There are many things Paris does well. Fashion. Art. Foie gras. But traffic? Non. Which is probably why, after a week of navigating the city’s gridlock, the flying cars at Louis Vuitton felt like a particularly attractive proposition. Suspended above the runway in the Louvre’s Cour Carrée, their checked paintwork added to the futuristic scene. Meanwhile on the ground, the front row delivered its own star power, with Zendaya, Emma Stone, Lisa, Ana de Armas, Jennifer Connelly, Saoirse Ronan and Australian actor Odessa Young among the guests.
It had already been a significant week for Nicolas Ghesquière. On October 2, President Emmanuel Macron presented Louis Vuitton’s women’s artistic director with his Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur insignia at the Élysée Palace. Four days later, Ghesquière rounded out Paris Fashion Week with a spring/summer 2027 collection that showed just how compelling his ideas can be.
The collection was called Ergonomie, and its focus on dressing a moving body made sense in the clothes. Fabric had room to fall, gather and shift. It was this ease that I loved the most. The fine layers, softly gathered dresses and supple jackets looked completely effortless to wear, while still offering the unusual proportions and clever combinations that make his work interesting.
A sheer sleeveless dress revealed pale pink and grey shapes beneath its surface. An ivory dress gathered gently across the torso, with an asymmetric neckline and a delicate, uneven hem. A white button-front look folded around the waist before falling loosely over the legs. Worn with black lace-ups, these pieces had a lovely balance of prettiness and practicality, and really isn’t that what we ultimately want from fashion?
The colour combinations were also especially good. Butter yellow appeared in a slip dress with a softly draped neckline. A brighter yellow top showed through a translucent grey layer above pale pink trousers. That mix felt fresh – a loved summer palette made more interesting through layering.
I also liked the blush-pink tank dress, its rippled, reflective surface bringing texture to a straightforward silhouette. Silver-grey separates offered an appealing approach to evening dressing, pairing a narrow-strapped top with a matching knee-length skirt.
There were strong everyday pieces, too. A caramel leather jacket worn with black trousers had a neat fit and a clean zip front. A brown cardigan paired with a black skirt marked with vivid yellow brought a little playfulness to a familiar combination. These were the outfits that made it easy to picture individual pieces finding their way into an existing wardrobe.
Ghesquière’s handling of lightness was the collection’s real highlight. Fine chiffon, silk and cashmere scarf fabrics allowed him to build layers without making the clothes look cumbersome. Jackets and coats still had shape, but their softened construction gave them a relaxed presence. It takes considerable skill to make something complex look this easy.
There was a practical consideration behind that lightness, too. Speaking after the show, Ghesquière explained that hotter weather was influencing how he approached fabrics and the demands placed on a wardrobe. It gave the collection’s delicacy a relevance that will be readily understood by anyone dressing through an Australian summer.
The more adventurous outfits gave the show its personality. An oversized grey jacket with broad ivory lapels fell over a pleated skirt, with irregular frills at the sleeves and hem. It had the polish of tailoring and a slightly dishevelled finish that I found appealing. A silver-grey outer layer rose around the neck and tumbled down the front over mustard sleeves, creating volume through folds of fabric.
The accessories, as always, helped anchor it all. Compact bags tucked beneath the arm kept the silhouettes tidy, while lace-ups, snakeskin ankle boots and pointed pumps gave the fine fabrics a firmer finish.
For Louis Vuitton, the emphasis on weight and movement also felt like a thoughtful expression of its travel heritage. These were clothes designed with the experience of wearing them in mind, and that gave the collection a practical appeal. I left thinking about the pale dresses, the caramel jacket and those coloured, reflective details and after a week of watching extraordinary clothes, it was a pleasure to see so many I could imagine reaching for.
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