Day three of Paris Haute Couture Week delivered a captivating mix of new beginnings, timeless glamour and fearless creativity. From Pierpaolo Piccioli’s highly anticipated debut at Balenciaga to Duran Lantink’s radical reinvention of Jean Paul Gaultier, designers celebrated couture craftsmanship while pushing the boundaries of tradition. Here are some of the highlights from the runway.
Balenciaga
Pierpaolo Piccioli made a confident debut at Balenciaga, presenting a couture collection that respected the house’s extraordinary heritage while introducing his own unmistakable sense of romance. Staged in the gardens of the Cité Universitaire in Paris, the collection balanced sculptural silhouettes with bold colour and impeccable craftsmanship.
Architectural precision remained central, paying tribute to Cristóbal Balenciaga’s legacy, while Piccioli softened the silhouettes with emotion and humanity. Rather than reinventing the Maison, he thoughtfully expanded its visual language, creating a collection that felt both contemporary and timeless. It was an assured first chapter that set a compelling new direction for one of fashion’s most influential houses.
Elie Saab
Elie Saab once again proved why he remains synonymous with modern glamour, unveiling a breathtaking haute couture collection designed for the world’s grandest occasions. Sculptural gowns, intricate embroidery and shimmering embellishments defined the collection, each look showcasing the exceptional craftsmanship for which the house is renowned.
Rich textures, fluid draping and elegant silhouettes balanced timeless sophistication with contemporary allure, while dramatic capes and sparkling finishes added a sense of theatre. Every look embodied Saab’s signature femininity, offering a vision of couture that felt luxurious, refined and unapologetically glamorous, ensuring the Lebanese designer’s place as one of fashion’s greatest masters of eveningwear.
Zuhair Murad
Zuhair Murad explored resilience and femininity through Love and Dominion, a collection that celebrated strength with striking elegance. Dramatic silhouettes were brought to life through crystal-encrusted embroidery, sculptural embellishments, and rich fabrics, including velvet, duchesse satin, and silk chiffon. Rose brambles transformed into sparkling motifs, while feathered details softened the collection’s darker romanticism.
Murad’s ability to balance opulence with emotion was on full display, creating gowns that felt powerful yet undeniably graceful. Watching from the front row was longtime friend and muse Jennifer Lopez, reinforcing the designer’s enduring reputation as a favourite for unforgettable red-carpet moments.
Jean Paul Gaultier
Duran Lantink made an assured couture debut at Jean Paul Gaultier, delivering a collection that felt both respectful of the house’s legacy and boldly futuristic. Rather than preserving the archive, he reimagined its most iconic codes through sculptural 3D-printed exoskeletons, exaggerated proportions and experimental construction.
Archival fabrics found new purpose, while the legendary cone bra and corsetry were transformed into unexpected, architectural forms. The deliberate tension between fantasy and function became one of the collection’s defining strengths, embracing couture as a space for imagination rather than practicality. The result was playful, inventive and unmistakably Gaultier, marking an exciting new chapter for the legendary maison.
