Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2027 was marked by farewells, archival references, and creative experimentation. While some fashion houses are determined to preserve their identity, others are gradually transforming it beyond recognition. Some collections invite a closer look at every detail, while others remind us that impeccable tailoring alone doesn't necessarily make fashion interesting.
Dior
Jonathan Anderson continues to explore the softness and lightness introduced in his previous menswear collection. Organza jackets, asymmetric dresses, skirts with torn edges, and floral silhouettes further developed his recognizable aesthetic.
This time, the designer made his ideas more wearable and commercially appealing, without introducing anything fundamentally new. Given the number of collections major fashion houses are expected to produce today, such consistency is understandable.
Maison Margiela
Glenn Martens turned home renovation into the central theme of his latest collection, transforming construction-site chaos into a distinct aesthetic. Cardboard corsets, dresses made from curtains, paint-stained garments, paintings wrapped around the body, and metal kitchenware used as accessories.
Everything sits awkwardly, protrudes from beneath the fabric, or appears deliberately unfinished. Behind this apparent disorder lies a carefully considered approach to deconstruction, bringing Maison Margiela closer to the experimental spirit of its founder.
Saint Laurent
The golden era of Saint Laurent under Anthony Vaccarello came to an end as spectacularly as it began. For the last time, the designer revisited his signature silhouettes: exaggerated shoulders, pencil skirts, plunging necklines, and towering heels. Leather, brocade, latex, and silk shimmered in gold before giving way to black. Charlotte Gainsbourg's final appearance added another layer of emotion to the show. It was a beautiful farewell to the aesthetic that had defined Saint Laurent for the past decade, and one of the season's most powerful moments.
Dries Van Noten
Julian Klausner once again demonstrated his mastery of combining intricate prints, asymmetry, and fabrics of varying weights. Particularly striking were the perfume advertisement prints designed to resemble vintage film posters. Despite its rich palette and layered textures, the collection felt sophisticated and feminine. It was the kind of show where individual details deserved just as much attention as the complete looks.
Balenciaga
Pierpaolo Piccioli's final collection for Balenciaga once again drew on Cristóbal Balenciaga's archives and Nicolas Ghesquière's silhouettes from 2006. Lace, peplums, and distinctive proportions were given a more restrained, almost sterile interpretation. Yet as the shapes became simpler, they lost much of their original character. Piccioli left behind a technically accomplished but emotionally distant collection, exposing the central weakness of his approach to the house: excessive caution can strip even the most remarkable archival references of their personality.
These five shows revealed just how thin the line can be between respecting a fashion house's heritage and becoming constrained by it. Some designers managed to transform familiar codes into something personal, while others lacked the confidence to move beyond them. In Vol. 2, we turn to the brands searching for their own balance between experimentation, commercial appeal, and a new vision of womenswear.
