Donald Trump might be causing heart palpitations and clenched fists across much of Europe with his anti-NATO stance and threats to Greenland, but a gang of his compatriots from the fashion world are having a more positive effect on the continent, having just had their greatest ever season at Paris Fashion Week.
Over half a dozen American designers staged important shows, presentations, and happenings in Paris in the menswear season that ended Sunday. The biggest show of the season, in every sense, was Louis Vuitton, where the men’s creative director is Pharrell Williams. A truly huge event, it was staged inside a mammoth plywood crate the size of a small stadium, where the cast marched around an elegant, raised and fully furnished apartment. The whole production was backed by a gospel choir attired in black professor’s gowns at one end, facing a full orchestra at the other. Think a blend of mid-century modern meets Joseph Dirand, with tables and chairs by Pharrell. And don’t be surprised if some of the furniture turns up in the hotel Louis Vuitton is said to be building on the Champs Elysees, with a 2027 opening date.
President Emmanuel Macron named Williams Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honor) and presented him with the order’s insignia at a private ceremony held on January 23rd, 2026, at the Élysée Palace, in recognition of his contributions to culture and the creative industries.
The most happening event of the whole week, and hottest ticket, was a multimedia show with performances by Mahmood and Latin Mafia in a judo stadium for designer Willy Chavarria, the Mexican-American current darling of the fashion world. Models Romeo Beckham, Erin O’Connor, and veteran Farida Khelfa (the witness when Nicolas Sarkozy married Carla Bruni) marched around Chavarria’s Hollywood set encompassing a Cadillac, gym, boudoir, and cocktail bar.
Amiri transformed the Carreau du Temple into a literary escape ©Spotlight
The most intriguing art-meets-fashion encounter, though, was by Jaden Smith, who debuted his men’s collection for Christian Louboutin. It turned out to be a brilliant installation that blended Greek mythology, 19th century Paris exhibitions, civil rights marches, Dadaist art with a mock ancient temple and a Nam Jun Paik-worthy video mound of battered TV screens and monitors.
Smith’s fellow Californian Rick Owens, the king of gothic minimalism, had a massive steam-soaked show inside the Palais de Tokyo contemporary space which attracted the A-list. While LA’s Mike Amiri, a new emerging brand from California, also had a huge show in the Carreau de Temple, a giant 19th century market.
Amiri’s international expansion is being bankrolled by Renzo Rosso, the Italian billionaire founder of Diesel jeans, who acquired a large minority stake in the LA brand back in 2019. Rosso already controls high-end fashion houses such as Jil Sander, Maison Margiela, and Marni, and is known for backing the right horses.
From the East Coast, Brooklyn-based Colm Dillane, the streetwear savant who founded KidSuper hired France’s most acclaimed leading man Vincent Cassel to star in a mini fashion clip, that debuted to open his show inside Pavillon Cambon. It’s directly opposite the global headquarters of Chanel. Dillane – who won LVMH’s prestigious Karl Lagerfeld Prize in 2021 – is aiming for the stars.
It helps that the Americans certainly have drawing power: First Lady Brigitte Macron showed up for Pharrell’s show, as did Adolescence star Stephen Graham. Usher came to see Owens and Chavarria; Jeff Goldblum to Amiri; and Will Smith to his son Jaden’s event. Plus, thousands of fans throng outside all the Americans shows, begging to enter even the packed standing section.
“I think people really are attracted to these designers because of their powerful personalities, not because of their nationality,” says Bosse Myhr, director of menswear and womenswear at UK superstore Selfridges, and thus one of Europe’s most important buyers.
In fact, the Americans are a remarkably diverse bunch: Chavarria focuses on BIPOC culture; Amiri on LA actors; Pharrell on luxury global travelers; and KidSuper on young artists. “Perhaps their success and differences are not such a surprise. America is a very polarized country today, and maybe they’re just expressing another vision of things,” adds Myhr, who retails all these brands.
See: Fashion Show Experience at the Galeries Lafayette Paris
That said, Chavarria is not afraid of being political. His previous show in Paris used the famous sermon of Mariann Edgar Budde, the Episcopal bishop of Washington as a soundtrack, chastising Trump for his lack of empathy for LGBT people. “I think, ultimately, it’s the dream of every designer to show here. Paris is the center of the fashion planet,” argues Chavarria.
In the opinion of Pascal Morand, executive president of the Federation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, French fashion’s governing body, which organizes all runway seasons in Paris, it’s the city’s magnetism that lures so many Statesiders.
“It’s excellent to see so many American designers performing so well here. But in a sense, when it comes to fashion and Paris, it’s like the reverse of that famous line about New York. If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere,” he chuckles.
Beginning on March 2 and concluding on March 10, the schedule includes runways from the expected luxury heavyweights like Louis Vuitton, Miu Miu, Chanel, Jean Paul Gaultier and Celine, with independent labels including Vaquera, Paloma Wool, Kiko Kostadinov and Ottolinger sprinkled in between.
