While some designers prioritized the looks themselves this season, others prioritized the moment.
Picture this: you’re sitting in the crowd when you see a screen pop up, lights flashing, poems read, the audience in awe. This was the Christian Dior Spring/Summer 2026 fashion show that took place at Paris Fashion Week, and the cinematography was unmatched. This went far beyond the clothing; it was an experience.
Jonathon Anderson, who designed his first womenswear collection this season for the “French House of Dior”, explained the vision behind it as “recontextualizing history”.
In an interview posted on YouTube by Loic Prigent, Anderson says, “This year was a really good year for horror… When I spoke to [filmmaker] Adam Curtis, I was like, “Do whatever you want.” He explains how everyone who has contributed to the brand all goes into a shoe box— metaphorically and physically— and then, the show begins.
With flashing lights, visuals on the screen of horror film clips, and the vintage Christian Dior logo splashed with previous shows from decades ago, it all but prepared the audience for what they were about to see.
This cinema is something we saw in the Jean Paul Gaultier Spring/Summer 2026 collection for Paris Fashion Week as well, starting off in what looked like a back storage room with overlapping audio in the background— a show that Duran Lantink, in his debut, called “JUNIOR”.
Lantik made his first season one to remember. While the show appeared provocative with many saying it wasn’t for them, some understood the experimental vision. This show embodied what it means to be risqué while on the runway. The goal is to be different and to be memorable, which is certainly something Lantik accomplished through his designs. The first few looks appeared with a body suit of the fully nude male body, with skirts, belts, or undergarments on top, and later carried on into bold and colorful looks.
At the Schiaparelli Spring/Summer 2026 show for Paris Fashion Week, the silhouettes were something of note on the runway, as was the layout of the runway itself. David Roseberry’s sleek designs with pops of metals and headpieces that added to the structure of the look were unlike any other show this season. The show transitioned from business casual at the beginning to mixing chic and sheer looks with gauze necklines and metallic detailing.
Fifteen designers had their runway debuts this season, making it one of the biggest fashion months in history— something that Nicole Phelps, Global Director of Vogue Runway, called the “big reshuffle”.
This season, coastal chic was the wave, and the silhouettes across the designers were unmatched. The Balmain SS26 show displayed looks with “shell and rock-inspired structures” (@archivedrunway on Instagram), adding glamour to these summer looks.
This season proved that luxury fashion is no longer just about the clothes— it’s about the story, the setting, and the experience that makes it memorable. While some designers will always prioritize the looks over the actual show, the cinematic performances reminded us that fashion is about storytelling. In the fashion world that’s constantly chasing what’s next, one thing is for sure: this season belonged to those who chose to create a moment, an experience that lived vicariously through their clothes.
Strike Out,
Elise Archer
Boca Raton
Elise Archer is a Content Writer for Strike Magazine Boca. She has a passion for everything creative- and she’s a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. If you can’t reach her, she’s either busy shopping, lost somewhere, or writing. But if you would like to: elisearcher111@gmail.com or on Instagram @elisearcherr
