“…In the A/W 2026 season of Paris Fashion Week Men’s, fashion didn’t merely serve to reimagine menswear styling, but rather became a space for questioning time, identity, and the role of clothing in a world moving too rapidly to allow for thorough consideration. This year’s runways weren’t competing through spectacle or novel narratives, but were driven by the “dimension and weight of thought” hidden within silhouettes, fabrics, and the rhythm of details…”

Because this season, the most powerful element wasn’t the grandest, but rather the subtle details that underwent profound refinement, and attitudes that dared to stand firm in their own rhythm. And #legend_th has curated the notable shows from Paris Fashion Week Men’s A/W 2026, collections worthy of viewing not merely with one’s eyes, but with one’s mind.

Lemaire

For the A/W 2026 collection at Paris Fashion Week Men’s this time, what makes Lemaire one of the brands worth watching doesn’t stop at the garment structure that aligns with the “Modular Wardrobe” concept the brand has long upheld, allowing seamless wear with previous collections. It also encompasses the reinterpretation of fashion show conventions in their own manner, through the fusion of fashion and performance art to transport audiences into a different dimension of fashion. This time, the brand presented through the “mine eyes” project, created in collaboration with theatre artist Nathalie Béasse, bringing forth scenes of life gradually transitioning stories alongside design work from the new collection.

In terms of design aspects, Lemaire’s new collection wasn’t at all unconventional in silhouettes, but rather used “details” to narrate fresh concepts, whether through the use of vibrant colour tones, glossy materials, or various forms of fur matched with design work brimming with minimalist essence and functional utility. This resulted in a collection that serves as a conversation between body, function, and material, wearable in everyday life.

Amiri

Amiri’s runway for the F/W 2026 collection at Paris Fashion Week Men’s this time is another testament that Mike Amiri remains a designer who clearly understands his design language. From a brand born amidst the music and street culture of Los Angeles, today AMIRI has become a name firmly rooted in the fashion calendar. This time, the brand drew upon Laurel Canyon as a key inspiration for the collection’s design, a place that serves as an icon of West Coast freedom and allure from the 70s era, all of which was revitalised anew but from an even more contemporary perspective.

In terms of design approach, Amiri didn’t attempt to alter the brand’s identity whatsoever, but rather added “dimension” to various details in alignment with the collection’s inspiration, whilst not forgetting the cool, raw essence and confidence that are the brand’s key signatures. From sharp tailoring matched with rock-and-roll-flavoured T-shirts, high-waisted fitted trousers and washed denim, to Rockabilly-style shirts and jackets, all clearly conveying the brand’s effortless cool.

IM MEN

When it comes to patterns, fabrics, and colour shades, Issey Miyake is a flagship-level player with advanced expertise, and the FORMLESS FORM collection by IM MEN at Paris Fashion Week Men’s A/W 2026 confirmed this excellently. Because in this show, IM MEN chose to display a distinct stance wanting materials to determine form, rather than being components that define garment structure, which made this presentation consist of multiple design series.

Starting with CLAY, the highlight that sharply reflected this concept, heat-reactive fabric that changes shape when in contact with the body, making garments appear alive. Following with DAWN outerwear featuring hand-dyed gradient colours, like the sky during the day’s transition, whilst KASURI woven work, designs created from a single piece of fabric that can be adjusted into multiple forms, exemplifies functional thinking inseparable from design aesthetics. And RAFT, where IM MEN clearly used as an experimental space between “form” and “actual use.” Padded silhouettes were expanded to appear voluminous and sculptural whilst maintaining wearability, through the use of rope-style insulation from recycled polyester, providing warmth comparable to down. This resulted in warmth arising from “structure,” not merely material weight.

But what’s even more intriguing are the small details that created playful dimensions for the runway looks, such as “TO GO bags,” miniature bags in the shape of coffee cups, symbolising the elevation of everyday items through craftsmanship and premium materials, whilst reflecting the concept of functional beauty that not only reduces excessive decoration but also serves as a small gimmick that impressively created interest for this show.

