Our Favourite Shows From Paris Fashion Week AW26

These are the menswear hits we spotted at a star-studded Paris Fashion Week. 

At Tom Ford, the playboys don’t play

Now three seasons in, it’s safe to say that Haider Ackermann is exactly where he belongs at Tom Ford. From his leather-armoured, sensual debut to his seductive midnight swim from last season, he decided to draw a blank slate for Autumn/Winter 2026, where the sinister shadow of the Tom Ford man shows itself best. 

The French designer opened with a killer set of suiting, with black and pinstripe double-breasted numbers made all the more bad boy paired with studded button-ups and a blonde buzzcut to match. We got a peek of midriff through a slanted waistband offset with a slinky belt that’s slipped off its loops. The aforementioned shirting also got its own airtime, with contrasting white cuffs accentuating a glare of murderous intent – and slutty forearm ink in patchy formation. 

That menacing look took us to the crime scene – or rather the great escape from it – where even more straight-edge tailoring is on full display, this time behind see-through plastic trenches that also work as a lights-out Patrick Bateman Halloween ensemble. 

Leather creeps back into the picture, be it with fringed and tied trousers or a croc-leather jacket with a mandatory popped collar. A pair of high-waisted mid-wash jeans momentarily steals the limelight, with whiskering and honeycombing that looks like the result of rough daily wear for decades. 

Evening looks close out this night to remember, with glittering tuxedos and robe-like coats asserting different extremes of the playboy uniform. Two-tone eveningwear is half-worn with thrown-on bow ties and very few signs of a dress shirt, flaunted torsos creating a seductive dialogue with any sets of eyes that have the pleasure of catching a flash.

With what might be his most diverse show to date, there’s a palpable confidence that comes from its direction. Impeccable suiting gets a youthfully sleazy yet sensual touch and your more everyday looks wouldn’t dare toning down the assertiveness and menace of the Tom Ford man. As the lights painted the set blue for the designer’s walkout, even his splendid moustache couldn’t mask his held-back smirk. Haider Ackermann is exactly where he belongs. 

You’ve been enrolled into the college of Ann Demeulemeester 

Class in session, and headmaster Stefano Gallici’s got a dress code: collegiate uniform with the utmost distressing and frills. 

Gallici’s left some space for interpretation, ushering his esteemed scholars to express themselves. Wearing the school’s AD badge is encouraged, with raggedy velvet blazers and stretched-out V-neck jumpers sporting the emblem. Jeans and shorts pass the dress code rules, as long as they’re heavily ripped or paired with the label’s signature floor-sweeping laces (amongst other miscellaneous strings). Ruched and peeking sleeves are preferred, with an airy fairy touch prioritised over the practicality for note-taking or anything study-related, for that matter. T-shirts are also deemed okay, as long as the face of house-favourite French poet Arthur Rimbaud is plastered on the front to show where your academic bias lies. And, finally, any reference to period dressing is a good option, Napoleon era dressing in the form of long or short jackets earning you extra style points from the professors. 

All in all, go over the top and get creative. Want to wear a leather jacket with a waistcoat and boho jewellery? Go for it. Maybe a school cardigan atop a blazer and shorts combo? Give it a go. As long as they meet Gallici’s parameters, you’ll make it past his college’s gates.

Loewe’s menswear blows up

Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez just delivered a manifesto in opposition to boring menswear. Yep, after presenting their womenswear debut last season, they got the guys involved for Autumn/Winter 2026.

What did this look like? Latex yellow tops wobbling over polo necks. Knits emblazoned with horizontal chest zippers, that when unfastened, revealed a red lining akin to a sailor collar – fitting given the inflatable parkas that came later. Shearling trousers were shaved to mirror the wales of corduroy. And rubberised hoodies and structural knitwear turned models into lifesize Polly Pockets. But in this world, they leave their plastic dollhouse for a trip to Dover Street Market on the weekend. There was also a healthy offering of straight trousers, utility totes, climbing-style sneakers, and blouson jackets – all deeply wearable stuff that guys can get into no matter their menswear XP. 

At McCollough and Hernandez’s previous Proenza Schouler gig (the label they founded in 2002), the duo combined unexpected material companions, with embroidery, a hallmark of the label (AW12’s ‘bathroom floor’ skirt made of tiles is a strong example). At Loewe, we’ve seen them import this vision of craft, with the freak dial turned to 11. And it makes for a very healthy pre-game ahead of the brand’s standalone menswear show in June.

Michael Rider thinks Celine maketh the man

Michael Rider believes that good clothes can bring out the best in a man. To him, great clothing means feeling confident, an extra pep in your step and a true platform to really be your best self. That was his starting point for Celine’s latest Autumn/Winter 2026 collection.

