I would need buckets of black feathers and creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli on speed dial to recreate Gigi Hadid's Balenciaga Fall 2026 Couture runway look. But the shoe and jeans outfit she wore after July 8's show could join my summer wardrobe rotation before Paris's final Haute Couture Week bow.
For his first Balenciaga Couture collection, Piccioli outfitted the supermodel in the most regal lion's mane. Clearly, the runway design awoke Hadid's wild side: Afterward, she styled her off-duty look with leopard-print kitten heels from the French accessories brand Roger Vivier.
The shoes boasted a pony-hair upper with buckle detailing (a Roger Vivier signature); patent leather, slingback straps; and supportive two-inch-high block heels. If you're in the market for the exact pair, Hadid's Belle Vivier 45 pumps will set you back $1,345—if your size hasn't sold out already, that is.
Spending Couture Week with the French girls must have given Hadid plenty of summer style inspiration. She dressed the part in a Parisian-approved boatneck tank, oval-shaped glasses, and low-rise cigarette jeans in a slightly faded, light wash.
To finish the look, the Guest In Residence designer carried her fashion show essentials in a $4,400 suede shoulder bag from Miu Miu. The trapezoidal tote complemented her four-figure Prada tank earlier this week, too.
It seems Gigi Hadid sourced Spring 2026 runways before closing her Couture Week suitcase. Similar leopard-print pairs scored starring roles in Conner Ives's and Roberto Cavalli's recent collections. The former LVMH Prize finalist presented a strappy interpretation of the animal-print look, wrapping itty-bitty leopard bands up models' calves. Meanwhile, Roberto Cavalli debuted more timeless iterations with closed-toe, high-vamp pumps.
Leopard-print footwear has already earned an entire zoo's worth of endorsements from It girls. As early as January of this year, pointy pumps emerged from beneath Jennifer Lawrence's baggy jeans. By the 2026 Cannes Film Festival in May, Alexa Chung combined the animal print with the heeled flip-flops trend.
Summer's more divisive prints (think palm-tree, shell patterns) might be a touch too vibrant for the French capital. Leopard print, on the other hand, is bold and understated at the same time—as Hadid's latest look proves.
Shop French-Girl Denim and Leopard-Print Pumps Inspired by Gigi Hadid
