Nicolas Ghesquière was inspired by stay-at-home style, while Stella McCartney had Helen Mirren read out the lyrics of a Beatles track co-written by her dad
Louis Vuitton, which normally closes Paris Fashion Week, unveiled its spring/summer 2026 collection on the second day this season with an early afternoon show held at the Louvre on a beautiful sunny day.
Here is the lowdown on the Louis Vuitton show and more from day two of Paris Fashion Week.
Knitwear paired with a turban at Louis Vuitton’s spring/summer 2026 show. Photo: Reuters
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“Cosy” is not the first word that comes to mind when picturing the aesthetic of Nicolas Ghesquière, Louis Vuitton’s womenswear artistic director, but for spring/summer 2026, the designer delivered a relaxed line-up of loungewear done the Louis Vuitton way.
The show was held in a section of the Louvre that was once the summer residence of Anne of Austria, Queen of France. Ghesquière worked with scenographer Marie-Anne Derville to decorate those hallowed halls with furniture from several eras, combining historical pieces with contemporary ones.
“It’s about intimacy, the art de vivre, dressing for yourself first, the idea of a sartorial spirit you have when you stay home, and something extremely soft,” said Ghesquière in a backstage interview. “I wanted to recreate the serenity you feel when you’re in the comfort of your home.”
Lingerie-inspired outfits reflected the “stay at home” theme of the collection. Photo: Reuters
While there were plenty of comfy knits and loose silhouettes in a muted palette, the collection was not just suitable for the great indoors, so to speak. Two robe-like outfits encrusted with crystals were made of brushed silk that looked like fur, while a couple of beaded, fringed looks that evoked impressionist landscapes and a long-sleeved sequinned dress with a huge bow at the neckline would make for great red carpet outfits – one of Ghesquière’s strong suits.
The footwear offerings included slippers crafted with woven fabrics normally used for carpets or tapestries in a nod to the interior theme.
This fringed look paired with a knit bag was a show-stopper. Photo: AFP
As always with Ghesquière, who is a big music fan, the soundtrack was not just any old playlist. A voice recording of actress Cate Blanchett reading the lyrics of the song “This Must Be the Place” by David Byrne of Talking Heads, with music especially composed for the track by Tanguy Destable, accompanied the relaxed and effortless line-up.
