Couture fashion week: Five defining moments

Autumn/Winter 2026 haute couture fashion week in Paris may have drawn to a close, but its spell lingers. Across three days, the world’s most celebrated couture house transformed the Paris runways into a theatre of imagination with sculptural silhouettes, opulent creations and meticulous craftsmanship converging in goosebump-inducing cinematic productions.

Despite Europe’s record-breaking heatwave, soaring temperatures did little to deter the biggest names in fashion, as insiders, editors, buyers, celebrities and couture devotees filled the front rows.

Among the balmy, star-studded guests were Teyana Taylor, Cardi B, Bad Bunny, Gigi Hadid, Jennifer Lopez, Law Roach, Vera Wang, Michelle Yeoh, Demi Moore, Sarah Jessica Parker, Christian Louboutin, Emma Corrin, Hudson Williams, Sabrina Carpenter and many more.

This season, viral celebrity appearances and pop culture moments remind us why couture remains fashion’s most extraordinary and jubilant art form.

These are the five defining moments from the season.

Cardi B bun at Robert Wun

The American rapper’s attendance throughout the week turned every arrival into a headline-worthy moment. The 33-year-old WAP hitmaker and regular couture week attendee was seen at the front row of several shows, including Jean Paul Gaultier and Rahul Mishra. At the Mishra show, she looked ethereal in an ivory body-hugging, sculptured and embroidered gown. She also stunned in a monochromatic zebra-print bodysuit at Gaultier. However, it was a larger-than-life bun that turned heads (and probably blocked the eye-line of a few guests) that complemented her Robert Wun vivid red fishtail dress with a spherical bodice.

Robert Wun’s Toy Story

On the Robert Wun runway, audiences were transported to life-size toy boxes, with reimagined figurines and toys replicated from Wun’s childhood. The collection was both playful and adult-friendly – from origami folds on structured silhouettes to giant-sized teddy bears, Disney heroines and other celebrated childhood archetypes, such as the twirling ballerina in the jewellery box. The showcase was a triumphant wonderment of surrealist silhouettes and impeccable tailoring Wun is celebrated for.

Teyana Taylor rules couture

The One Battle After Another actor has solidified herself as a must-watch fashion week attendee by parading designer garments and transforming the moment into a style masterclass. Taylor was spotted at Chanel and Ashi Studio. At Ashi, the star donned a dark tobacco embossed crocodile leather ensemble that featured a sculptural moulded corseted bodice and floor-length calf leather fringe skirt paired with a matching headpiece. At Balenciaga, the statement piece was her auburn orange waist-long locks that covered half her face. She complemented her look with a strapped olive green dress layered over matching trousers.

Pierpaolo Piccioli’s debut at Balenciaga

The former Valentino creative director brought daydream back into style at Balenciaga. Piccioli’s passion for colour, fabric and shape is infectious and deeply soulful. The gentle tension between maximalism and minimalism was evident with every garment, supporting dramatic and dreamy dresses with gentle tailoring and structure. Fuzzy, full-legged pants, tubular embroideries or silky hairs lapping under lean cashmere coats were a handful of looks that danced across the runway. Top model Gigi Hadid made her return to the runway after a four-year hiatus, and she walked the show in a hooded, face-framing black feathered gown.

Spotted outside Schiaparelli

The famed steps of the Petit Palais in Paris are synonymous with the choice venue where the Italian house regularly host their runway presentations. Grammy winner Bad Bunny wore a buttery yellow sculptured suit with jacket detailing at the back, complete with a complementary tie and wedged platforms. Actor Emma Corrin wore a colourful, sharp-shoulder bird-inspired couture jacket complete with claws that protruded from either side. Inside the runway show, audiences were given a fashion lecture on the growing influence of artificial intelligence.

Sowetan