

Seventeenth-century echoes were everywhere: ruffled collars softened into fluid satins, corset seams shaping modern bodices, puffed sleeves layered like shells. Evening silhouettes exuded grandeur without stiffness, while knitwear came in stretched and fringed styles, with sleeves flaring to improbable proportions. Even the socks—sheer organza pulled over flat shoes—felt playfully defiant. It was a “subversion of the principles and functions typically associated with an ‘indoor’ wardrobe”, according to the show notes, and the result was a witty twist on innerwear as outerwear.

This was Ghesquière’s 45th Vuitton collection, a landmark that confirms his singular longevity in an era of revolving-door appointments. His dialogue with the past remains unmatched, always looking to history not for costume, but for its living material, reshaped into a study for the now.

In turbulent times, Ghesquière remains calmer and more steadfast in his visions than ever, exploring fashion with the depth and substance it deserves. Where some have turned to novelty and fast trend-chasing amid declining sales, Vuitton’s SS26 felt radically true to itself.

topics:

spring summer 2026, FASHION, fashion week, Louis Vuitton, Fashion shows, Paris Fashion Week, PFW, ss26, Nicolas Ghesquiere, Runway, Trending