The hottest week in Paris history: inflatable clothes with built-in air conditioning

Despite the scorching heat, this menswear season in Paris offered standout moments from both big brands and fresh talents.

“This season has showcased fashion’s extraordinary resilience. It demonstrated a sense of solidarity in the ecosystem,” says Pascal Morand, executive president of fashion week organiser FHCM. The schedule, from June 23 to 28, featured 33 shows and 37 presentations, versus 30 shows and 40 presentations for spring/summer 2026. A few designers dropped out (Juun.J, KidSuper, Kartik Research, Creole), while Loewe has shown co-ed collections during womenswear since Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez took the creative helm.

The main story is the latest cohort of creative directors building on the vision they established in womenswear. Michael Rider delivered a widely acclaimed menswear debut for Celine: “A creative director who’s a designer and a team leader with a vision, Rider now looks completely at home,” wrote Sarah Mower. Sarah Burton translated her refined tailoring and couture sensibility to menswear in her first men’s presentation for Givenchy. Julian Klausner’s lyrical, ultra-lightweight Dries Van Noten collection — his third — captivated even in 100-degree heat. Lanvin’s Peter Copping hosted his first standalone men’s presentation on the official schedule. Hermès unveiled an in-house studio collection to a packed showroom, as fans await Grace Wales Bonner’s January 2027 debut.

Other highlights included the show by 2025 LVMH Prize winner Soshiotsuki: after January’s Pitti Uomo debut, Japanese designer Soshi Otsuki impressed in his first show on the Paris calendar with a collection imagining the ’80s Japanese salaryman on summer vacation.

“The Paris men’s fashion week has become the dominant global menswear marketplace, with shows, presentations, and multi-brand showrooms across the city filled with collections from around the world to see,” says Bruce Pask, associate vice president of the men’s fashion office at Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. “It can be a daunting prospect, especially in the extreme heat, but we cover a lot of ground.”

The heat became a story of its own — this was the hottest week in Paris history. It forced some of the biggest brands to reschedule (Dior and Rick Owens) or move venues (Celine). Guests were served ice water, watermelon water (Lemaire), flavoured ice treats (Dries Van Noten), kakigōri, the Japanese shaved ice dessert (Kenzo Café), and smoothies (Balenciaga Boost pop-up). Goodies included fans, facial mists (Saint Laurent afterparty), cold damp hand towels and white parasols (Dior), and even water guns at the show of Andam Grand Prize finalist EgonLab, put to use by the house’s team mid-finale.

Some set designs felt almost prescient despite being planned before the heatwave. At Rick Owens, fountain jets soaked the models on the runway and created a much-needed misting effect for guests — particularly those on the sun-drenched west side.

Louis Vuitton’s wave installation provided respite but stirred controversy: as Parisians grappled with the heat, some viewed the spectacular set as out of touch, despite having been conceived long before anyone knew the temperatures. The house said the show’s water, drawn from Paris’s municipal supply, would return to the sewer system through a closed circuit, while its sand would be donated to the beach volleyball courts at Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris, where the show was held. A campus spokesperson said Louis Vuitton’s sponsorship helped fund the institution, which faces growing financial pressure amid declining public support.

The best-equipped guests had personal fans — handheld minis or wearable neck coolers — plus effervescent electrolyte tablets. Some Paris-based professionals left their apartments and booked air-conditioned hotel rooms. Others fled the city altogether.

“This week put a lot of bigger things into perspective, like interrogating fashion’s role in a world where climate change is very real,” says Jian DeLeon, men’s fashion director at Nordstrom. Rick Owens, for instance, presented “prescient” inflatable garments with built-in air conditioning units — resulting in a silhouette similar to the Michelin Man — as part of his collaboration with Adidas.

It is not only about inflated jackets with in-built fans. Designers embraced lightweight fabrics, airy silhouettes and breathable materials that felt more relevant than ever. “We are seeing a lot of technical innovation in lightweight materials that add an appealing airiness, from tissue-thin nylon to paperweight suede and open-weave mesh knits,” says Pask.