PFW FW26: ProppedPropped upup byby glamourglamour andand ruinedruined byby glitz?glitz?

Why was Paris Fashion Week so forgettable this year? It was so forgettable that I’ve struggled for many months to get my thoughts together about PFW FW26. Usually, Paris is easy for me to discuss because it hosts the most fashion shows, thanks in part to London. However, this year, it seems it wasn’t just me who had to smile through gritted teeth while the event came and went.

Firstly, before the Strait of Hormuz closure, the global cost-of-living crisis was already taking most of us out. Make no mistake, consumerism thrives because of those who skate on their relative poverty line. The age-old marketing trick of encouraging people to aspire to acquire more gets eaten up (every time) by those who are easily influenced. Naturally, participation in Fashion Week was affected because everyone’s disposable income was, and continues to be, affected.

As reported by Working Families, the ‘Caught in the Middle’ report by abrdn Financial Fairness Trust (FFT) found that 20% of those in the middle fifth of the income distribution were struggling to pay for food and other essentials. Although this study discusses those in the middle fifth of the income distribution, I would still classify them as the type most likely to fall victim to aspiration consumerism.

If no one can afford basic economic needs, they will have to give up other benefits. Benefits such as paying attention to things they can no longer afford.

My ultimate question is: should we be concerned about Paris’ ability to cater to the future of fashion? To answer that, we’d need to look at everyone who played a part in the fall-winter festival. Here are the PFW FW26 fashion shows for you to watch in retrospect. To see the presentations, click here.