It’s been a while since haute couture week provoked so much debate and excitement. If, for a long time, this territory was associated with red carpets, million-dollar events or museums, the 2026 summer season in Paris showed exactly the opposite: the exceptional must be part of real life.
A couture for everyday life, it crossed practically all collections. Dior, Chanel, Armani Privé and Valentino presented extremely elaborate clothes, but with a usage logic much closer to everyday life than to spectacle. Haute couture finally seemed less concerned with impressing.
Read the main trends that were repeated on the catwalks and help to translate this idea:
1. Fantasia
Birds and feathers appeared as a recurring symbol at Valentino, Schiaparelli and Chanel, evoking lightness, freedom and transformation.
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2. Refined Transparencies
In 2026, transparency gained a new layer. Ultra-fine fabrics, strategic overlays and elaborate applications gave a sophisticated touch to the trend and were the focus of Dior, Valentino and Armani Privé.
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3. Flower texture
Florals are practically mandatory in haute couture, but in 2026 they come up with another proposal. Embroidery gains volume, petals project out of the fabric and flowers stop being a print and become a structure. Dior and Schiaparelli invested heavily in this three-dimensionality and reformulated classic romanticism.
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4. The glow is officially back
After seasons of almost invisible makeup, the glow returns with force. The illuminated skin appeared in a strategic and refined way. Schiaparelli and Chanel bet on strategic points of light.
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5. Straightened hair
Aligned hair with a mirror finish reinforces the idea of control, precision and care. Luxury, once again, is in the details.
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