SS26: Best selling trends and talents to follow, according to three Parisian showrooms

During Paris Fashion Week Men’s, FashionUnited met with three commercial agents, Break.Fast, Likewise and Run, each hosting showrooms over the course of the event. Here is an overview of what is trending for the spring/summer 2026 season and which brands to look out for.

Alina Zaporozcenko, founder of Break.Fast

Break.Fast was founded in 2019, is registered in France and based in the US. It operates at the intersection of brand representation, showroom curation and creative consulting. Zaporozcenko chose the Consulat (Avenue Parmentier, Paris 11ᵉ) to house the brands: Carnet Archive, Fuguihua, Jordanluca, Lueder, Lisa Keane, Masha Popova, SRVC, Ruibuilt, Marrknull and, as guests this season, Hamcus and Aesynctx.

Markets targeted by Break.Fast’s selection

Zaporozcenko’s objective is to connect young brands with key boutiques worldwide. Not necessarily the largest ones, but those with a distinct identity. She works with retailers such as H. Lorenzo (Los Angeles), GR8 (Tokyo) and Machine-A (London). She values a sharp selection that immediately catches the eye. A buyer sometimes has barely five seconds to decide whether a piece is worth a look or not.

Currently, Zaporozcenko sells a lot in Korea, the US and Japan. Europe is more challenging, particularly due to inflation and a return to more classic styles. However, she remains confident that there will always be room for creativity, as long as it is sincere and well-presented.

Emerging trends and key pieces for SS26

Zaporozcenko doesn’t particularly like the word "trend". She believes one should wear what they enjoy and what suits them. If she had to name a current direction, she would say that people are looking for comfortable clothes that are easy to wear every day, without sacrificing style. Therefore, we are seeing a lot of well-cut joggers (a type of trousers halfway between classic jogging bottoms and smart trousers) or hoodies with original prints.

Price positioning of bestsellers

Today, buyers want products that sell, so they must be accessible. A T-shirt at 100 or 120 euros retail price and trousers at 300 euros is more realistic than pieces at 3,000 euros, unless they are exclusive pieces or worn by celebrities.

Promising talent

In terms of labels to watch, Zaporozcenko highlighted Lisa Keane, a young, half-Afghan, half-British designer who completed her master's degree at Central Saint Martins. Keane was introduced to the showroom last year and in one season, she was listed in six boutiques. Her affinity for strong, recognisable, well-cut pieces immediately caught on.

Zaporozcenko encourages her clients to think outside the box, and not only think about the product but also how to present it. For example, some designers have asked their friends to take pictures of themselves wearing the clothes from the collection. This kind of spontaneous content has been very popular with buyers; it resonates with them more than an overly polished lookbook.

Interview with Cindy Gout, co-manager of Likewise

Likewise is a multi-brand showroom co-managed by Cindy Gout and Imad Fradj. The B2B business is located in the Duperré school (11 Rue Dupetit-Thouars, Paris 3e). For spring/summer 2026, Likewise represented the brands: EgonLab, Gal Nell Dahan, A. A. Spectrum, Nullus, Nehera, and Punishment.

Markets targeted by Likewise’s selection

For Men's Fashion Week in June 2025, Asian clients – Korea, Japan, China – were present, Europeans and Americans slightly less so, but appointments were generally kept. What is changing is the pace: buyers are moving faster; they have less time, particularly due to hotel prices and the number of showrooms that have left Milan to return to Paris. As a result, everything is going faster.

Likewise represents Chinese brands, such as Spectrum and Nullus, but there is a reluctance on the part of US buyers towards Chinese brands, especially with the current tensions and taxes.

Emerging trends and key pieces for SS26

Likewise tries to balance tailoring, activewear and streetwear pieces. In all honesty, what sells the most today are clearly the more casual pieces, such as sweatshirts, jeans and T-shirts. This is what customers are primarily looking for, probably because these are the most affordable and easiest products to wear every day.

Activewear corresponds to cotton trousers, such as chinos (halfway between jeans and smart trousers) or canvas (cotton or mixed cotton canvas woven very tightly, appreciated for its robustness).

These are clothes that can be worn all day long, without constraint. Streetwear, on the other hand, includes more jeans, denim jackets, hoodies, and T-shirts. These basics always work, season after season.

Price positioning of bestsellers

In terms of retail prices, T-shirts range from 110 to 300 euros. For trousers, prices can range from 300 up to 700 euros depending on the details: zips, pockets, and finishes. The price positioning also depends on the origin of the products. For example, Pupistent's ready-to-wear is made in Paris. This affects the prices, but also the quality. Natural materials are always much more expensive than synthetics.

Geoffroy Lauzet, creative director of Run

Run is a hybrid format between a showroom and a trade fair promoted by WSN, the French organiser of trade fairs like Who’s Next and Impact. For Run, the managers contact buyers, but the brands manage the order taking and follow-up.

Markets targeted by Run’s selection

The target market is resolutely that of niche concept stores, key and influential players in fashion worldwide. These include cutting-edge boutiques like Maxfield and H. Lorenzo (Los Angeles) and Great (Tokyo), as well as iconic retailers such as Corso Como (Milan), Spaces Mu (Seoul) and the department stores Isetan (Tokyo), Le Printemps and La Samaritaine (Paris).

These are demanding points of sale, loyal to their editorial line, which focus on the coherence and originality of their selection. These are stores that matter, standing the test of time while maintaining their status as a reference.

Emerging trends and key pieces for SS26

Lauzet was surprised by a slight return of interest in New Tailoring, a segment that had experienced a difficult period because it was positioned at high prices. Opportunities were rare. He has the feeling that a new dynamic is emerging. Structured, modern, technical elegance with innovative details is once again in demand, at wholesale prices ranging from 400 to 800 euros. Conversely, the grunge aesthetic is beginning to lose its appeal.

Furthermore, for the women's pre-collections, there has been a real craze for Second Skin (second-skin effect). Materials derived from lingerie, but diverted to create pieces such as tank tops (sleeveless vests). The idea is to play on the ultra-close-fitting effect, while injecting stylistic twists.

Promising talent

H. Lorenzo travelled to discover the women's "Tattoo Sweaters" collection by Ttswtrs. The retailer was also drawn to the unique world of Larrucci. However, the menswear generated a little less interest from the company.

On the men's side, The World is Your Oyster collection was clearly the one that made the biggest impression, largely thanks to its theme of love, which resonated with buyers.

Among the New Tailoring designers who generated the most interest, Steven Passaro stands out, whose assertively designed pieces have attracted new clients. Pierre-François Valette was also noted for his contemporary and premium approach to tailoring.

This article was translated to English using an AI tool.

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