Les Enfants de Paradis: Pierre-Louis Mascia Spring/Summer 2026

By Jesse Scott

Pierre-Louis Mascia took guests to the theatre for his dramatic Spring/Summer 2026 show, blurring the lines between illusion and truth to create a surrealist fantasy that playfully winked at guests like a young diva flirting with her suitors. Inspired by the 1945 French film Les Enfants de Paradis, a tour de force which was released just six months after Paris was liberated by Nazi Germany and two months before the conclusion of World War II, Mascia’s collection spoke to the intensity and fragility of life and love through a series of ruffled skirts, flowing silks, and bold patterns.

Film and Fashion Meet at the Theater

The theater has long been a wonderful place for people-watching; the Mascia show was no exception as the front row was full of guests wearing vibrant colors, loud animal prints, and complex patterns. Prints have always been central to Mascia’s DNA. Born in Toulouse and trained as an illustrator, the French designer has collaborated with Como-based silk print shop Achille Pinto since he founded his eponymous brand in 2007. Unsurprisingly, prints starred on the runway as well as in the front row this season, with florals, ikat-style patterns, and repeated geometric forms all starring on elegant casual wear that blended comfort with spectacle (Looks 1, 8, 17).

Pierre-Louis Mascia Spring/Summer 2026: Looks 1, 8, 17 (Images courtesy of Pierre-Louis Mascia)

Les Enfants de Paradis, directed by Marcel Carné, written by Raymond Borderie, and starring the legendary French actress and model Arletty, centers on a young courtesan named Garance who performs in a carnival show on Paris’s Boulevard du Temple during the 1830s. Based on true events from the era, the film then introduces four men from vastly different walks of life (including a movie star, criminal, and count) who each vigorously pursue her but are ultimately left heartbroken. It is a tale of lust against a backdrop equal parts alluring and depraved, and it is a world that Mascia beautifully epitomized through his collection. Sensual silks dominated the runway from start to finish, masterfully draped over the models’ bodies on silhouettes that ranged from flowing jackets to billowing shawls (Look 24, 27). One could not consider the collection without recalling luxury loungewear… perhaps the clothes that Garance would change into post-performance, languorously smoking or enjoying a nightcap, as her suitors came to call.

Pierre-Louis Mascia Spring/Summer 2026: Looks 24, 27 (Images courtesy of Pierre-Louis Mascia)

Taking place on the last day of a hectic Milan Fashion Week, Pierre-Louis Mascia’s Spring/Summer 2026 show was a perfect bridge between Italy and France for the many guests who were flying off to Paris just hours after. A seductive symphony of color, it entranced like a carnival or courtesan and begged the question: Are you not entertained?