Junya Watanabe
In a season when the show notes get more and more long winded and let’s say the more commercial the brand the longer the intellectual explanations, it’s so refreshing to have the Japanese on the schedule where there is often not more than one word to describe the collection as is often the case at Junya Watanabe or Comme des Garçons. For example, Watanabe talked about assemblage and that’s exactly what he did. The question is what did he not use? There was a fantastic big shouldered dress which looked made out of emergency silver and gold Mylar blankets used for survivors of shipwrecks. There were gloves, parts of plastic helmets, bags, hats and all kinds of garment and everyday life leftovers shaped into ultra feminine waist enhancing dresses. All the more fun as the models put on vampy walks straight out of a RuPaul video. This was a master class in creative fashion from Watanabe which wowed the industry on a bright Saturday Parisian morning.
Junya Watanabe F/W 2026
Assemblage of everyday objects
Mylar blanket dresses
Celine
When it comes to Parisian chic the house of Celine has been laying out a convincing template. What’s new under designer Michael Rider is that the elements he uses to put that Frenchness together are very unexpected. Surprises like bicycle helmets last season or now Annie Hall-ish hats or tufted feathers in the male model’s hair are added to the house’s vocabulary. Plus, his decidedly long and lean silhouette is very much becoming a defining element of his tenure. Backstage he said he wants his clothes to have bite and oh they did. How about an over the knee leopard print coat fully closed up styled with one of the hats which screamed self assurance.
Celine F/W 2026
Long and lean silhouette
Leopard print coat
Rider works without a stylist and as he could clearly work as a fashion custodian at the Met knowing every plus or minus of recent fashion success stories, he obsessively puts every single look together as if it was a show in itself and deeply considers the experience of his audience using the l’Institut de France as location. A classic French high brow academic place which has the grand architecture that comes with it. He even had custom made speakers to envelope his Celine jam session with Prince working his piano for the soundtrack. Rider understands to inject bright colors like a red scarf which was worn by a model in a long black coat, the scarf looking as if it was sculpted by a strong wind. That scarf styling was used throughout the show. Those details of everyday life are at the foundation of this collection – a celebration of clothes, chicness and the human who puts them on.
Scarf-styling
Custom-built speakers
Celine F/W 2026
