The first day of the men’s Fall/Winter 2026 edition in Paris is set to be dominated by the latest mega-production from Louis Vuitton’s celebrity designer Pharrell Williams.
Louis Vuitton owner Bernard Arnault was among many in the design world to pay tribute to Valentino’s “refined, radiant and sumptuous fashion” after his death aged 93 on Monday.
Williams will unveil his collection at Louis Vuitton’s glitzy gallery space in western Paris at the end of day one, which also featured a debut show by French newcomer designer Jeanne Friot.
The young couturier told AFP it was “quite an unusual joy and stress” to take part.
The six days of Men’s Fashion Week, which will help set the trends for the end of the year, will also feature a final farewell for Veronique Nichanian, who is stepping down at Hermes after 37 years of designing their men’s collections.
The 71-year-old Parisian — one of the few women designing in menswear — will leave behind a brand in tremendous financial shape with an image of timeless, refined masculinity.
Her successor, London designer Grace Wales Bonner, who is of English and Jamaican heritage, represents a generational and stylistic shift for the classic family-run French house.
– Fresh faces –
Many fashionistas will be casting an eye on the Christian Louboutin show on day two where Jaden Smith — son of US rapper-actor Will Smith — will present his debut collection. The model and musician, 27, was unveiled as the creative director of the famed French brand last September by founder Louboutin, who appears to be preparing to hand over the reins to the Gen Z trendsetter.
The choice is seen as a bold bet on relatively inexperienced youth by the veteran maker of red-soled stilettos, whose ready-to-wear menswear and accessories are estimated by analysts to account for about a quarter of his sales.
Also on Wednesday, much-hyped Dior designer Jonathan Anderson will unveil his second Homme collection, having made his debut in June last year with a widely praised unisex show. But the 41-year-old’s womenswear collection in September didn’t convince everyone, and some observers expect him to put a more decisive mark on Dior and cement the new identity he’s begun sketching out.
“There’s a lot of anticipation,” Alice Feillard, men’s buying director at Paris department store Galeries Lafayette, said.