Yohji Yamamoto

This season, Yohji Yamamoto’s runway didn’t merely function as a space for displaying clothing, but was transformed into a symbolic “arena” where signs of rebellion, violence, and gentleness could coexist harmoniously. The collection’s design clearly reinforced Yohji Yamamoto’s signature language, from the selection of large silhouettes dense with weight and shadow, layered arrangements with overlapping elements, to patchwork details reflecting the intention to stand on the opposite side of high fashion. Therefore, tailoring in the collection didn’t pursue conventional polish and refinement, but rather conveyed “the beauty of imperfection.”

JUUN.J

The JUUN.J collection for the F/W 2026 season is akin to straightforwardly questioning the definition of “formality.” Not merely attempting to elevate the dimension of suits to greater refinement, but testing the boundaries of their possibilities. This season’s collection, JUUN.J chose to focus on the tuxedo as both symbol and structure, before dismantling, deconstructing, and reassembling it, arranging it deliberately to challenge viewers’ eyes.

The collection’s intrigue lies in the reinterpretation of traditional attire. The silhouette of garments remains the primary language the brand uses for communication, from bomber jackets and oversized leather jackets, balloon trousers, and wide-leg cuts that the brand intentionally designed to be oversized and peculiar compared to traditional conventions. This play on alternating between strictness and relaxation became one of the collection’s highlights that not only reflected the image of the contemporary gentleman but also aligned with the original inspiration wanting to experiment with the brand’s possibilities, hitting the mark precisely.

Comme Des Garçons

Rei Kawakubo’s latest collection for Comme des GARÇONS Homme Plus was presented under the name “Black Hole,” likened to a philosophical journey to the origin of existence and the endless cycle of recreation. Since the brand’s inception, Kawakubo has remained tethered to her own mysterious beginnings whilst continuously pushing aesthetic boundaries towards dimensions never before explored.

Garments in the show appeared as objects orbiting the models’ bodies. Alarming wigs and rigid hockey masks helped create a surreal atmosphere detached from traditional fashion worlds. Tailoring, once the primary structure of clothing, was demoted to merely a “component” ready to be twisted, deconstructed, and destroyed. Gathered details resembling meteor crater surfaces, including the exposure of garments’ internal structures, all challenged the logic of form and wearability in Kawakubo’s unique manner.

Simultaneously, Comme des GARÇONS’ identity of blurring gender boundaries remained clearly conveyed through styling with skirts, dresses, and silhouette adjustments not centred on any particular body. These details meant this show wasn’t merely opening space for new possibilities, but reinforcing the brand’s essence as a tool of thought, questioning, and challenging conventional norms.

AURALEE

The AURALEE Fall/Winter 2026 collection was presented against the historical backdrop of the Musée de l’Homme, serving as crucial evidence that the Tokyo-based brand undoubtedly maintains its position as a master of the language of colour and materials. Because for Ryota Iwai, the mind behind these designs, luxury has never been defined by logos, but exists in the precise balance between fabric weight and deliberately chosen colour shades.

This season, AURALEE chose to display a clear stance by styling the entire runway with the brand’s own footwear, despite however successful and buzzworthy his collaborations with New Balance might be. All this to reduce visual distractions and create space for the garments to reveal their full potential. As for the design aspects, this collection functioned as a special conversation between colour theory and minimalist signifiers in design terms. Moreover, the “rhythm of colour” was inserted into classic silhouettes with vivacity, from royal blue leather coats, mint green knitwear, to bright red wool trousers, enhanced with yellow and purple in shirts and outerwear. Every shade was calculated to emphasise material textures without relying on external factors.

And in an industry filled with name-dropping and collaborations to demand attention, AURALEE stands on the other side of the bridge, the side that believes the most powerful voice often hides in perfect seams and the most meticulously chosen colours.