For Autumn/Winter 26 we saw a plethora of emotive trends, from Victorian, delicate sensuality and new romantic power dressing, but one statement stood out beyond the rest: Defiant Glamour.

It felt like a statement from the elite to reclaim this uncertain time we’re living in, to feel in control, something so many in the world need right now. Statements like “She is that bitch that is living that life” from Daniel Roseberry at Schiaparelli, and power dressing from Tom Ford, Balmain, Saint Laurent and others made the message clear. Perhaps so much so, that even the tech bro elite were trying desperately to get in on the action.

Schiaparelli

Does Daniel Roseberry ever miss? Yet again he delivered another incredible vision for Schiaparelli’s FW26. The structured elegance and tension shone through as the designer played with the notion of turning the wearer into a gladiator, potentially even a tribal Goddess. Afterall, the collection was named “The Sphynx”, handbags were adorned with bird claws, and heels were fronted with hissing cats. Power, again, was the theme of the day as the Schiaparelli woman continued to evolve.

Of course Roseberry didn’t mince words backstage, speaking to BOF about the Schiaparelli woman:

“She is that bitch that is living that life, and she has made it very clear to us that she does not want boring, of course she wants ease and moving through life, but if it looks or feels like anything else, she doesn’t want it.”

Tom Ford

Tom Ford returned to Paris Fashion Week and did not disappoint. A powerful, sexual essence was strongly defined across both menswear and womenswear, with clear cues to the filmic masterpiece American Psycho (2000), with clear plastic skirts for women and transparent trench coats for men.
It wouldn’t be a miss to say that corporate 90s are back, and Tom Ford is leading the charge through pinstriped power suits. Are we revelling in corporate stability because everything around us feels so uncertain?

Haider Ackermann clearly thinks so:

“It’s about standing straight in life, facing everything that’s happening in this world. Before, there was a kind of debauchery. They had another life… Then, suddenly, there they are, facing it all honestly.” said the creative director after the show.

Saint Laurent

Saint Laurent had a delicate sensuality to it: lace slip dresses that were barely there, clear plastic elongated slingback heels that were as provocative as they were powerful.

But the most recognizable shape in fashion was ever present: Le Smoking. Broad shoulders, wide lapels, and a true feeling of control defined the collection, marking the 60th anniversary of the iconic tuxedo suit.

While other cities offered interpretations of the power suit this season, none carried the same mythology. Saint Laurent’s tailoring retains a cultural charge that few garments in fashion history possess. Six decades after Yves Saint Laurent introduced the tuxedo for women, the silhouette still pulses with the same defiant glamour — a reminder that elegance and authority can exist in the same breath.

Balmain

This was a huge moment for Balmain, as the changing of the guard from Olivier Rousteing to Antonin Tron came fully into effect.

Tron’s vision was one of controlled, minimal opulence, with a sexy silhouette that moved with ease. The designer’s moodboard reportedly referenced darker cinematic works such as David Lynch’s thriller Mulholland Drive (2001) and Tony Scott’s erotically charged The Hunger (1983). The influence appeared through a plethora of sexy black leather looks and fierce cocktail dresses, prompting some overheard front-row commentary describing the reference point simply as “a bitchy hot girl.”

Restraint in power was a theme that came through with force. Tron himself referenced Balmain’s archive before the show:

“I was really shocked by how restrained and sensual all of these pieces were.”

Editors quickly identified the direction as a form of sculptural simplicity emerging from Paris FW26. The collection distilled Balmain’s idea of minimal opulence—jackets with architectural shoulders, elongated coats refining the body line, and monochrome palettes allowing the power of tailoring to dominate the narrative.

One for AI: Tech Bros in Fashion

Tech billionaires were everywhere this fashion month as Silicon Valley descended on the fashion circuit. Mark Zuckerberg appeared at Prada during Milan Fashion Week looking, albeit, slightly awkward. Jeff Bezos attended Jonathan Anderson’s couture debut at Dior. But Bryan Johnson—the infamous “Don’t Die” longevity science figure—went a step further, actually walking the runway at Paris Fashion Week for Matières Fécales, the provocative label incubated by Dover Street Market. The show represented another evolving notion of power. Matières Fécales and Johnson seem to suggest that we are witnessing a shift from traditional markers of status toward wellness and control over the body itself. The phrase “Health is the new luxury” has been circulating widely in cultural circles recently, and this show felt like a deliberately confrontational statement of that shift.

Speaking on the show and his involvement, Johnson posted:

“For a long time power was defined mostly by wealth, status, or political position. Now a new axis is emerging: control over biology. The ability to measure, modify, and extend the human body. Longevity science and health optimization are starting to become symbols of that shift.”

The label itself is part of the Dover Street Market incubator programme, which operates under the stewardship of Comme des Garçons president Adrian Joffe. The initiative supports emerging designers through production, development and retail exposure, helping radical voices like Matières Fécales move from conceptual provocation into the global fashion ecosystem.

If we can all take a message from this season to take control of our own lives, and our own direction, whilst being defiant in glamour at the same time. Perhaps we can all together melt the uncertainty of our times.