Backstage at the Dior fall 2026 couture show. Photo: Acielle/ Style Du Monde Save Story Save this story Save Story Save this story While the rest of the fashion industry has yet to stage a meaningful recovery , couture is thriving, supported by high-net-worth clients whose appetite for exclusivity and one-of-a-kind craftsmanship remains strong. “The order books are full. There’s sometimes a six-month waiting list,” says Sidney Toledano, president of the haute couture committee at Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode (FHCM). Couture’s main challenge, in fact, is the shortage of qualified artisans to meet demand, the executive points out.
This season proved how ‘hot’ couture can be — quite literally. After the scorching heat of Paris Fashion Week Men’s , the heatwave returned, much like the fans and cooling devices at shows. Have some clients decided not to go to couture because of the heat? “With no air con, many top clients have historically avoided summer for that reason,” says Cameron Silver, author and luxury brand consultant.
Weather aside, Fall/Winter 2026 Haute Couture Week, which ran from July 6 to 9, featured 30 houses compared with FW25’s 27-strong line-up. There were two couture debuts in Paris from Pierpaolo Piccioli at Balenciaga and Duran Lantink at Jean Paul Gaultier, and three sophomore couture shows, from Jonathan Anderson at Dior, Matthieu Blazy at Chanel, and Silvana Armani at Giorgio Armani Privé.
On the sidelines of couture shows, Olivier Theyskens presented his debut co-ed show for Boloria, a label recently launched by Weareone.world, the Antwerp-based entertainment company behind the Tomorrowland festival. Martin Margiela’s personal archive went under the gavel in a five-hour-long auction at Quartier Général in Paris, totaling €1.385 million. Derek Blasberg celebrated his new book, Fast + Louche , published by Sarah Andelman’s Just an Idea.
Here are our takeaways from Paris Couture Week.
This week’s two debuts highlighted the signature DNA of the creative directors behind their respective fashion houses. For his first couture collection at Balenciaga, Piccioli infused the house’s heritage with his own signature style — most notably through his masterful use of color. Standout pieces included the iridescent black rooster feather headpiece conceived with Philip Treacy and worn by Gigi Hadid; an interlocked bustier flared gown in grass green silk gazar; a hand-painted tank dress; and an emu feather-embroidered trench coat. “I love when Pierpaolo Piccioli is at his most Pierpaolo Piccioli. This collection felt like a wonderful reminder of what he does best: big, beautiful, emotional clothes in the most beautiful, exquisite, unexpected palette,” Chloe Malle, head of editorial content for Vogue , said .
Backstage at Balenciaga Fall 2026 couture.
In his Jean Paul Gaultier couture debut, Lantink showcased satin and feathered tubes erupting with tulle and Versailles brocade sculpted into bold, drainpipe-like silhouettes. “Spectacular, daring, fearless, a bit outrageous,” Vogue Runway ’s Tiziana Cardini quipped, praising Lantink’s skills as a technician, as well as his “sardonic sense of humor”. “He’s not intimidated in the least by Jean Paul Gaultier’s legacy, he’s turning it upside down with evident delight.”
“I commend Duran’s boldness and Gaultier’s creative vision for giving him this voice,” Cathy Ho Lee, a New York-based couture client, says.
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