Wrapping up the major fashion week run, Paris begins its SS27 with politics and fashionable hard conversations. While some collections took on nostalgic, romantic dressing, it was mostly subdued in the subtext of climate change, sustainability, and powerful metaphors that reopen the conversation on dressing and fashionable codes. In case you missed it, these were the shows worth catching and revisiting.
Matières Fécales
Avant-garde to its core, Matières Fécales has once again got the people talking about the powers that be. Making headlines last season with their Autumn-Winter collection title ‘The One Percent’, the design duo make SS27 the stage for its second instalment. Called ‘The Ninety Nine Percent’, where the AW26 collection dismantled the codes of luxury and power, the SS27 collection uplifted the creativity and the power of the people.
Across 99 looks with a diverse range of models, the collection broke down its concept into three parts—family, tribes, and gods. The show opened in a series of all-white looks with models in a maternal state, a tribute to designer Steven Raj Bhaskaran’s own mother and family. From there, the palette shifts to colour, showcasing the brand’s second concept. Here, the designers pulled from global and countercultures, from West African looks to hijabi ensembles to goth and streetwear.
Across the board, tailoring was sharp, silhouettes were slightly sculptural, and the clothes gave off a lived-in feel. In its third chapter, these design principles were dialled to a 100, showcasing couture looks that took inspiration from previous avant-garde designers such as McQueen and from South Asian dressing. Closing the show were the models carrying dummies of men in suits, a poignant close that visualises Matières Fécales’ messaging.
Christian Dior
At the Jardin des Tuileries once again, Jonathan Anderson shifted his thinking when approaching fashion in the current climate. Last season, he tackled the idea with a seasonless collection, but as global temperatures continue to rise, this time the designer took the opposite approach, working with lightness instead.
As such, the collection got the sheer treatment, light layers, and ruffles that flowed to create circulation. With a cluster of camphor trees enveloped by mist, models walked with double-layered button-ups, butter yellow skirt sets, balloon pants, and floral midi skirts. The bar jacket appeared in a softer construction while Lady Diors were scrunched up and carried like a pouch. The collection spoke to warmer weather in a romantic essence—clothes with materials like silk and organza were designed to work in conjunction with the breeze, or as the house puts it, “as if air were a material”.
On the front row sat Anya Taylor-Joy, Rihanna, Karlie Kloss, Eileen Gu, Jennifer Lawrence, Rosalía, and more, taking in the collection.
Maison Margiela
Now with his attention fully towards Maison Margiela, Glenn Martens presented the house’s SS27 collection as a study in the tension between hard and soft. In a set of decaying flowers, models wore trenches, second-skin-like bodysuits, maxi skirts, and boxy dresses. Each look contrasted with corset panelling, rounded necklines, and cotton wraps that tied a piece together. Footwear saw a similar pattern, with boots left open at the toe while bags had their inner structure removed to slouch and fall soft. Materials also took a look at contrasts here. Leather and denim were softened with cotton and white knits. Closing the show was a series of ultra-bright florals connected with the collection’s established open corset panelling. And while not groundbreaking for spring, it’s a warm welcome that eases us into the season.
Saint Laurent
Closing Day 2 in an ominous, almost nostalgic air was Saint Laurent. With rumours circulating around Anthony Vaccarello supposed departure from the house, the collection felt like a personal tribute to the Creative Director. Set in Paris at night, the set featured a marvellous chandelier that looked as if it were floating. In the front row were the likes of Zoë Kravitz, Rami Malek, Kate Moss, and Hailey Bieber, among others. Here, models were gilded in gold—a shade that was Yves Saint Laurent’s favourite—in the brand’s signature codes. Cinched trenches, guipure lace, cocktail dresses, and modest pencil skirts all echoed the visual language that Vaccarello established, now crumpled, ruffled, and croc-embossed.
The single shade stretched across multiple fabrics, from organza to chiffon, jacquard, and—reminiscent of SS26—latex. Accessories also took on the gold hue, with metallic statement earrings and snake-motif heels. Following up the gold was a stark black, in 10 looks representing the designer’s 10-year tenure. Dramatic velvet tailoring was interrupted with taffeta bows as the ten transitioned from the skirt suit to evening gowns, completing the Saint Laurent, and by some extension, the Vaccarello woman.
Stella McCartney
With the current climate catastrophes happening across the world, Stella McCartney’s SS27 show felt even more poignant. As a sustainability designer, McCartney is conscious of the role fashion plays in environmental damage as well as in animal welfare. Focused on the ocean, the show began with David Attenborough’s prologue in the 2025 “Ocean” documentary. Across forest green trees, models walked in an ocean-eqsue palette—blues, coral pink, and teal, just to name a few. In the lineup were the brand’s signature suits, tailored jackets, bermuda shorts, and gowns whose shape almost looked like seashells.
As always, the designer’s base comes from ethical sourcing and materials. Recycled polyester, deadstock, and lab-grown wool were what you could find in this collection. Denim appeared with a patchwork effect, with some showcasing the pocket cutouts we recently saw in the designer’s H&M collab. Sticking to the essence of Spring-Summer while also bringing up the hard conversations that fashion needs to address, McCartney proves once again that you can do one without compromising on the other.
