The China Mail - Stars align for Louis Vuitton, Stella McCartney at Paris Fashion Week

Louis Vuitton returned to the Louvre for its Spring/Summer 2026 womenswear collection, with models strutting down a catwalk set up in the former apartments of Queen Anne of Austria.

To an airy jazz soundtrack with narration by Cate Blanchett, Hollywood A-listers Emma Stone and Zendaya were among those present to witness Nicolas Ghesquiere's latest work.

Showcasing soft, feminine silhouettes in a palette of soft pastels, the French designer told reporters that "the atmosphere I wanted to share was really that serenity one feels when in the comfort of one's home."

McCartney kicked off her show in the soon-to-be-renovated Pompidou Museum with British actress Helen Mirren reading the lyrics of one of her Beatle father's most famous songs, "Come Together".

The show also climaxed with the real track being played, with McCartney telling AFP she hadn't informed her father Paul beforehand.

"I'll tell him in the morning. He's too busy playing to hundreds of thousands of people on tour," she said.

She added that the choice of the famous peace anthem was no coincidence, confirming that the devastating war in Gaza had been on her mind.

"I think it's on everyone's mind," she told AFP. "Any war is always on my mind. But I think that was also part of a message of coming together. I believe in peace. I'm a peace lover."

The famed animal rights and environmental campaigner also showcased what she said was a world first: the use of a plant-based alternative to feathers, called Fevvers.

The 54-year-old already uses alternatives to leather, fur and exotic skins in her collections.

Elsewhere on Tuesday, Julian Klausner presented a Dries Van Noten collection with fluid and sophisticated silhouettes featuring bright colors.

At Courreges, Belgian Nicolas Di Felice revisited the mini-skirt, a great classic of the house popularised in the 1960s.

In its 2025 version, they were paired with geometric tops with cut-outs at the back and sides.

- Anderson debut -

A flurry of new appointments at major labels have lent this Paris Fashion Week momentous significance.

Around 10 different brands including Chanel, Balenciaga, Loewe and Jean Paul Gaultier will unveil debut collections from their new creative designers.

Wednesday will see Northern Irish designer Jonathan Anderson unveil his first womenswear collection at Dior where he has taken over from Maria Grazia Chiuri.

As well as propelling younger new talents to the top of the industry, the changes in the industry are seen as a chance to help boost demand at a tricky time for the luxury clothing market.

High-end clothing groups face slowing demand from wealthy clients in China, US tariffs on exports, and general uncertainty over the global economy.

D.Pan--ThChM