Sébastien Meunier Fall/Winter 2026 at Paris Fashion

Sébastien Meunier Fall/Winter 2026 / FW26 at Paris Fashion entitled “Against Nature”

For Fall/Winter 2026 – 2027, Sébastien Meunier invites us into a realm of radical sophistication. Inspired by Against Nature, the 1884 novel by Joris-Karl Huysmans—widely regarded as the ultimate manifesto of the Decadent movement—the collection unfolds as an introspective journey toward artistry. In the novel, the anti-hero, Des Esseintes, abandons Paris to seek refuge in a self-fashioned sanctuary of extreme refinement. There, he constructs a universe entirely of his own fantasy, blending craft and style from different eras and cultures, driven by an obsessive rejection of the natural world and an uncompromising pursuit of artifice as the highest form of beauty. For Sébastien Meunier, this vision strangely resonates with our contemporary world, where each individual, isolated before a screen, scrolls endlessly through a landscape of curated styles.

Drawing on Des Esseintes’ blueprint, the designer offers slender, meticulously tailored silhouettes, where dandy-inspired jackets carry a quiet medieval flair through sharp statement darts. A short jacket evokes the cut of a Renaissance doublet, while a double-breasted coat takes on the profile of a courtier’s attire, and from behind recalls the elegant slits of a Belle Époque frock coat. The collection offers endless possibilities for layering: each piece stacks with the precision of archaeological strata, or unfolds as a play of Russian dolls, carrying the attributes of aristocracy across the centuries.

Details of Sébastien Meunier FW26 / Fall/Winter 2026, the craftsmanship is noble and ancestral in spirit, where fine Austrian laces meet traditional merino wools from Yorkshire. Fabric-covered buttons, sewn with a single central stitch, along with structured collars and plastrons reinforced with horsehair, signal an almost ceremonial attention to detail. Sébastien Meunier’s signature Napoleon jacket is reimagined with rare Calais lace appliqué. Silk, grosgrain, and moiré ribbons stand alongside gold-printed viscose, and burned-effect denim—together articulating a vision of modern decadence. Feminine garments emerge within the collection as ghostly presences. Conceived by Antwerp-based designer Mirjam Van den Akker, a master of flou, these silk-veil silhouettes evoke spectres from another epoch, infusing the collection with romance and fragility.

Oscar Wilde once described Against Nature as a dangerous book—the famous “yellow book” whose reading corrupts Dorian Gray’s soul and precipitates his metamorphosis. For Sébastien Meunier, fashion elevates, inspires, or challenges— and, at its most radical, corrupts.

About Sébastien Meunier, Founded in 1998 after winning the Grand Prize at the Hyères Festival, Sébastien Meunier’s brand is known for its conceptual exploration of masculinity and the relationship between body and garments. After key roles with Martin Margiela, and at Ann Demeulemeester, Sébastien Meunier relaunched his eponymous label in 2024. Drawing from performance and contemporary art, the brand places identity, gender, and self-expression at the heart of its creative vision.

About Mirjam Van den Akker, Born in the Netherlands, Mirjam Van den Akker is an Antwerp-based fashion designer. She spent over three decades within the creative world of the House of Ann Demeulemeester, which she joined in 1991, contributing to the evolution of its distinctive aesthetic and working closely with Sébastien Meunier from 2010. Since 2021, she has continued her practice independently as a freelance designer and consultant.