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Couture is not designed for everyday practicality. It exists as fashion in its most artistic and conceptual form. These garments are often worn more for image, narrative, and publicity than daily use, positioning couture as a cultural statement rather than commercial product.

The artistic dimension is exactly what respondents associate most strongly with Paris. In a second SSEDITORIAL poll, 66.7% said couture is what interests them most about Paris Fashion Week, compared to 33.3% for ready-to-wear and 0% for menswear. Even those who do not actively follow PFW still view Paris as the space where fashion becomes art.

Paris’ reputation is reinforced by the strict requirements designers must meet to present couture. Houses must produce made-to-measure garments, employ a minimum number of full-time atelier staff, and present collections with a set number of looks each season. These regulations make couture one of the most controlled and exclusive sectors of fashion, positioning Paris not just as another fashion week city, but as the governing centre of fashion’s highest tier.

Therefore, even if the fashion society does not follow every show each season, Paris Fashion Week still matters. It dictates the artistic direction of the industry, preserves traditional craftsmanship, and shapes how fashion is understood culturally. Not just commercially. Paris is where fashion is allowed to function as art, and that influence filters down into ready-to-wear, media and trend cycles worldwide.

Here are the PFW SS26 fashion shows for you to watch in retrospect. To see the presentations, click here.