A public runway under the Eiffel Tower
Paris Fashion Week has many runways, but few are as public as L'Oréal Paris's Le Défilé. The annual show transforms Place Joffre — the square set between the Eiffel Tower and the École Militaire — into an open-air stage that anyone can watch. It is free to attend and livestreamed worldwide on Instagram, TikTok and L'Oréal Paris's digital platforms. For an industry event often accused of being closed off, it remains one of fashion week's most democratic moments.
This year's ninth edition took place on Monday, September 28, 2026, at 9 p.m., under the theme "Express Your Worth." The lineup mixed fashion, entertainment and sport: Kendall Jenner, Heidi Klum, Jane Fonda, Viola Davis, Cara Delevingne, Eva Longoria, Andie MacDowell, Simone Ashley, Anitta, Aja Naomi King and Lindsey Vonn all walked the runway. Kristen Bell made her debut on the brand's runway after being named a global ambassador in August, and actor Mika Abdalla — the breakout star of the Prime Video series 'Off Campus' — made her Paris Fashion Week debut in the show.
According to L'Oréal Paris, this year's theme celebrated women across generations and backgrounds, with a focus on empowerment and inclusion. The evening's surprise belonged to Céline Dion, who appeared at the end of the show to perform "I'm Alive," with the runway cast joining her on the catwalk for the finale. Dion is currently in Paris for a concert residency that began earlier this month.
Kendall Jenner opens; a cast of generations follows
Kendall Jenner opened the show in a sheer black dress with a high neckline and a dramatic thigh-high slit, paired with black sandals — a look that set the tone for the evening's blend of high fashion and red-carpet polish. She was followed by a cast deliberately spanning generations and industries, from Jane Fonda and Andie MacDowell to athletes like alpine skier Lindsey Vonn, reflecting the brand's emphasis on worth and confidence across backgrounds.
The show's structure — celebrities rather than professional models, walking together rather than in a strict procession — has become its signature. Le Défilé has been held during Paris Fashion Week since 2017, and it has grown into a major platform for the brand's global ambassadors, blending beauty, fashion and popular culture into a single broadcast.
Aishwarya Rai's crystal-covered velvet moment
One of the evening's most talked-about looks belonged to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, a L'Oréal Paris global ambassador since 2003. She walked the runway in a regal black velvet gown from Yara Shoemaker's Fall/Winter 2026-27 couture collection, layered with a crystal-embellished velvet cape featuring 3D fringe embroidery that caught the light as she moved. A crown-style headpiece gave the look its royal finish, and her burgundy-red hair — worn open — added a further jolt of drama against the black velvet and silver crystal detailing.
The styling was handled by Mohit Rai, Tarang Agarwal and Chintan Shah, with bold red lips completing the look. During the show, Rai shared a moment with Céline Dion on the runway — the two hugging, holding hands and even dancing together — one of the evening's most circulated images.
Rai's appearance also carried a product story: she showcased shade 423 Audacious Red from L'Oréal Paris's new Runway Matte collection, which includes five shades of Infallible Matte Resistance liquid lipstick. The brand has been expanding the Le Défilé experience for Indian audiences through partnerships with Amazon and lifestyle retailers, reflecting the market's importance to the label.
A breakout debut for Mika Abdalla
The show also marked a fashion-week debut for Mika Abdalla, whose rise has been remarkably fast. 'Off Campus,' the Prime Video series based on Elle Kennedy's bestselling novels, in which Abdalla plays Allie Hayes, reached 36 million viewers in its first 12 days, making it the third most-watched series launch in the streamer's history, according to Variety.
Abdalla's Le Défilé look — high-waisted blue jeans, a black lace top and a sheer black lace cover-up, hair in loose waves — was captured in clips that spread quickly online. The series has already turned its cast into fashion and beauty fixtures, and Abdalla's runway debut confirmed how quickly streaming fame now converts into fashion-week currency.
Beauty, hair and the worth theme
Behind the spectacle, the show was a working showcase for L'Oréal Paris's beauty and hair artistry. Global makeup artist Harold James and hair expert Stéphane Lancien led the creative team shaping the looks that walked the runway, and the evening doubled as a launch platform for the brand's new Runway Matte collection. The five-shade range of Infallible Matte Resistance liquid lipstick was presented as part of the show's beauty story, with ambassadors wearing the shades on the runway.
The theme of "Express Your Worth" — presented under the brand's long-running "Know Your Worth" platform — rests on celebrating diversity, female solidarity and confidence. That positioning was visible in the casting: the runway brought together women across generations, from Jane Fonda to Mika Abdalla, and across disciplines, from couture to athletics. The event's emphasis on sisterhood, diversity and inclusion has become the through-line of Le Défilé's nine editions, distinguishing it from the trade-only shows that dominate the rest of fashion week.
Why Le Défilé matters
In an era when fashion week's relevance is constantly questioned, Le Défilé makes a distinct case for the spectacle. It costs nothing to attend, it is designed for the camera as much as for the front row, and it deliberately casts a wide net — actresses, athletes, models, musicians — rather than speaking only to industry insiders. The theme of "Express Your Worth" ties the show to L'Oréal Paris's long-standing positioning around self-worth and confidence, but the format is the real message: fashion as public celebration rather than private appointment.
For viewers in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and beyond who watched from the livestream, the show offered the season's most accessible fashion moment — no invitation required, just an internet connection. And for Paris Fashion Week itself, which runs through October 6 with 68 runway shows and 33 presentations, it was a suitably populist overture to nine days of high fashion.
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