“There’s a strange elegance to the madness of it all.”
My time in Paris didn’t quite begin the way I imagined. Between extreme weather, global travel delays and arriving much later than expected, my luggage never made it with me, and wouldn’t for another five days.
A stylist in Paris for Fashion Week with no clothes is almost comical, but after the initial panic, it became an exercise in resourcefulness.
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I had to shift my focus from what I’d planned to wear to what I could find: ducking into secondhand stores with 20 minutes between appointments, pulling together looks on the run and making the most of what was around me. It forced me to experience the city differently – less perfectly planned and more instinctive, finding creativity in the chaos.
During Fashion Week, Paris has its own rhythm – it moves between shows, showrooms, presentations and appointments all at once. Within the first few days, a few common threads are already beginning to emerge. Colour feels optimistic again: citrus tones, juicy brights and tomato red. That saturated red is becoming a hero colour for me this season and one I’m watching as the week unfolds.
At Ganni, that optimism came through beautifully. The collection looks at the people and memories that influence how we learn to dress: trying on your mum’s shoes, an older sibling’s jumper, a hand-me-down you never stopped loving. You could see that childhood sense of experimentation in the clothes: oversized knits against shrunken polos, babydoll silhouettes, sheer lace layered over lace, doubled skirts and exaggerated ruffles.
The ruffled skirts particularly caught my eye, reminding me of some of the romantic volume I love from Shushu/Tong. Bold tomato red sat alongside mint, lime and lavender, with stripes, checks, florals and print all layered together in a way that felt spontaneous rather than overly considered.
The accessories continued that playful approach: sculptural bag shapes, twisted handles, tiny bags next to oversized proportions and a bold colour palette. The details were just as strong: checked tailoring, oversized buckles, popped collars and clashing prints. The Ganni-branded beers were particularly welcome in the Paris heatwave.
At Sandro, inside the presentation at the Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine, there was that same sense of polished pieces being made more relaxed through layering. It reinforced something I’m seeing again and again: clothes can still feel feminine and considered without feeling overly precious.
Saint Laurent completely took over the streets of Paris — the kind of fashion week moment where the location becomes just as much a part of the show as the clothes. The city at night, the crowds, the energy and that unmistakable cinematic production.
After coming back from Disneyland and Pirates of the Caribbean, Dior felt strangely on theme: metallic pirates meet dark romantics (apparently I’m still on the ride). There was this beautiful contrast between harder metallic elements and incredibly delicate, almost petal-like layers that moved around the body. Lace inserts, asymmetric draping and soft, undone edges brought a fragility to the collection, while the metallics gave it strength.
It links back to the golds I noticed at Saint Laurent too — metallics are becoming another common thread across the week. It’s that tension between hard and soft, dark romance and delicacy, that I think we’re going to see much more of next year.
The week then shifted from looking at what Paris is saying about fashion to celebrating Australian fashion in Paris, at the Australian Embassy. Seeing Aussie designers represented collectively on an international stage felt particularly special. From the unmistakable personality of Romance Was Born to designers including Paolo Sebastian, Ngali, Maara Collective and Caroline Reznik, it really held its own identity rather than conforming to what was happening around it.
And then there are those very Paris Fashion Week moments between everything else – a little shopping and wine in the middle of a heatwave, before suddenly finding yourself on a rooftop looking straight across to the Eiffel Tower. Views from the rooftop really don’t get much better than that.
So far, the words sitting in my notebook are: tomato red, citrus, lace, ruffles, florals and romance, sculptural bags, tweed, metallics, gold, dark romance, craft, personality and wearability.
A visit to the Vaillant showroom (pictured above) was nice to see up close; leather, feathers and layers of texture were a real focus.
By day three, the beautiful chaos of Fashion Week was in full force. Schedules running into one another, delays, and arriving at venues that were already over capacity… doors closing even when buyers and media were standing there with tickets in hand, which made for amazing on-street conversations and blossoming new relationships. There’s a strange elegance to the madness of it all: plans constantly changing, everyone moving at a million miles an hour, and somehow you are doing it together.
I was invited into the beautiful Maison Vivier atelier to look through archival clippings and talk through historic archives and the incredible history of Roger Vivier. It felt so inspiring to see shoes created for icons like Elizabeth Taylor, and to take a closer look at the house codes, particularly the iconic patent buckle and how it continues to be heroed throughout the collections. This season focuses on butterflies and the delicacy coming through even in new sneaker styles.
At Maje, sheer tweeds, lightweight tailoring and florals. The collection, ‘Naked After Flowers’, felt soft and feminine against the most incredible garden setting at the Musée Carnavalet.
The Ottolinger show was an incredible way to round out the first week. The footwear was a standout, with playful, exaggerated soles wrapping around the shoes and giving the looks a sculptural, directional edge. Then came Heidi Klum closing the show, a legendary addition to a week that had already delivered plenty.
Halfway through Paris Fashion Week, I’m feeling inspired, slightly sleep-deprived and very grateful to the designers and teams who supported me along the way. With my luggage taking its own detour, their generosity made being resourceful a whole lot more fashionable.
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