Leave it to Hodakova to have us gagged, mouth wide open, before Paris Fashion Week has even properly warmed up. For Fall/Winter 2026, Swedish designer Ellen Hodakova Larsson descended underground, staging her show inside the Carrousel du Louvre — a retail labyrinth tucked beside one of the world’s most revered museums. In a dimly lit room styled like an intimate, lived-in interior, she delivered her sexiest offering yet, turning domesticity into provocation.
Tailoring took control right away: elongated coats in black and deep brown velour set the tone with disciplined severity, while sharp-shouldered mini skirt suits flirted back with contrast collars and cuffs peeking through. Then came the rupture — garments stripped from behind. Suit trousers and sleeveless leather shirt-dresses exposed bare skin at the back, creating a striking tension between restraint and release.
True to form, Hodakova’s wit transformed the everyday into the extraordinary. Carpets morphed into skirts and boleros; silver spoons became jewellery; teacups were reborn as bras; upholstery climbed the body as tops, chair legs still attached like stubborn reminders of their former lives. Then, towards the finale, crisp white cotton silhouettes were paired with mirrors worn as accessories, amplifying the surrealist and theatrical essence of the showcase.
Words by Martin Onufrowicz
