Paris Fashion Week Men's autumn/winter 2026, the verdict

If this Fashion Week was expected to push boundaries, the answer lay elsewhere. Rooted in a tangible reality, the autumn/winter 2026 season played it safe. Brands were not seeking to invent the fashion of tomorrow. Instead, they aimed to dress the modern man by asserting their signature with practical and rational pieces. Here is a look back at some of the most notable shows.

Louis Vuitton: more than just clothes

At Louis Vuitton, the observer's eye was drawn more to the set than to the collection itself, which consisted of useful and unpretentious clothing. A prefabricated house designed by Pharrell Williams, positioned in the middle of the set, sold the dream of a high-end home. This staging was designed to establish Louis Vuitton as a cultural brand, where clothing is just one element among many.

IM Men: fashion that envelops

IM Men, the brand from the Japanese group Issey Miyake launched in 2021, delivered what was expected of it. It presented loose-fitting fashion with cleverly calculated pleats, reflecting the technical vision of the Japanese engineers who design it.

The brand's product-focused approach (IM comes from 'im product', an Issey Miyake brand from the late 1970s) was expressed through large, cosy coats that looked as if they were cut from duvets. There were also capes made from an accumulation of soft scarves; beanie-stoles; and a multitude of enveloping pieces that will delight those who feel the cold.

Jeanne Friot: “it’s never too late to fight fascism”

Few designers this season used their shows as a platform for protest and activism. Jeanne Friot therefore stood out, true to her genderless vision, mainly for presenting queer fashion on dancer-models with combative choreography.

“In response to contemporary attempts to freeze bodies – to shape them, to make them legible, docile and normalised – the show celebrates movement,” read the notes for her autumn/winter 2026 show.

With this show, Jeanne Friot reinforces her position as a spokesperson for minorities. She displays her message on slogan T-shirts proclaiming, for example, “It’s never too late to fight fascism” (already on sale on the brand's e-shop). The house codes were also stronger and more intense. These included tartan covered in sequins; kilts that were lengthened or widened; and her iconic pieces made of belts, seen in almost every silhouette. They appeared on everything from bustier dresses and the collar of a coat to a bomber jacket, a skirt and thigh-high boots.

Dries Van Noten: a parallel with Jonathan Anderson's Dior style

Going against the oversized trend, the show opened with a fitted coat, reminiscent of the dandy and aristocratic spirit introduced by Jonathan Anderson in his first men's show for Dior in 2025. However, like the house of Dior, artistic director Julian Klausner was careful to modernise the distinguished look with casual details. We noted the presence of denim; 'Peruvian beanie' style hats; fringed brooches; rolled-up sleeves; brightly coloured jacquards; and, of course, a multitude of prints, the brand's signature.

Kenzo: betting on reissues

There was no show for Kenzo this season. Instead, there was a presentation on Stockman mannequins in Kenzo Takada's former home, a Japanese-style house in the Bastille district. This was likely a less expensive choice, accompanied by a creative approach in keeping with the times, involving a strong and acknowledged return to the house's archives.

The press release, like a restock list, speaks for itself: “The tiger, emblematic of the Kenzo Jungle collection from the 1980s, makes a comeback and now adorns shirts”; “Two-tone neo-tailoring makes its grand return, revisiting archive silhouettes from the 1990s, last seen in the autumn/winter 2022 collection”; “The 1986 Kite bag makes its grand return in an exact replica and is available in new contrasting colour-block leather versions”.

The result is a collection with preppy, wearable and sensible accents that clearly moves away from the streetwear culture that is the signature of Nigo, Kenzo's artistic director since 2021.

Dior: young aristocracy as the core target

Dior is not hiding its strategy. The flagship brand of the LVMH group and its creative director, Jonathan Anderson, are targeting the young aristocracy, in other words, the new global elite, to sell its collections. “This young aristocracy with a Dior spirit establishes new stylistic connections, guided by joy and spontaneity, sporting spiky yellow hair, embroidered epaulettes and a sense of eclectic opulence,” stated the show notes.

In the mishmash of this collection with its often shimmering silhouettes, we noted the presence of several dresses and skirts for men. This intensified the gender freedom already present in Jonathan Anderson's previous collection (spring/summer 2026). This was a gender and stylistic freedom that carefully distanced itself from a conservative aristocracy. It aimed to better meet the desires of a youth more eager for relaxed luxury than the rigid three-piece suits of their grandparents.

Ami Paris: a collection for now

Opting for a see now, buy now strategy would have made a lot of sense for Ami Paris, whose show unveiled a collection that was as current as it was wearable. “The collection evokes a real wardrobe, representative of life, built up over time,” said the show notes. This practical approach translated into everyday clothes that respond to today's trends. We could therefore see oversized coats; wide-leg trousers; striped shirts; and classic jumpers. In short, nothing revolutionary, but many practical pieces.

Jacquemus: locking down the codes

The French brand closed Paris Fashion Week with a collection true to its DNA. It featured a catchy title (“Palmier”); a sensual silhouette; and a touch of humour (the palm tree hairstyle consists of a ponytail worn straight up on top of the head).

At Jacquemus, as elsewhere, the emphasis was on the house codes, even to the point of making explicit allusions to the archives. Thus, in this autumn/winter 2026 collection, we found geometric shapes in circular hats and rounded shoulders. A childlike spirit was present in a red, blue, yellow and black confetti pattern, while the fitted shapes were, according to the show notes, a new interpretation of the 'La Bomba' collection.

Beyond recalling its codes, the event also served to justify a price positioning and legitimacy in the face of luxury giants. The brand thus cited its (renowned) suppliers, Maison Février and Maison Lemarié, in the press release. It did not hesitate to use complex materials such as taffeta, ostrich feathers and rocaille embroidery.

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