If SS26 was the dawn of the debut, then AW26 must be the season of the sophomore. Last September saw the first propositions from multiple designers across Paris Fashion Week, and now, onto their second seasons, we see those ideas crystalise and new worlds take shape. This was thrown into the sharpest relief this morning (March 6), when Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez presented their second collection for Loewe, a playful, exuberant offering that built on the sporty aesthetic of their first, while broadening the scope of who their customers could be.

From inflatable parkas and hulking fur jackets, to the collaboration with Cologne-based artist Cosima von Bonin, here’s everything you missed at the AW26 show.

WE RETURNED TO THE CHȂTEAU DE VINCENNES

As with last season’s debut (and many previous shows from Jonathan Anderson), today’s runway took place at the Château de Vincennes, a medieval castle in the eastern suburbs of Paris. The brand’s familiar show space – a large, imposing box erected in the castle grounds – had been decorated with a cutesy gingham check for AW26, perhaps hinting at the childlike abandon we'd be seeing on the runway.

LIL YACHTY AND SISSY SPACEK WERE ON THE GL

Ever since Anderson nabbed every single Loewe brand ambassador for Dior, McCollough and Hernandez have had to start from scratch with their own guest list. Last season it was Yara Shahidi, Sarah Snook and Tracee Ellis Ross, and now the boys have added to their roster with Emily Ratajkowski, David Jonsson, recent campaign star True Whitaker, and a rare fashion show appearance from Lil Yachty. Elsewhere, newly announced brand ambassador Julia Garner completed the front row, joined by Eva Victor, Lucas Hedges, Baz Luhrmann and Carrie icon Sissy Spacek.

SOME VERY IMPORTANT ANIMALS SAT FRONT ROW

Once inside, guests sat on stark white benches that lined the bright yellow, lacquered floor – but they weren’t alone. Scattered throughout the space, perched on every other bench or so, were huge plushy animals, all navy-coloured and some three foot high. These dogs, whales, lobsters and octopuses turned out to be original works from Cologne-based artist Cosima von Bonin, intentionally integrated into the show space as if they were guests themselves.

“Humour, levity, and a bright, inclusive spirit – qualities we recognise as intrinsic to Loewe’s Spanish heritage – led us to the work of Cosima von Bonin, an artist we have long admired and with whom we were fortunate to spend time recently,” said McCollough and Hernandez of the collab. “Her work mirrors many of the ideas we were seeking to articulate and manifest in physical form.”

THE COLLECTION WAS ALL ABOUT UNBRIDLED JOY

This idea was emphasised in show notes written by the creative director duo. “For us, the act of making is, at its core, an expression of joy – an intellectual, process-driven pursuit charged with playfulness,” they wrote. “It is the idea of play as rigorous experimentation and problem-solving, moving between instinct and experience.”

On the runway, this was communicated via a bold palette and exuberant, unexpected textures and silhouettes. A yellow latex slip dress moulded to look like lace opened the show, followed by a hulking ombré fur jacket and matching mittens, and then a canary yellow drop-shoulder coat, much like Demi Moore’s iconic outerwear in The Substance. Parka jackets in primary colours were inflated like pool floats, thick knitted mini skirts came with long trains that swept the floor like dusters, while more inflatables cropped up in the form of engorged scarves and overcoats with lilos smuggled beneath their tails. 

While Loewe maintained its reputation as an expert leather house, with the snap-on Polly Pocket jackets returning in brown and orange, there were all sorts of unexpected materials at play, like skew-wiff shift dresses seemingly made from tartan laundry bags and dangling dresses formed of thick spools of climbing rope.

Scroll through the gallery at the top of the page to see all these looks and more