Inside Couture Week SS26: Our Editor’s Top Bridal Picks

Couture Week SS26 casts the bride as fantasy figure. At Chanel, she walks through a dream-world in a neat suit of shaved pearls; at Valentino, she is a goddess of excess landed on earth in showgirl form; at Dior, she is youthful and buoyant, decorated with flowers.

Some looks are explicitly bridal, such as Elie Saab’s embellished finale look; others reinterpret bridal language to a fresh end, as with the textural New Look-inflected designs at Ashi Studio. Elsewhere in Paris, designers offer a pick-and-mix approach: Armani Privé brings fluid lines and elegant tailoring, Aelis favours sheer fabrics and draping, and Rami Ali plays with fringe and big skirts.

While the six-figure sums and thousand-hour craftsmanship might keep the dresses themselves out of reach for most brides, there is nevertheless boundless inspiration to be found in our picks from the Couture Week SS26 runway.