Paris —

The world of high fashion is increasingly accessible. Anyone with a phone and the internet can get a front row view of fashion week, connect with their favorite designers and immerse themselves in the virtual worlds of luxury brands. But, while people may be looking, liking and following fashion more than ever, this isn’t necessarily translating to sales.

Leaders across the industry are fighting to combat a global luxury slowdown and searching for new ways to maintain relevancy, reinvigorate their relationships with shoppers, while improving their bottom line. This pinch was particularly felt at the Spring-Summer 2026 shows in Paris, many of which had fewer seats for guests and less elaborate set designs than usual, despite there being an unprecedented number of designer debuts.

An overwhelming 111 fashion brands featured on the nine-day schedule during Paris Fashion Week, which concluded on Tuesday. Front rows were packed with A-list celebrities and influencers, and show content flooded social media, but it was difficult to envisage how each brand could cut through the noise and reach people navigating rising costs of living and other uncertainties in a fast-changing world.

Bright colors and clean lines featured in Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez's debut collection for the Spanish house Loewe. Lyvans Boolaky/Getty Images

But some houses did. Throughout the week, the designers that left a lasting impression created moments that sparked meaningful conversation and demonstrated how fashion’s influence could extend beyond the runway and shape what regular people wear on the streets.

Clothes that women want to wear

The idea of clothes — especially expensive clothes — looking good on the wearer shouldn’t be a novel idea, yet recent years have seen some designers become fixated with expressing artistic creativity or generating shock value, rather than designing for wider appeal.