SS26 brought romance, opulence, and audacious creativity to the runway. Explore Hobeika, Schiaparelli, Robert Wun, and emerging designers pushing couture to new heights.
A new year means another cycle of fashion seasons to observe, dissect, and possibly obsess over. Lifestyle Asia’s foreign correspondent Louise Daniel offers a front-row perspective on Haute Couture SS26 at Paris Fashion Week.
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Georges Hobeika SS26 Haute Couture, L’AMOUR
Held in the solemn chambers of the American Cathedral in Paris, Hobeika anchored its L’AMOUR collection on the most fundamental human concept: love.
Schiaparelli SS26 Haute Couture, The Agony and The Ecstasy
The modern-day couture king expands his universe once again. Schiaparelli remains one of my all-time must-see collections each couture season. Daniel Roseberry continues to soar—even higher this time.
Arguably his most exceptional couture collection to date, SS26 HC was titled after Irving Stone’s 1961 biographical novel on Renaissance artist Michelangelo Buonarroti.
The collection’s motifs oscillated between the delicate and the dangerous: serpentine symbols, scorpion motifs, reptilian and avian forms that seemed to defy gravity. There is so much to dissect, but one thing is certain—this was an intensive labor of love. Some dresses took 8,000 hours to complete; others required over 25,000 hand-stitched silk feathers. Here, time equals value. And the Schiaparelli value is at an all-time high!
Robert Wun SS26 Haute Couture, Valour: The Desire to Create, and the Courage to Carry On
Another exceptional couturier, Robert Wun occupies a space uniquely tailored to his own universe. No one does it like him. Each look was a build-up of Wun’s couture techniques and silhouettes, developed one season after the other.
Phan Huy SS26 HC, Cành Vàng Lá Ngọc
The latest member of the Paris Haute Couture Week calendar, Phan Huy’s collection drew from Vietnamese imperial art, Nguyen dynasty symbolism, and Western influences.
Germanier SS26 Haute Couture, Les Chardonneuses
Lisa Rinna even opened the show. It’s couture, honey! The final show on the schedule! Germanier’s latest collection centered on “upcycled couture,” utilizing vintage pieces from the houses of LVMH.
All photos courtesy of the author.
Frequently Asked Questions
Paris Haute Couture SS26 trends focus heavily on narrative-driven romance, gravity-defying animalier motifs like reptilian and avian structures, upcycled luxury materials, and deeply labor-intensive hand-stitched embellishments.
Prominent designers presenting during the SS26 couture cycle included Daniel Roseberry for Schiaparelli, Georges Hobeika, Robert Wun, Germanier, and recent fashion calendar addition Phan Huy.
Schiaparelli’s SS26 collection, titled “The Agony and The Ecstasy,” drew inspiration from Irving Stone’s biographical novel about the historic Renaissance artist Michelangelo Buonarroti.
Elite haute couture garments demand extensive craftsmanship, with intricate runway pieces requiring anywhere from 8,000 hours to upwards of 25,000 hours of specialized hand-stitching.
Upcycled couture involves creating high-fashion garments using existing materials. For example, Germanier’s SS26 collection utilized surplus vintage pieces sourced directly from the luxury storehouses of LVMH.
