Written By | Health News Agencies
Fresh off the 2026 LVMH Prize, the young designer opened the Spring/Summer 2027 season with 'Apple of the Day': sagging tights, weighted hems, and a standing ovation.
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PARIS
Every night before bed, Julie Kegels eats an apple. On Monday, that small habit opened Paris Fashion Week.
Kegels, who founded her label just two years ago and won the 2026 LVMH Prize this year, was given the season's first slot, one of the most visible positions on the fashion calendar. Her Spring/Summer 2027 collection, titled "Apple of the Day," was about gravity, the force that brought Newton's apple down and, in Kegels' telling, the pressure that comes with sudden success.
Her show notes framed it as falling in all its forms: "Falling short. Falling under pressure. Falling into place. Falling in love." By the end, the audience at the Cité de la Musique, at Porte de Pantin in Paris's 19th arrondissement, was on its feet.
Clothes That Look Pulled Toward the Floor
Kegels turned the idea into something you could see. Throughout the show, garments seemed to be dragged earthward by an invisible force. Low-crotch nylon tights looked half pulled down, as if drawn toward the Earth's core. Trousers, skirts and dresses slid down the body. Shoulders peeled away from the torso. Edelweiss embroidery drooped.
Some effects were engineered with real weight. Hypebae reported that hems were anchored with tablecloth weights, and that dresses in super organza, often described as the world's lightest fabric, were filled with pigment, sequin debris and beanbag-style pearls that left a trail behind each model. Prom dresses collapsed into skirts. Sequin bras were stripped back to their outlines. A dress was cropped at the bust. Denim jackets came inside out, and pleated tops were worn as skirts.
FashionNetwork called the result "a wardrobe of chaotic simplicity." The palette stayed restrained, with turquoise, taupe and blue, and the cuts were strikingly flat, set to synthwave and electronic music including tracks by the French duo Air.![Inside the LVMH Prize 2026 Awards in Paris [PHOTOS]](https://wwd.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/lvmh-prize-2026-paris-dom-003.jpg?w=800)
Pressure as a Starting Point
The collection read partly as autobiography. Kegels' profile has risen fast. This was only her third Paris show, and winning the LVMH Prize, one of fashion's most important awards for young designers, brought attention, expectation and a much bigger audience.
Rather than hide that strain, she built the collection around it. Heaviness, in her framing, is not only about being dragged down; it is also what keeps us grounded. As she wrote in her notes: "Without gravity, there would be nothing to climb. Perhaps that is the only reason why reaching the summit means anything."
Some viewers might read the slouch and slide as an ode to laziness or nonchalance. The more convincing reading is that it is precise: getting a garment to look as if it is falling, while still staying on the body, takes careful construction.
A Season That Starts With the Newcomers
Kegels' opening fit a wider theme on day one. The Spring/Summer 2027 season, which runs through October 6 with close to 70 runway shows plus dozens of presentations, began by putting emerging designers centre stage.
South Africa's MaXhosa Africa made its debut on the official calendar. Founder Laduma Ngxokolo, who has spent sixteen years building the knitwear label around Xhosa culture, staged the show in the courtyard of the South African ambassador's residence, opening with a performance by the artist Sjava. The Canadian label Matières Fécales staged what Hypebae described as the first Paris Fashion Week show on the Place de la République, with 99 models of color, rooted in co-founder Steven Raj Bhaskaran's childhood in Montreal's immigrant community. Hodakova, the 2024 LVMH Prize winner, also presented on Monday.
The coming days bring debuts from Drew Henry at Courrèges and Kai Nesselrath at Carven, alongside the big houses that close the season. Paris closes out a fashion month in which New York, London and Milan all leaned toward craft and imperfection, and Kegels' opener suggested the French capital intends to push that idea furthest.
Expert Perspective
Opening Paris is a vote of confidence from the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode and a test. Critics have not yet seen what the season holds, so the opener sets the tone. Kegels answered with a clear concept, rigorous execution and a sense of humor, which is what separates a promising young designer from a hyped one.
The collection also connects to a broader mood this season. After several years of "quiet luxury" and polished minimalism, designers across the four fashion capitals have been playing with deconstruction, imperfection and clothes that show their own making. Kegels' sliding silhouettes put her firmly in that conversation.
What This Means for You
You are unlikely to wear tablecloth weights on your hem next spring, but the ideas will filter down. Expect low-slung and dropped waists, tights and trousers worn deliberately slouched, inside-out or exposed seams, and ultralight sheer layers that move as you walk.
If you want a simple way to try the look, pair something structured with something that looks like it is slipping: a crisp shirt with a low, slouchy trouser, or a fitted jacket over a sheer skirt. The point is controlled imperfection, not sloppiness.
It is also worth following the name. LVMH Prize winners often go on to major creative director roles, and a designer who can handle opening Paris two years into her career is one to watch.
The Final Word
Kegels took the weight of a breakout year and turned it into the season's first strong collection. In a week that will be dominated by the biggest houses, Paris began with a young designer, an apple a day and a room on its feet.
