I knew that ‘Opium fashion’ wasn’t just a TikTok trend when I saw the array of leather and knee-high boots that took to the runway this Paris Fashion week. This aesthetic’s origins take form in silhouette-like outfits, nostalgia of the early 2000s and smoky eyes – turned sophisticated. Consequently, it has made me wonder, is the ‘Clean girl aesthetic’ out and is Grunge fashion in?

This year, many celebrity attendees followed suit, notably for me Central Cee. British rapper Central Cee has a history of not following traditional red carpet black tie dress codes, often attending awards shows and Galas in streetwear or tracksuits.

However, Central Cee broke his famous commitment to this personal stylistic choice this Fashion Week. Sitting front row at Saint Laurent we can see the rapper, you guessed it, wearing a suit and a tie. Whilst his tie was undone, we can see the combination of ‘Opium fashion’ with formal black-tie. This sums up Paris Fashion Week’s emphasis on the trend, both on the runway and mirrored by attendees. Personally, I would brand his look as a standout, by breaking away from his normal style and channelling high-end modern fashion.

Another standout moment during the Spring-Summer 2026 fashion week was the Maison Margiela ready-to-wear show. The show marked a shift for the brand – it was creative director Glenn Martens debut. Whilst his looks connected to the deconstruction and anonymity at the heart of Margiela, the beginning of the show premiered wearable looks before its later connection to the brands roots. Perhaps this choice was to introduce the audience to Martens visual identity, which we have seen before during his period of being creative director at Diesel.

The show also sparked some controversy. Bringing a divided opinion regarding the models who wore mouthpieces that resembled the brands ‘four stitch motif’. Supposedly representing the strip back from individualism, the mouth pieces were a point of contest for viewers, with some branding it as too much of a ‘gimmick’. But then again, all publicity is good publicity right?

Personally, this was my ‘Wow’ moment of Paris 2026 – who doesn’t love a bit of drama. Or maybe that is the horror-movie fan in me coming out, with another critic branding it as ‘de-humanising’.  

On the theme of silhouettes, another notable show was Saint Laurent. Creative director Anthony Vaccarello channeled seductive French Fashion for the Spring-Summer collection. The show had two distinct features, with models either head to toe in autumnal leather or draped in colourful frill dresses. Models were wearing stand-out jewellery and pearls, which contrasted nicely to the sleek leather outfits and embellished the flamboyant layered dresses further. Is this further proof that leather is in and that it’s set to take over 2026? 

Fashion Week also signalled that big labels are out, with a change to quiet luxury. You know that bold-logo Balenciaga top all your favourite celebrities used to wear? Yes, it’s out! Spring-Summer 2026 signalled that designers are moving towards tradition and heritage with branding now discreet and a focus on elegance, not flash. While some brands are still using their iconic logos on their designs, they are no longer a dominant feature of catwalk fashion. To be honest, I think this is for the best. I am tired of fashion being defined by the brands you’re wearing and not how you style individual pieces together. 

It will be interesting to see if next year the Tik Tok influence is still apparent on the runway and also reflect on whether my leather-related predictions were accurate. It is certainly fair to say that social media trends now dominate many fields of creativity and culture, mainly music and fashion. I wonder if designers now seek to break away from these trends, or if the temptation to give into what is popular overpowers that.

The Victoria Secret 2025 runway also marked a shift in the fashion world, with influencers being selected to walk for the brand, which fans seemed to both love and disapprove of. That leaves me with the question, is the world of fashion becoming more accessible as a result of social media and are the public taking back control over what’s trending? 

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