Paris Fashion Week SS27: Designers give familiar codes a new twist
After a season full of designer musical chairs, the spring/summer 2027 edition of Paris Fashion Week is less about introducing new names and more about developing a unique design vision. Jonathan Anderson at Dior and Matthieu Blazy at Chanel continue to build on their vision for the French fashion houses, while young designers like Julie Kegels and Marie Adam-Leenaerdt are increasingly establishing their own codes.
This results in a fashion week where innovation is not always found in a completely new visual language. Sometimes, it arises from treating an existing garment differently, literally implementing a design principle, or further developing familiar codes.
New names build their own vocabulary
A clear example is Julie Kegels, from the eponymous label founded in 2024, who opened Paris Fashion Week with her spring/summer 2027 collection ‘Apple of the Day’. The Belgian designer started from an everyday habit: eating a Jonagold apple every day. From the well-known anecdote about Isaac Newton and the falling apple, she arrived at the principle of gravity.
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This scientific starting point was directly translated into the silhouette. Dresses seem to slide down from the shoulders, skirts drop towards the hips, and trousers feature extremely low crotches. In some garments, Kegels even incorporated small weights, so the fabrics literally fall as low as possible around the body.
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The collection also came at a significant moment for the designer. Kegels won last month's LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers 2026, which includes 400,000 euros and a year of coaching from LVMH experts.
Marie Adam-Leenaerdt is also continuing to develop an increasingly recognisable vocabulary. The Belgian designer won this year's Grand Prize at the ANDAM Fashion Awards, worth 300,000 euros, and based her SS27 collection on what she says she has learned in her previous seven seasons. The collection also introduces menswear pieces for the first time.
While Kegels uses a scientific principle as a starting point, Adam-Leenaerdt plays with the distortion of everyday clothing. Her show was set up as a surrealist supermarket, while the clothes themselves balanced between practical and overly chic. According to the designer, a collection for a trip to the supermarket, market, or football match was deliberately made ‘too chic’.
Padded jackets and cardigan coats referenced daily wear but were combined with sculptural forms. Dresses featured small hoops at the hips, making the silhouette protrude; mini skirts seemed to float around the waist; and oversized, crumpled taffeta was used for tailoring. The surrealist elements are more subtle than in previous collections but remain a key part of her signature.
Everyday wardrobe gets a new meaning
Re-examining everyday clothing is not only visible among young designers. Miu Miu also starts its SS27 collection from a recognisable wardrobe, but combines it with elements of sportswear and eveningwear. Miuccia Prada juxtaposes sportswear with tailoring and eveningwear. Tracksuit bottoms are paired with blazers and blouses; sports tops are given embellished details; and cocktail dresses are worn with trainers. Micro shorts, cropped sports jumpers, rugby shirts, and bralettes also become part of the wardrobe.
According to Prada, the aim is to make everyday clothing more interesting and richer by blending sport and sophistication. This approach does not replace a familiar wardrobe but restyles it and gives it a different feel. The use of materials also plays a role in this. Crinkled and waxed suede is combined with jewel-like details on satin and mesh, while denim, in collaboration with Wrangler, is given a more worn-in look.
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Miu Miu's commercial position aligns with the brand's strong development in the recent period. Retail sales increased by 2.5 percent year-over-year in the first half of the year. In the second quarter, growth was 2.6 percent, comparable to the first quarter. This growth was achieved despite greater exposure to the Middle East and a high basis for comparison: in the second quarter of 2025, retail sales there grew by 40 percent.
At Celine, the everyday wardrobe is also central. Michael Rider seeks out clothing that looks as if it has been combined spontaneously and effortlessly. His silhouettes move between dressed-up and casual, for example, by pairing a worn trainer with a sophisticated look, a graphic T-shirt under a satin suit, or a velvet blazer with a plain black top.
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Matthieu Blazy broadens image of ‘Chanel woman’
At Chanel, innovation lies not only in new clothing codes but also in the question of who can relate to the fashion house. Matthieu Blazy said that since his appointment, he, along with the team and atelier, has been trying to broaden the idea of the Chanel woman: not one type of woman, but various women who fit within the world of the house. This is also visible in the SS27 collection, where his signature boxy silhouettes are alternated with more fitted shapes, such as semi-transparent knits and a pearl-embroidered corset top.
The casting also shows how Blazy is broadening Chanel's image. Bhavitha Mandava, the French fashion house's first Indian House Ambassador since March, wore look 10, a sculptural black dress with large floral appliqués. In December 2025, she became the first Indian model to open a Chanel show, the Métiers d’Art 2025/26 collection, after which she closed the spring/summer 2026 haute couture collection as the bride in January 2026.
