The stars and styles from Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week

Feathers, fabulous fashion and famous faces on the frow - it can only be Paris Haute Couture Week.

There were debut collections from Chanel and Dior's new head designers, bringing fresh life to the classic brands, as well as the first Armani Privé couture show since the death of Giorgio Armani last year.

Celebrities like Victoria and David Beckham, Gracie Abrams, Dua Lipa, A$AP Rocky and Rihanna lined the runways' front rows to see the latest high-end designs in the French capital.

The exclusive four-day event, which happens twice a year, showcases custom-fitted, made-by-hand designs by an exclusive selection of 13 fashion houses.

One of the most anticipated shows was from Chanel's new chief designer Matthieu Blazy, who brought his creations to life at the Grand Palais.

The vast glass-domed exhibition space became a wonderland, with pink weeping willows and oversized toadstools adorning the runway.

Blazy, who brought his ready-to-wear collection to the same venue last October, said he wanted to "probe and explore the heart of Chanel".

While some of the outfits made references to classic Chanel suits, they were brought up to date with fresh fabrics and treatments.

"I wanted to see whether, when you strip away the usual Chanel signatures - the tweed, the jewelled buttons - you can still get to that essence," he told WWD.

There were also more out-there moments, with feathers forming a thread running through the collection.

Birds, from pigeons and crows to the more rare roseate spoonbill, were the inspiration.

"All kinds of birds appear, as if by magic, from the most familiar to the rarest," the 41-year-old Franco-Belgian wrote in his show notes.

Another eagerly-awaited show was from Northern Irish designer Jonathan Anderson, in his first haute couture collection for Dior.

He also brought nature to the runway with floaty silhouettes and a focus on flowers, including some worn by models as earrings.

The whole Spring Summer 2026 show was performed under a canopy of flowers, on a mirrored runway.

Many of Anderson's designs centred on a monochrome palette, with sunny bursts of orange, punctuated with ice blue and pinks.

Nature was also present in the collection's accessories, with a bag shaped like a ladybird and a clutch bag that seemed to be sprouting long grass.

The designer, also 41, was previously creative director at Loewe and joined Dior last March.

Before his show at the Rodin Museum, Anderson said it was "intimidating" to take on the role "because you are up against people who are in the history books", the Guardian reported.

"My Dior is never going to be a formula, because my brain doesn't work like that," he added. "I get bored too quickly.

"Everyone wants every designer right now to work out the brand like, tomorrow. But Dior is ginormous."

Just a few days after the passing of the designer Valentino Garavani, Alessandro Michele boldly presented his high-concept collection at Paris Haute Couture Fashion week.

Guests were invited to observe his designs through a viewing station known as a "kaiserpanorama", allowing them to peek through into an alternative universe.

One of the signature looks was a batwing gown, designed in a shade of red used in Valentino's first collection more than 60 years ago.

The collection was punctuated by lace, feathers and embellishments, with the models dressed like showgirls.

Among those invited to take a look into Michele's world were Lily Allen, Kirsten Dunst, Tyla and Dakota Johnson.

All eyes were on Armani Privétoo as it unveiled its first haute couture collection since founder Giorgio died last year, aged 91.

His niece Silvana - who worked with him on women's ready-to-wear - oversaw the new wardrobe, designed to be "like classic Armani, but with a touch of originality".

A palette of pastel mint green and baby pink was showcased, with bejewelled satin trouser suits and sparkling evening gowns.

The Lebanese designer Elie Saab went back to his roots for his couture show, entitled Golden Summer Nights of '71.

His show provided an antidote to the chilly Parisian air, with Middle Eastern warmth recreated through a colour palette of blush pinks, bronzes and desert tones.

Saab, 61, founded his fashion house in Beirut in the 1980s and has always leaned into maximalism in his designs.

Wednesday's show was no different - with excessive beading, ball gowns and metallic fabrics dominating the catwalk.

Other celebrities seen in Paris during the week included Sir David and Lady Victoria Beckham, as the fashion designer and former Spice Girl was awarded a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters on the first day of haute couture week.

They were joined by three of their children, although not their son Brooklyn Peltz Beckham, following a public falling out with his family.

Anna Wintour, Vogue global editorial director, attended the ceremony with the Beckhams and was seen on the front row at several shows, alongside other celebrities like Tilda Swinton, Nicole Kidman and designer John Galliano.