Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Lifestyle
Lara Owen

Zendaya joins stars at Louis Vuitton’s pastoral AW26 show on the last day of Paris Fashion Week

Louis Vuitton looked to the outdoors as inspiration for its AW26 show (Aurelien Morissard/AP) - (AP)

Zendaya joined fellow stars on the front row at the autumn/winter 2026 show for Louis Vuitton on the final day of Paris Fashion Week, days after her stylist Law Roach spoke out about her rumoured wedding to actor Tom Holland.

The actress arrived wearing a crisp white shirt paired with a bubble skirt as she attended the show for the brand, which was staged within the Cour Carrée du Louvre.

Also among those seated front row was actress Jennifer Connelly, who watched creative director Nicolas Ghesquière unveil the house’s latest ready-to-wear collection.

Jennifer Connelly was among stars at the Louis Vuitton AW26 show (Aurelien Morissard/AP) (AP)

For the presentation, production designer Jeremy Hindle transformed the courtyard into a dramatic landscape of moss-covered geometric structures rising around a winding white runway.

The set created a pastoral scene suspended between indoors and outdoors, echoing the verdant valleys of founder Louis Vuitton’s hometown in France’s Jura Mountains.

Models walked through the sculptural terrain along elevated pathways, giving the show the feel of a journey across a constructed landscape.

Cocoon-like caped silhouettes commanded the runway (Aurelien Morissard/AP) (AP)

From the opening looks, silhouette dominated the collection.

Several outfits featured sharply exaggerated shoulders that extended outward from the body, creating sculptural shapes that framed the torso.

One black coat appeared almost wing-like in structure, its triangular shoulders projecting dramatically away from the body to form an architectural outline.

These broad silhouettes gave many garments a cocooned appearance, as if the models were wrapped in protective layers before emerging from them.

The exaggerated shoulders mimicked wings (Aurelien Morissard/AP) (AP)

Voluminous coats and jackets appeared in heavy textures, including pieces trimmed with thick shearling that expanded the silhouette even further.

Some looks resembled capes or tent-like outerwear that enveloped the body, reinforcing the sense of garments acting as protective shells.

Many of the coats and jackets appeared like protective layers (Aurelien Morissard/AP) (AP)

Elsewhere, bomber jackets and padded outerwear added volume to the shoulders and sleeves.

Accessories pushed the collection into more theatrical territory, however, with oversized hats appeared repeatedly, including wide-brimmed shapes reminiscent of sailor or pirate hats.

Accessories were exaggerated and oversized (Aurelien Morissard/AP) (AP)

Some models also wore tall conical headpieces – also seen on the Vivienne Westwood bride this season – while high chokers and structured collars drew attention to the neckline.

Several looks featured dramatic fluted or ruffled collars that framed the face and shoulders.

Fluted and exaggerated collars were also a big trend on the Louis Vuitton runway (Aurelien Morissard/AP) (AP)

The styling created a sense of wandering through landscape.

Loose trousers were often tucked into knee-high boots, while culottes, capri-length trousers and balloon pants introduced relaxed proportions.

Models carried structured handbags as they walked through the terrain, reinforcing the idea of travellers moving through a pastoral environment.

Explorer-like bags were featured (Aurelien Morissard/AP) (AP)

Print also played a role across the runway.

Check patterns appeared in several looks, continuing a print trend seen across several shows this season, including Chanel.

Elsewhere, colourful patchwork fabrics introduced bursts of colour among the darker outerwear pieces.

The checked print seems to be coming back this season (Aurelien Morissard/AP) (AP)

As the show progressed, silhouettes softened, with a series of dresses introduced more fluid movement, including layered white designs with dramatic ruffles and looser skirts.

Elsewhere, patterned knitwear, tassels and textured fabrics gave dimension to the garments, which contrasted heavily with the structured coats that opened the show, as though something had finally burst out of the cocoon-like capes.

Colour and tassels ruled many final looks (Aurelien Morissard/AP) (AP)

Throughout the collection, Ghesquière balanced protective outerwear with lighter, more decorative garments.

Rather than tailoring pieces closely to the body, many looks expanded the silhouette outward, reshaping the wearer’s outline into sculptural forms.

The showcase within the moss-covered structures of the Louvre courtyard ultimately suggested fashion as a form of exploration – as models wandered on a journey between past landscapes and imagined futures.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.