Additionally, 22-year-old Nigerian Rachael Ojuromi made her Chanel debut. She and stylist Debby Fasingha created their own interpretation of Chanel’s Métiers d’Art collection in Lagos using second-hand clothing. The images went viral and caught Blazy's attention, after which Ojuromi walked her first Chanel show in Paris.
The innovation also seems to be commercially successful. Chanel reportedly achieved a comparable sales growth of 16 percent in the first half of 2026, according to figures reported by Bloomberg and picked up by Reuters. The figure was not published by Chanel itself but coincides with the first collections by Matthieu Blazy, which were available in stores from March. New bag models in particular are said to have attracted a lot of interest.
At Dior, innovation is less radical
At Dior, it is particularly evident how a new design vision develops gradually. Jonathan Anderson presents his third womenswear collection for the French fashion house, following his debut last year.
For SS27, Dior returns to Le Bassin Octagonal in the Jardin des Tuileries, the same location where Anderson presented his FW26 collection for the house. The collection also features recognisable elements that align with FW26. The innovation, therefore, lies less in a completely new visual language and more in the further development and shifting of existing ideas.
Dior's invitation for SS27 consisted of two walnuts, a reference to the Chinese tradition of wénwán, where tactile objects develop a characteristic patina over time through touch and use. The choice aligns with the theme of asymmetry and the imperfection of nature. This also seeks ways beyond the clothing to link ideas about time, touch, and natural forms to the collection.
Saint Laurent opts for maximum glamour
While Dior mainly builds on its foundations, Saint Laurent opts for a much more pronounced form of spectacle. Anthony Vaccarello presented the SS27 collection under the Eiffel Tower, with gold as the central theme.
The colour, which Yves Saint Laurent himself described as a magical colour and the colour of the sun, was used to reinterpret the fashion house's familiar codes.
Sahariennes, trench coats, and sharp tailoring were given a monochrome, metallic look. Vaccarello worked with materials ranging from organza to gold-foil-covered latex. Accessories were also included in the theme, featuring filigree details and shoes with snake-shaped heels. The show concluded with black velvet tailoring, breaking the all-gold image.
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Alaïa without Pieter Mulier: a modest first step
For the first time since Pieter Mulier's departure, Alaïa presented a new collection from its own studio. Mulier said goodbye in March with his final collection and has been the creative director of Versace since July 1, where his debut collection is expected early next year. A successor has not yet been announced: the house, owned by Richemont, is taking its time and is currently relying on its atelier and internal design team. The house returned to the old Fondation Cartier building on Boulevard Raspail, where Mulier also took his leave.
Alaïa’s SS27 collection primarily shows how the house continues to sound like itself without a permanent designer. The studio opted for recognisable items: sleek black jackets with small, closely spaced buttons; leather skirts with pleats spiralling downwards; and new versions of the knitted dresses in cheerful colours like butter yellow. A burgundy leather jacket also featured a soft, built-in corset look around the waist.
This is a softer and more colourful approach than Mulier's final collection in March, which was stark, monochrome, and almost without accessories. While Mulier sought precision and repetition, the studio now opts for the familiar Alaïa repertoire with a lighter touch.
This creative continuity contrasts with a less stable financial situation. FashionUnited reported earlier this year, based on reporting from Glitz, that Alaïa's growth remains unprofitable despite improved commercial dynamics. The house thus remains structurally dependent on financial support from Richemont.
Hermès refines its own house codes
Hermès also stays close to its own codes, but for SS27 gives them a lighter and more technical feel. The zip is the recurring element in Nadège Vanhée's collection and is used to adjust the length of skirts, run across leather blousons, or feature along flared trousers. Ultra-small belts function not only as accessories but also become part of the garments themselves. The collection thus plays with movement, airiness, and changing silhouettes, while materials like silk, leather, and mesh maintain the house's luxurious appeal.
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The collection also comes at a time when Hermès is facing a more challenging luxury market. The company saw its revenue grow by 6.1 percent at constant exchange rates in the first half of 2026, but demand in China remains under pressure. Revenue from ready-to-wear and accessories fell by 2.5 percent in the same period. In January, Vanhée will present her first haute couture collection, while Grace Wales Bonner is the new artistic director of menswear from this season.
Louis Vuitton seeks new balance in proportions
At Louis Vuitton, Nicolas Ghesquière shifts the focus from the silhouette to a lighter way of playing with proportions. While for FW26 he showcased pronounced shoulders and architectural silhouettes, for SS27 the body is more often shaped around the waist. Ruffles, button details, and belt elements accentuate the mid-section, while the rest of the silhouettes remain looser and more fluid.
This change aligns with the broader direction of the collection. Ghesquière, who describes himself as a specialist in ‘armour’, deliberately chooses lightness and simplicity this season. Familiar garments such as dresses, cardigans, and blousons are crafted from thin, fluid, or almost paper-like materials.