By Lara Owen

Copyright independent

Zendaya, 29, led the charge at Louis Vuitton’s spring/summer 2026 show in Paris, arriving in a metallic silver blazer-dress trimmed with white fur cuffs and hem from the label’s resort 2026 collection, which she paired with pointed pumps in matching chrome.

It was a look that set the tone for the front row as much as the runway: illuminating finishes and sharp silhouettes were the order of the day.

France’s First Lady, Brigitte Macron, 72, also caught the light in a sharp black blazer edged with metallic detailing, while rapper Felix, 25, of South Korean band Stray Kids, sported silver accents in a monochromatic ensemble.

Actress Jennifer Connelly, 54, also sported the trend in an all-leather look with gold mirrored-mosaic knee-high sandals.

Emma Stone, 36, meanwhile opted for a softer palette in a cream knit dress with ruched sleeves and a cropped cardigan, and Vogue’s former editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, chose Vuitton’s signature burnt orange hue in a leather trench.

The runway opened to Cate Blanchett’s spoken recitation of “This Must Be The Place”, originally by Talking Heads. The layering of voice and mood seeped into the collection, underlining how texture, memory and movement are inextricably linked.

Creative director Nicolas Ghesquière, now well into one of fashion’s longest tenures at a major house, remains at the centre of Vuitton’s creative identity.

For this season, he balanced elegance with experimentation, opening with a sheer-panelled corset set, which set the tone for the collection, signalling that structure and lightness would co-exist throughout.

The collection then cycled through dualities: fluid silks and sharply tailored jackets, voluminous drapes and sculpted bodices.

A return of cigarette trousers and culottes pushed the tailored agenda, while shorts in knit fabric stretched the rules of knitwear beyond jumpers. Slimline flats, in styles akin to brogues and Clarks Wallabees, echoed the wider turn toward relaxed runway dressing.

Oversized sequins – whether metallic or not – featured throughout, a trend which was also evident in Burberry’s recent London show.

But metallics and texture dominated, from slippery-looking leather to shimmering silk finishes.

Fringed details swung from skirts, shirts and trousers; soft leathers paired with fur-heavy eveningwear. Sharp collars, conical shapes and plumed bodices hinted at the more avant-garde tailoring that Ghesquière was experimenting with.

In many ways, the collection felt like a study in measured excess: details piled on, but always balanced by control, demonstrating that Ghesquière knows where to push and when to pull back.

Metallics are often associated with ostentatious glamour, but here, Louis Vuitton managed to downplay the result by using silk-like finishes paired with lightweight, billowing silhouettes. The look was more nuanced than nightclub shimmer and all the more effective for it.

This wasn’t a radical reinvention for Louis Vuitton, but rather a steady affirmation of its vision under Ghesquière. The show had ambition and coherence.

For a brand built on the art of travel, this season charted a course that was less about virality and more about longevity – a reminder that sometimes the boldest statement is knowing when to hold steady.