PARIS — Fitted trousers, vintage-inspired jackets and floor-length, extravagant gowns all shared the same runway at La Maison des Métallos in Paris, where the Global Fashion Collective held its second Fall/Winter 2026 Paris Fashion Week runway on Thursday.
Showcasing designers from Japan, Canada and China and their three distinct takes on the season ahead, all three collections embraced uniquely bold qualities but approached the same runway with a shared mindset: For a design to be good, it has to make you look good and feel good.
CFT.
CFT. kicked off the showcase with a streetwear collection that played with length. Complete with high-waisted trousers and exaggerated sleeves, the garments accentuated the models’ limbs in a way that teetered toward avant-garde, yet remained chic and wearable.
In honor of the brand’s 10th anniversary in 2025, the collection is dedicated to CFT.’s core mission — creating garments that are trendy and evoke confidence — while also celebrating what’s to come.
“I’m inspired by the clothes I see in everyday life,” designer and director of CFT. Akina Sakamoto said in an interview with WSN, as told by a translator. “It’s kind of a mix of the last 10 years and current clothing trends.”
While Sakamoto prioritized how the person wearing a garment feels in it, her own style is not devoid from the collection. She likes to wear long trousers and pieces that make her look taller, something that this collection masters.
Matching sets and monochrome dominated the looks. Standouts included a cable-knit set with pants that hugged the waist but perfectly bagged around the legs, and a hooded top with excessively long sleeves and a triangle cut-out around the navel. The garment combined the preppiness of knitwear with the familiarity of loungewear to create clothing that felt both elegant and cozy.
Diverting from some of the other outfits, one in particular introduced a bit more color: a matching set of knit shorts and a cropped sweater with sleeves that extended at least a foot past the hands. The pieces had identical color blocking that alternated between black, dusty blue, dark blue and green, creating striking visuals with color, shape and movement.
If the concept of holding yourself confidently were manifested in clothing form, this collection would be exactly that.
Brunette the Label
The energy shifted when vibrant ’70s disco set the tone for the empowering, free-to-be-me collection to come.
Founded in 2014, Brunette the Label started as a loungewear brand known for its elevated takes on comfortable clothing. But in her Fall/Winter 2026 runway, founder and designer Miriam Alden trades loungewear for streetwear, while still preserving the feel-good vibes the brand is known for.
For Alden, vintage jackets and luxury fashion have always been sources of inspiration. Coupled with being a self-proclaimed “horse girl” and her appreciation for the equestrian aesthetic, she created a unique collection fit for both cozy nights in and classy nights out.
“I kinda just wanted to create things that I feel like are missing in the market,” Alden told WSN. “I want anyone that puts it on to feel good. I wanted to create fashion for everyone, whether you love fashion or just need something cute to feel good in.”
Texture is the name of the game: Leather, lace, fringe, knitwear and faux furs are paramount to the collection. One standout is a cream-colored knit quarter-zip with red and black detailing across the top third of the garment. Styled with a matching pair of burgundy and blue-striped trousers and shirt and a bright red hood to tie the look together, the outfit is ideal for a fashionable night in — but equally ready to take on the ski towns of Aspen and Megève.
As the runway concluded, Alden took her bow in an oversized white dress shirt and black leather jacket. With the slightest bit of black lace peeking out from under the shirt, her outfit easily could have been an addition to the 14-look collection — a clear nod to how the collection reflects her own style.
“I’ve changed a lot over the past 10 years since I started my brand, and I really wanted to evolve the brand into who I am now,” Alden said. “This collection is probably the most ‘me’ of any collection I’ve ever made.”
The 12 models walked their victory lap to an iconic Sylvester song, reminding the audience that what they wear should make them feel “Mighty Real.”
Jumper Zhang
As if the collections couldn’t already be more different, Jumper Zhang threw couture gowns and nightwear into the mix.
The collection was introduced by a video that placed attendees in the heart of Paris — featuring iconic sites like the Louvre and footage of women in elegant gowns, the video primed the audience for a collection that echoes the iconography of French fashion.
“I’ve always found inspiration in haute couture and embroidery,” designer Peng Zhang said in an interview with WSN, as told by a translator. “I love fusing that with my Eastern aesthetics.”
Audience members were pleasantly surprised, however, when the runway created its own narrative and spun the age-old traditional view of Parisian dress on its head.
The first design was a sleeveless dress made of a tinsel-like blue fabric. With a slim bodice, balloon-shaped skirt and shine that made its glimmer oscillate between cool greens and blues, the garment made a bold statement, calling back to Jumper Zhang’s origins — making it the ideal choice to open the collection.
“The fabric — I bought it in Paris in 2023, and to showcase it today is a full circle moment for me,” Zhang said.
The rest of the collection continued subverting French elegance by introducing new shapes, textures and styles. One standout was an all-black gown accessorized with a tulle cape — the bustier was pleated and resembled a bow, paired with a skirt that sat just below the model’s ribs. The tulle cape created dramatic shoulders that made the look feel powerful and dominating. As the model turned down the runway, the cape only added to the drama.
Contact Dylan Henschen at [email protected].