Opening the Paris season, this brand — also somewhat of an ACHTUNG favorite — quietly exists, works, and continues to develop a strong and distinctive look. We might even go so far as to say we would recognize a Vautrait look in any lineup, even without the new logo, which designer Yonathan Carmel placed front and center on some of his knit tops (see Suzi de Givenchy — by now a house model for the brand). The logo craze apparently stops for no one. But what really stands out in any of Carmel’s collections is the silhouette: volume on top and through the middle, curving inward and ending in super-tight Indian Jodhpurs-style pants with shirt-cuff look-alikes as hems, fully completed with a small button. Overall, this collection had a sportier feel to it — less drama than he usually offers. Maybe this is owed to the fact that, for his F/W 2026 women’s wear collection, Carmel drew heavy inspiration from men’s wear — the few men’s looks he presented looked great which became apparent in the sturdy outerwear and tailoring. By the end, the clothes had lost any clear gender classification. The way he can balance volume might be his biggest asset. Excess fabric bunching up in the underarm area normally raises red flags; here, it’s a design strategy that allows a little old-school glamour to manifest itself, making the looks memorable in the otherwise prevalent cinched, snug, and tight direction womenswear is going now.

We don’t remember where we read or heard that Ellen Hodakova’s main topic of interest for every collection of her namesake label is reincarnation. Apart from her obvious talent for breathing life back into discarded belts, zippers, lampshades, or other long-forgotten items one might find at any flea market, we might add that she does so with a fervor and intelligence reminiscent of a certain retired Belgian gentleman. This season might just mark her biggest reincarnation collection to date. Dedicating the first section of her show to a real focus on wearability and capital-M merchandise, and emphasizing this through a clearly structured lineup, should silence the last doubters who keep bringing up a wearability discussion regarding Hodakova. The first handful of looks — mostly black tailoring — came out with ease, each spritzed with her signature spirit of reworking, reusing, and recycling. Trench coat elements were turned upside down; leather dresses were flattened so they could be worn as some type of vest–bib hybrid; a sleeveless houndstooth jacket dress with endless buttons; lots of black leather belts; and cut-off sleeves: Hodakova to the max. We appreciated that many of the seams were finished rather than left raw, as had been the case in earlier collections. This one certainly seemed to revolve around a household setting, with models circling a central wooden family table and slipping through doorways. One model held up grandma’s teacups to cover her nipples. Jackets and coats resembled the hunchback shape of hugging someone or even oneself as this collection was fully introspective. A whole section of female models came out barefoot, wearing only an oversized white shirt, most likely not their own. Men’s wear was introduced as well, though with too few looks to make any assessment yet; so far, it blends seamlessly into the overall Hodakova aesthetic. She wrapped up the show with — we must make the comparison, sorry — a Chalayan-esque performance in which carpets were turned into garments by the models themselves. She also sent out three models carrying chairs with their upholstery ripped apart, acting as tops. Hodakova continues to be in reincarnation and repetition mode.