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The spring collections for 2026 at Paris Fashion Week came to a close this month and the most common thread was darker than a winter’s night. On the runway at leading French fashion houses Chanel, Celine, Balenciaga and Saint Laurent, the stand-out spring colour was black.
Yes, there were florals, stripes and metres of fringe, but black was the inky backdrop to looks that should last well beyond next season.
Silhouettes were more diverse than little black dresses – although there were plenty of those – encompassing big black dresses, nipped black jackets and silky black trousers with twisted waistlines at Dior.
Common Hours “Humbug” jacket dress, $5600.Credit: Hugh Stewart
“There’s a personal nonchalance that comes from wearing black,” says designer Charlotte Hicks, who frequently turns to the dark side of her fabric swatch book when creating shadowy suits, coats and dresses for her label, Esse Studios.
You will find rich plums, buttery yellows and deep browns on her racks and in her wardrobe, but black remains Hicks’ fashion “palate cleanser”.
Bianca Spender “Hazel” dress, $925. Zara heels, $80.Credit: Hugh Stewart
“Black is not a look-at-me colour,” Hicks says. “It’s all about the little details. That’s one of the challenges when you’re trying to sell black pieces. You can’t see those details when they appear online. It doesn’t pop like colour.
“You need to see black in person and feel it. That way, when you wear it, you will know that the special details are there.”
What to look for
With no bold colours or swirls of prints to trick the eye, extra attention needs to be paid to the cut and fabric of all black items. “The drama is in the silhouette and the texture of the outfit,” Hicks says.
Oroton dress, $599.Credit: Hugh Stewart
For spring, black cottons, linens and silks will help you keep your cool in the midday sun. If you’re worried about looking too severe, textured fabrics or lace trims can be feminine rather than funereal.
How to wear black
The best approach to putting a top-to-patent-leather-toe look together is considered layering and reaching for accessories with different textures. Throw a leather jacket over a silk slip and you’re nailing the type of French-girl chic once monopolised by former Vogue Paris editor Carine Roitfeld.
If you’re feeling confident, and not planning on walking down cobblestone streets, high heels with shine add the perfect soupçon of je ne sais quoi. Black suede sneakers are also acceptable (even with white shoelaces).
Oroton dress, $599. Zara heels, $80.Credit: Hugh Stewart
If you need to add colour, choose a red tank top above a black skirt or trousers, or a powder-blue blouse beneath a black blazer. “It’s the only way I can wear colour,” Hicks says. “Black has to be the anchor.”
Caring for black
To help prevent fading, wash black items inside out in cold water. There’s a slew of detergents designed to help; heat is black’s real enemy.
It also helps to carry a miniature lint roller in your bag to quickly remove stray hairs or flakes – a sprinkle of white on your shoulders can take black’s cool level from dix to un in seconds.
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Fashion director: Penny McCarthy. Hair: David Keough using John Frieda. Make-up: Aimie Fiebig using Charlotte Tilbury. Fashion assistant: Abbey Stockwell. Model: Anna Zasada at Chic.
Stockists: Bianca Spender; Common Hours; Oroton; Zara.
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