While the spotlight still largely shines on male figures in major fashion houses, another scene is taking shape: more underground, and above all, led by women. A wave of young international female designers is making a powerful entrance, shaking up the codes of contemporary fashion. Blending experimentation, intimate storytelling, and a rejection of gender stereotypes, this new generation is redefining the very boundaries of clothing.
The verdict is clear: despite all the talk about inclusivity and diversity, very few women today hold artistic director positions in major luxury houses. And when they do, it’s often after a long and obstacle-filled journey. For many, it still seems that the only way to truly exist in the industry is to create their own brand. That’s exactly what these designers from around the world have chosen to do.
Jenny Fax’s dream office
Taiwanese designer Jenny Fax, a graduate of La Cambre in Brussels, presented her Spring-Summer 2026 collection on the sidelines of Paris Fashion Week. Her hyper-colorful world both gentle and unsettling once again brought together American influences and Taiwanese culture in a striking display.
This season, she explores moments of mental drift at work, those suspended instants when the mind escapes despite the rigid framework of the office. The result? Floating silhouettes wrapped in a soft haze, as if emerging from a dream. Elements of professional attire: blazers, blouses, shirts are reimagined through layers of tights, socks, and underwear, creating an aesthetic that borders on the childlike.
A standout collaboration with the label D’Heygère, founded by Belgian designer Stéphanie D’Heygère, reinforces this playful and subversive vision of an overly regimented everyday life.
Paula Canovas del Vas: Intimacy in the spotlight
Based in London and a graduate of Central Saint Martins, Spanish designer Paula Canovas del Vas continues her exploration of contemporary paradoxes, particularly the tension between intimacy and social media. Her SS26 collection, titled Private Matters, was presented in the street, inside a truck transformed into a bathroom. The performance raises a question: how have once-private gestures, getting ready, dressing, putting on makeup become public rituals, shaped by the gaze of others and, above all, by social media?
The garments oscillate between camouflage and nudity. True to her pop-infused world, Paula blends stripes, florals, unexpected volumes, and bold colors. She also unveiled a new collaboration with Converse, her longtime partner reimagining both the low-top and the ultra-high versions with floral inserts. Beneath its playful appearance, the collection serves as a distorted mirror of our everyday lives.
Florentina Leitner: An Ode to Rebellious Youth
Austrian designer Florentina Leitner, also a Central Saint Martin’s alumna, pays tribute to adolescence with My Heart Will Go On. The season’s heroine? The skater girl, the quintessential “cool girl” of the 2000s, both free-spirited and elusive.
Staged in an underground parking lot echoing with engine sounds, the show felt like a nocturnal road trip among friends. Y2K references abounded: temporary tattoos, beanies pulled low, rebellious strands of hair, low-rise skirts, asymmetrical tops… Yet beneath the pop aesthetic lies genuine tenderness. This collection acts as a Proustian madeleine, reviving the sensations of a carefree, rebellious youth. In Leitner’s world, in the 2000s teenagers never truly grow up.
Façon Jacmin: The Elegance of Chaos
Behind the Belgian label Façon Jacmin are twin sisters Alexandra (a La Cambre alumna, like Jenny Fax) and Ségolène Jacmin. Together, they create an upcycled wardrobe marked by impeccable craftsmanship, without ever sacrificing a sense of whimsy. Their SS26 collection, The Morning After, is a perfect example.
The scene is set: the morning after a party, with confetti on the floor, heels abandoned, and balloons still hanging. In this orchestrated chaos, the models embody characters who are both absurd and endearing. One becomes a living table, other strides on a treadmill in stilettos, a third dresses (or undresses) while dancing.
Through these vignettes, Façon Jacmin questions the paradox at the heart of their own style: how to reconcile structure and chaos, precision and disorder, recycling and luxury. The answer lies in the meticulous details and the perfect cuts.
In an industry still bound by patriarchal and commercial logic, these designers stand as a counterforce. They don’t follow the rules, they rewrite them. In their own way. And above all, in a woman’s way.
