It’s odd to feel like you’ve walked into someone’s private life – but sometimes, that can lead to the prettiest of revelations. Louis Vuitton’s Spring/Summer 2026 show was revealing in this sense. The runway, set inside the former summer apartments of Anne of Austria at the Louvre, was flanked by walls that once belonged to royalty, but appear now draped in soft fabrics and staged as a living apartment.
Scenographer Marie-Anne Derville transformed the royal chambers into a contemporary apartment, a collage of eras that pulled French taste across centuries into one room. Eighteenth-century furniture by Georges Jacob sat alongside Art Deco chairs by Michel Dufet, Dalpayrat ceramics from the 1800s, and Derville’s own creations. The effect was a space where personal histories and aesthetics collide, the perfect foil for Nicolas Ghesquière’s exploration of the “indoor wardrobe.”
Cate Blanchett – whose voice tracked over the show – recited David Byrne’s lyrics from ‘This Must Be the Place,’ lending the rooms a resonance of memory, belonging, and home. The Maison’s most influential global figures occupied the front rows: brand ambassadors Zendaya, in a metallic mini with fur-trimmed accents, Emma Stone, and K-pop icon LISA were all present among other celebrities.
Under Ghesquière’s direction – a man whose singular, 12-year tenure at the house is a rare constant in an industry defined by shifting leadership – the SS26 lineup dismantled genre archetypes, opting for a “celebration of intimacy and the boundless freedom of the private sphere.” Pajama trousers, robe-coats, and slipper-like shoes – pieces usually reserved for the home – appeared with refined confidence. Knit shorts and sculptural sleeves recast comfort as couture, subverting the etiquette of “indoor” dressing and embracing freedom within the private sphere. Ghesquière revisited his core vocabulary, but always reframed: the romantic drama of Juliette sleeves and the structure of corseted silhouettes appeared in a way that felt light, dynamic, and modern. Later looks became bolder and more dramatic, including a crystal-covered furry jacket with a ruffled peplum hem and an intricately beaded fringed gown.
A key innovation in footwear was the updated LV Sneakerina, a hybrid design that marries the lightweight comfort of a sneaker with the streamlined shape of a ballet flat, often styled playfully with sheer organza socks to reinforce the theme of private dressing made public. Complementing this were various buckled flat shoes and delicate, slipper-inspired styles, all favouring ease over towering heels. The handbags introduced striking new pieces alongside updated classics: a notable newcomer was a clutch designed with specific compartments intended to perfectly house items from the brand’s freshly launched Louis Vuitton La Beauté makeup line.
Iconic bags like the Express Bag made a significant return to the runway, along with the Speedy and the Side Trunk MM, all rendered in new patterns and treatments. Finally, the collection’s jewellery and metalwork cantered on a chic utility, most memorably with a sophisticated gold chain worn as a waist belt that incorporated a functional timepiece, adding a delicate yet unexpected layer of ornamentation to the fluid, loungewear-inspired silhouettes.
Discover the collection here.
photography. courtesy of Louis Vuitton
words. Gennaro Costanzo
