For the Spring/Summer 2026 Haute Couture season, Aimee Yan takes you to see those standout moments from each major fashion house

Armani Privé

Following the passing of Giorgio Armani, Silvana Armani responded with the Jade collection, staged inside a 19th-century Parisian palace on Rue François Premier, symbolising continuity and memory.

Jade green, mint, champagne gold and misty blush all formed a tranquil palette. Flowing lines and restrained structures embodied effortless elegance. Organza, silk chiffon and delicate sequins created weightless draping and emphasising comfort. The finale featured a bridal gown originally designed by Giorgio Armani himself, a deeply moving tribute to the founder’s legacy.

Ashi Studio

Ashi Studio continued refining its dark romanticism and architectural precision through hues. Sculpted corsetry, exaggerated shoulders and dramatic train lengths constructed commanding silhouettes. High-density tulles and metallic embroidery delivered futuristic ritualism, making this collection ideal for red carpets and performance stages.

Chanel

Matthieu Blazy’s first haute couture collection for Chanel turned the Grand Palais into an enchanted forest of pink mushrooms and cascading willows, embodying the house’s devotion to freedom, childlike wonder and poetic escapism. A dreamlike palette blended seamlessly with organza, chiffon, feather embroidery and ultra-light tulles. The highlight accessory was a classic Chanel flap bag rendered entirely in organza, a striking testament to craftsmanship and imagination. Tailoring, gowns and bridal looks floated with weightless grace, blurring the boundary between formality and romance.

Dior

Jonathan Anderson’s debut couture collection for Dior unfolded under the concept of a cabinet of curiosities, transforming meteorites, fossils, 18th-century textiles and classical portraiture into a poetic design language. The show took place inside a greenhouse-like space, accompanied by Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, making garments appear as if they were organically growing among flowers.

Soft misty pinks, petal whites, pale lilacs and smoky greys set a serene palette. While dyed silks, sculptural embroidery, embossed fabrics and layered chiffon created feather-light textures. Fluid gown silhouettes, petal-structured headpieces and sculptural handbags injected vitality into each look. The collection also paid homage to John Galliano, transforming the show into a dialogue between heritage, respect and innovation.

Elie Saab

Elie Saab continued his signature romantic couture narrative with gold palette. Sequins, lace and intricate embroidery layered delicately to sculpt ultra-feminine silhouettes. Rather than radical experimentation, the collection embraced stability and refinement, delivering timeless elegance and enduring beauty.

Gaurav Gupta

Gaurav Gupta’s couture collection, “Divine Androgyne”, explored Indian mythology and cosmic philosophy, addressing yin-yang balance, gender fluidity and spiritual awakening. Conjoined twin silhouettes, metallic structures, fluid drapery and halo-like forms created surreal sculptural bodies. Cosmic silver, astral white and obsidian black formed a futuristic palette, transforming the show into a philosophical meditation on form, spirit, and transcendence.

Julie de Libran

Presented in a private residence, The Scent of Iris: A Celebration of Beauty focused on the iris flower, evoking feminine softness and artisanal memory. Cream, apricot, and silver-grey established a gentle ambiance, while knitwear, lace, and natural cotton-linen textures created intimate tactility. Relaxed silhouettes and layered styling redefined haute couture as an extension of daily life rather than distant fantasy.

Miss Sohee

Miss Sohee transformed blue-and-white porcelain, classical ink landscapes, hanbok and hanfu silhouettes into a futuristic 30th-century Oriental court aesthetic. Cobalt blue, ivory white, jade green and misty blush formed an ethereal palette. Heavy embroidery, crystal embellishments, layered organza and fluid silhouettes created an illusion of weightlessness. Even phone cases were reimagined as painted folding fans. The collection expressed both softness and strength. One of the season’s most culturally resonant offerings.

Rahul Mishra

Rahul Mishra’s “Alchemy” drew inspiration from the five elements: earth, water, fire, air and ether, using nebula embroidery, metallic threads and three-dimensional beadwork to depict cosmic motion. Each garment was created as a wearable astronomical tapestry, a meditative luxury elevated through extreme craftsmanship.

Robert Wun

Robert Wun presented a three-act narrative in monochrome beginnings, extravagant desire and solitary courage. Colours evolved from minimal to hyper-saturated, while armour-like tailoring symbolised psychological defense and emotional resilience. Embroidery and sculptural silhouettes imbued each look with emotional weight, transforming the runway into a visible storybook, one page unfolding after another.

Ronald van der Kemp

A pioneer of sustainable couture, Ronald van der Kemp utilised recycled textiles and antique lace to construct deconstructed silhouettes. High-saturation colour clashes and asymmetrical structures challenged traditional purity, translating environmental philosophy into tangible design and offering couture a progressive new perspective.

Schiaparelli

Daniel Roseberry continued the maison’s signature theatrical and fancy design core, creating a mythical aviary kingdom inspired by religious iconography, mythology and human anatomy. Drawing from the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel, scorpion tails, serpent fangs and bird beaks were translated into dramatic silhouettes and accessories. Black, gold and silver built sacred tension, enhanced by metallic sculpture, resin crystals and dimensional embroidery. All in all, the collection delivered a powerful visual drama.

Valentino

For Valentino, Alessandro Michele presented “Specula Mundi” – inspired by the Kaiserpanorama, a 19th-century viewing device designed for solitary, sequential looking – encouraging guests to see the bigger picture and question the power of our own gaze. A monochromatic palette with blood red accents formed striking contrasts, while dense embroidery and heavy velvet amplified theatrical intensity. The sombre atmosphere reflected the emotional gravity following the passing of Valentino Garavani, making the show a contemplative meditation on legacy and memory.

Viktor & Rolf

Titled “Diamond Kite”, the collection centred on the metaphor of flight, escape, ascension and spiritual liberation. Translucent hues, floating structures and weightless silhouettes created an illusion of suspension. Airy tulles and surreal forms merged into a gravity-defying aesthetic, pushing couture into poetic and philosophical territory.

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