Edito The Art of Extroversion The Spring/Summer 2026 season was one thefashion world had been waiting for with batedbreath. With a string of creative director debutsacross major houses, a post quiet-luxury era andan industry that has seen brighter days. Practicality also played a role. With the trendcycleslowing,designers sought a balancebetween raw functionality, refined minimalismandfemininity,proving that wearability andcreativity can coexist. “Do you Dare Enter the House of Dior?” wasJonathanAnderson’s opening line for Dior.Daring and boldness, with an homage to history,were also showcased in an innovative way onthe runway which perfectly illustrating what adebut can do for a brand. Autonomyand freedom emerged as theseason’sunspoken keywords.At Prada,thedialoguewas about liberating clothes fromhierarchy,and Chanel found its muse inmodernity & movement. Thisseason revolved around texture andvolume, shape and drape, form and flow. Itcelebratedsculpturalsoftness,daringromanticism, and unexpected extroversion. For the first time, our report dives into a newsection examining the first collections from newcreative directors at five top fashion houses,using data to track the season’s shifts. Whether these ideas will extend beyond therunway into everyday wardrobes is somethingwe’ll explore further in this report. These explorations and innovations are reflectedin our four dominant themes spotted on theWomen’s SS26 runway:The New Raw, PorcelainPunk, Circus Core, and Obsidian Romance. ───INDEX This report offers a curated selection of insights from the full SS26 Women’s Fashion Week Report Brand Activations Insights powered by LY Watch into how brands activated acrossproduct, communication and retail during Fashion Week.In this preview: Paris Standout colors, prints, fabrics, silhouettes,and accessories of the seasonIn this preview: The New RawThematic Trend Analysis AI-driven analysis of five Top Housesredefining their vision under new CreativeDirectorsIn this preview: Balenciaga and Loewe Top trendsParis Leather was reimagined this season, from Loewe’s printeddresses to Schiaparelli’s polka-dotted broderie anglaise cutouts.Increasing 52% vs. SS25 and appearing in 6.8% of looks, provingit remains a standout material. Paris, the most anticipated stop of the season, delivered arunwayfullofcreativedebuts.Fringe, appearing in 1.2% of looks, took many forms — fromplayful layers to dramatic movement — highlighting designers’imaginative approaches to texture and detail. And if there was any debate about skinny pants, Paris ended it:Skinny Pants doubled their runway share, confirming the returnof the sleek silhouette. 1.6%Runway share 1.2%Runway share +110%vs Spring Summer ‘25 +12%Vs Spring Summer ‘25 +52%vs Spring Summer ‘25 1. CHLOÉ2. COPERNI 1. SCHIAPARELLI2. LOEWE 1. LANVIN2. CHANEL BrandActivationspowered byLY Watch Brand ActivationsParis Parisactivations reflected a renewed focus on creativeexpressionand retail as cultural narrative.Louis Vuittonreinforced its heritage through the Art Deco exhibition at LVDream,transforming archival craftsmanship into a publiccelebrationof design history.Meanwhile,tappingintoexperiential retail Michael Kors introduced the theatrical Hamilton pop-up at Galeries Lafayette. COS and Zara seize thismoment to held large-scale pop-ups on the Champs-Élyséesand Place de la Bourse to elevate their positioning. Despite a23.5% decline in activations, 30.8% of all activations werepop-ups, reflecting how Paris continues to prioritize storytellingand aesthetic impact over expansion in scale. COS Michael Kors Louis Vuitton 1.-23.5%of activationin Parisvs September 2024 30.8%of all activation werepop-upUp from 17% vs September 2024 Champs-Élysées Pop-up Louis Vuitton Art Deco Hamilton Pop-up Michael Kors has unveiled a striking pop-up at GaleriesLafayette Champs-Élysées in Paris, dominated by amassive Hamilton Moderne handbag installation withcascading fringe. Visitors enter via a tunnel styled likeavintage hotel,with activations including weeklyChampagnenights,live piano music,and prizegiveaways Louis Vuitton is celebrating the centenary of Art Decowitha major exhibition,Louis Vuitton Art Deco,opening at LV Dream. The show features 300 archivalitems,including vanity cases,perfume bottles,grooming sets, and personalized trunks once ownedby figures like Jeanne Lanvin and Paul Poiret. COS,H&M Group’s premium label,has opened a500-square-metrepop-up boutique on Paris’ Champs-Élyséesas part of the group’s strategy to moveupmarkettowards elevated fashion with morepremium retail concepts. The New Raw City Sophistication, Everyday Practicality As urban lifestyles shift, more people areembracing cycling, not only for itsenvironmental benefits but also for theconvenience and efficiency it brings tocity mobility. Practicality meets city-ready style in awardrobe designed for modern urbanliving. Minimalism is elevated throughsmart outdoor pieces, timeless basics,a