Kendall Jenner opened Le Défilé L'Oréal Paris 2026 at Place Joffre in Paris on Monday, September 28, walking first in a custom black Mugler gown that turned the brand's Eiffel Tower–facing runway into a showcase for the label's newest design direction.
The look came from Mugler creative director Miguel Castro Freitas. The outer layer is a black crepe-georgette gown with a twisted halter neckline and fluid draping, worn over a made-to-measure corset. The fabric is sheer, so the corset underneath is part of what the eye reads. Jenner's Instagram backstage photos show that base layer on its own: a nude-toned, strapless, boned corset bodysuit with high-cut legs. Reality Tea, citing a Mugler Instagram post, reports that the corset was built as the foundation of the runway look. Reports also describe a high thigh slit, which showed off her stride down the runway.
Kendall Jenner at L'Oréal Paris' Le Défilé 2026. pic.twitter.com/fSLhcgd8XX
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For footwear, Jenner wore black patent leather stiletto sandals with slim ankle straps, according to Footwear News. The narrow straps let the gown's long line carry the outfit, and the shoes are a reasonable choice for anyone searching for a Kendall Jenner sandal reference.
The look is worth reading against her recent history with this show. Jenner has been a L'Oréal Paris global ambassador since July 2023, and each Le Défilé appearance has been a distinct fashion statement. In 2024 she wore a red Mugler corset catsuit gown by then-creative director Casey Cadwallader, which L'Oréal credited as custom-made for the show. In 2025 she closed the show in a white high-slit gown from a 2003 La Perla collection. This year she moved to the front of the line, opening in the black Mugler design, and Castro Freitas's first Le Défilé credit for her also marks a change of designer at the house. He was appointed Mugler's creative director in March 2025.
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The corset-plus-sheer-layer approach is not new for Mugler, a house long associated with sculpted, body-conscious tailoring. That makes the pairing with a beauty brand's runway a natural fit: the silhouette is the point, and the black-on-nude palette keeps attention on the shape, the styling and, in a show built around beauty, the hair and makeup.
The cast around her gave the evening its scale. Viola Davis, Cara Delevingne, Jane Fonda and Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu also walked, and Céline Dion gave a surprise performance. Eva Longoria also took part.
Jenner's Mugler outing is a reminder that a brand ambassador's runway turn now works as a fashion moment in its own right, with the designer, the underpinnings and the shoes all discussed afterward. For Le Défilé 2026, the opening look set the tone: black, sculptural and clearly built with Mugler's corsetry in mind.
