During Paris Fashion Week for fall 2026 women's ready-to-wear collections, several designers presented unconventional hair and makeup styles that deviated from natural glam. These imaginative creations highlighted a spicier approach to beauty on the runways. Labels like Comme des Garçons and Rick Owens stood out with their gravity-defying and otherworldly designs.
Paris Fashion Week's fall 2026 runways featured a mix of beauty looks, where natural glamour dominated for many labels, but select designers embraced more experimental and vivid styles. At Comme des Garçons, models sported gravity-defying hair that resembled felted material, adding a textured, sculptural element to the presentations.
Junya Watanabe's show included models with inky, tear-stained effects around their eyes and cheeks, creating a dramatic, smudged appearance. Noir Kei Ninomiya transformed intrecciato tresses into shapes mimicking animals, blending craftsmanship with whimsy. Yohji Yamamoto went further with lace-like three-dimensional hair sculptures and makeup featuring random black lines, evoking an artistic, abstract vibe.
Alexander McQueen's runway saw some models with faces covered in masks: one made of plastic that mimicked cracking skin, and another adorned with multicolored, flower-shaped embroideries. Rick Owens delivered an ethereal atmosphere, with models displaying fluorescent eyelashes, face highlights, and red-and-black spikes emerging from ears, paired with coordinating fingernails.
Additional labels contributing to this imaginative trend included Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood, Kiko Kostadinov, Kobi Halperin, and Reverie by Caroline Hú. These beauty elements underscored a playful yet bold direction in fall 2026 collections, contrasting the prevalent understated looks.