In Paris, the Autumn-Winter 2026 Men’s Fashion Week unveils its collections in an atmosphere that feels almost studious. Far from the controversies that have recently shaken Milan, the French capital embraces a more introspective approach. This season highlights fashion houses determined to redefine the contours of the menswear wardrobe, invent new grammar, sometimes freed from gender stereotypes while remaining closely attuned to the real-life wearability of the pieces presented. Among the strong signals of this edition: accessories, and more specifically the handbag, now fully integrated into masculine silhouettes, along with the use of bold, vibrant colors.
The handbag, a new menswear must-have
Long considered a feminine prerogative, the handbag is now establishing itself as an obvious feature of the menswear wardrobe. At 3.Paradis, it becomes almost a uniform. The bowling bag, carried by hand or tucked under the arm like a piece of kit, is conceived as a natural extension of the outfit, coordinated with effortless ease. Perhaps a way of convincing the more hesitant without making too much of a splash.…
This integration is also evident at Louis Vuitton. For this season, Pharrell Williams pushes the logic of functionality further by introducing a reversible Speedy, right down to the handles. A dual-purpose object designed for a man of 2026 in search of style without sacrificing comfort. The bag no longer merely complements the silhouette; it becomes one of its pillars. In the same vein, at AMI Paris, wired headphones are worn around the neck like a necklace. Proof that functionality can also be a statement of style.
The same observation applies at Sonia Carrasco, where gender boundaries are deliberately blurred. Men and women walk the runway together, carrying the same baguette bag, without distinction or hierarchy. The message is clear: the bag is no longer gendered, it is a tool, an everyday companion. Season after season, brands are proving that what was once seen as subversive has now become a central piece of the menswear wardrobe.
A masculinity in transition, bold and full of color
This Parisian season also stands out for its unapologetic chromatic explosion. At EGONLAB, feathers replace shirts, worn close to the body in bold, vibrant shades. Gone are cold, monochrome silhouettes: the duo explores an expressive, almost sensitive masculinity, where color and texture become a language of their own.
At Dries Van Noten, for his second collection at the helm of the menswear line, Julian Klausner composes a kind of patchwork. The opening silhouettes evoke a sense of innocence, almost childlike, before drifting toward references drawn from 1970s winter sports. Stripes, knits, scarves and bags echo one another, while fabrics play on subtle contrasts: wool takes the lead, silk slips in, giving rise to silhouettes of rare fluidity within the menswear wardrobe. Titled The Art of Moving On, the collection of layer garments, eras and emotions. An invitation to move forward without disavowing the past.
This idea of progressive construction also emerges at Sonia Carrasco. Exposed seams, visible threads and deliberately unfinished jackets suggest a masculinity in the making, still in the process of taking shape. The garment appears to be assembled before the audience’s eyes, placing the viewer at the very heart of the creative process, within the intimacy of the atelier.
Finally, Yohji Yamamoto offers a radically different, almost post-apocalyptic vision. The silhouettes conceal, protect and envelop the body. Hats created from bottle caps, officer jackets flirting with camouflage prints, repurposed accessories, the idea of survival runs through the show. A standout moment of this Fashion Week, the presence of Franco-Congolese rapper Jolagreen, who walks the runway twice before closing the show, embodies this plural masculinity, at the crossroads of eras as well as identities.
Through these evolving silhouettes, designers sketch out a wardrobe that is gradually freeing itself from rigid prescriptions. A season that does not seek to provoke, but to build, tracing the contours of a multifaceted man, both grounded in functionality and deeply sensitive.