His first pledge came in the form of oversized suiting, with a grey blazer so large it’s two sizes bigger in every dimension you could think of. Yet, with a navy button (and the absence of a tie), some loose pleated slacks and dainty, ballerina-esque shoes, they look just right. That largeness is then transferred onto a sharp, ankle-length long coat look and a big crewneck sweater that’s never looked so chic tucked into slim tonal trousers and pointed boots. 

The confidence from these clothes is clearly inspiring some experimentation, also seen in another long coat, this time in a gorgeous ivory with a matching button-up with printed links peeking through. Big scarves cover half the face for some drama, pink corduroys are worn with a cropped leather pea coat and a homburg-esque hat gets pulled out and matched with puffy, long fur sleeves on a killer turtleneck for even more opulence. 

Every look this season has a focal point, something memorable you can take home with you. And that’s what Celine’s all about: unforgettable, great clothes that will constantly pop into your head even months after you’ve seen them. With that as the task, Rider’s absolutely nailed it. Manners don’t maketh the man, Celine does.

Balenciaga’s doing just fine

Balenciaga’s new direction comes from the shadows. Tonight, with creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli at the helm, the brand explored the tension between light and dark, or ClairObscur (French for “LightObscure”) as the show was titled. 

Darker looks were contrasted by Piccioli’s favoured colourful palette, with tones like burgundy, military green and violet added into the mix. Modern House codes like oversized cuts and graphic prints were prevalent and yet refined through a blend of neater and wide-leg trouser fits, funky chunky footwear and formalwear layered underneath.

Military references came through in fisherman clasps and parkas worn over suits. The latter combination could be the magic of an office guy, breaking up the weekday uniform with a coat destined for weekend antics, fashioning the shadows in his daily garb. While the high funnel necks prevalent throughout the show could function as a shield for the darker moments. And if you weren’t ready to completely let go of the old Balenciaga, you don’t have to. A standout piece capturing this sensibility comes in the form of a double-breasted long coat. Its lapel transforms into a hood exemplifying the dichotomy of streetwear and traditional menswear, and of Piccioli’s fluid interpretations of Cristobal Balenciaga’s original sculptural designs. 

There’s also still a clear understanding of the youth, with screens in the showspace populated by stills from Sam Levinson’s hit TV series Euphoria, which attracted Piccioli with its depictions of the human character. “I chose Sam’s work on Euphoria to be part of the ClairObscur collection narrative: for its ability to convey a sense of our realities, through a prismatic representation of human fragilities and strengths,” Piccioli shared in a statement. “This show is a way of weaving stories together, leaving space to imagine a multitude of possibilities. It is about always finding the light in the darkness.”

From the shadows, Piccioli has created a world where the House’s prior strength in streetwear mixed with high fashion can live seamlessly with his couture background and radiant use of colour.

Lacoste

At Paris Fashion Week, Lacoste’s match point came weatherproof. Staged on the legendary Philippe Chatrier court at Roland-Garros, the brand’s AW26 show revisited a chapter of tennis lore: a 1923 match between René Lacoste and Spain’s Manuel de Gomar in Deauville, during the Davis Cup, halted by a torrential downpour that left the court flooded for two days.

Creative Director Pelagia Kolotouros seized on the peculiar drama of that interruption, the suspended moment between competition and delay, imagining players and spectators alike weathering the storm. Umbrellas in hand, they huddled under trench coats, ponchos, slickers and rubber boots as the rain refused to let up.

The collection leaned into Lacoste’s utilitarian yet polished sporting DNA, placing outerwear firmly at the fore through waterproofing and technical fabrication. The trench remained the backbone of the autumn wardrobe; ponchos arrived sharpened with polo-style detailing; suiting was paired with technical hoods; and knits were layered over gymwear with studied nonchalance. Elsewhere, the palette softened the pragmatism of white-collar sportsmanship– pale pinks, bright shiny reds, high necklines and graphic prints brought a note of tongue-in-cheekness to the collection.

Rain delay or not, Lacoste played a confident hand. 

Miu Miu for the guys, too

Okay, so Miu Miu isn’t a menswear label. The Miuccia Prada-helmed imprint was founded in 1997 as a fun, carefree sister to Prada’s considered, thinking-person’s rizz. It shuttered its official men’s line in 2007. And the bulk of its collections are made up of mini skirts, it-bags that sell out instantly, and slinky ballet pumps. But for all its girly goodness, there’s stuff for the guys, too.

Over the past few seasons, the brand has delivered a handful of menswear-skewing bangers, from trench coats, fleeces, and low-profile New Balances in a small number of men’s sizes. They’re often presented by cultural big dogs, which has previously included Willem Dafoe, American rapper Nettspend, and South Korean singer and rapper Yeonjun (who walked in the brand’s recent AW26 show). This season, the brand dished out minimal, wearable swishy scoop-neck long-sleeves, and faux-fur coats that landed more mischievous aristo. Now it’s just a waiting game to see which high-profile menswear guy gets their hands on it first.