But as patrons light even more cigarettes and sip at glasses of beer, the crowd around them swells — more and more with every passing minute. Photographers click away at their cameras, pointing their monstrously long lenses toward the streetfront. What’s there? I get on my tiptoes to catch a glimpse of the truck sitting directly in front of the Café de la Mairie — a well-loved, as Parisian-as-it-gets corner brasserie in the 6th arrondissement of Paris. This is the concept that Paula Canovas del Vas devised for her spring-summer 2026 presentation at Paris Fashion Week.

“We decided that we had to do something that felt mobile, that we could shoot in different spots around the city,” the designer told Vogue before the presentation. “So that part’s very public. But then we thought, ‘What can we do that’s the opposite of public? How can we create a juxtaposition with an intimate space?’” So, she decided to transform a dropside truck into a bathroom — the most private of all domestic spaces where people are trained not to pry — and park it in front of a sidewalk cafe, where, y’know, people-watching is considered de rigueur. 

I plant myself in the crowd, hovering awkwardly next to a lady whose empty, sauce-smeared plate tells me she might be leaving soon. If I’m lucky, I think, I can swoop in and get the best view in the house. (She doesn’t, but I remain hopeful.) For now, I watch the interactions unfolding in the white-tile bathroom. One model mutters something quietly to another, flinging a yo-yo with lukewarm fascination, giggling, and then giving up on it entirely. Despite all the distractions, my attention is on her outfit: a boat-neck black mini dress with ruffled shoulders and a bubble hem, worn on top of dark denim pants. 

Shortly after, another friend appears in a ribbed pink cardigan with gathered sleeves, sits on the lip of the bathtub, and gently stretches a pair of pink tights to create some give before she starts putting them on. The three proceed to help each other shimmy into clothes, scroll through their phones, laugh together, seemingly not caring about anything in the world — certainly not the barrage of camera flashes. 

Dubbed “Private Matters,” the collection is described as a vehicle — no pun intended — for exploring “the tension of intimacy and visibility,” according to the show notes, and how in today’s world, so many private rituals have become public spectacles. In a straightforward manifestation of the theme, Paula explores the reveal-conceal properties of airy, open-work knitwear. Stretchy, semi-sheer fabrics are cut into slinky dresses and skirts that sit closely on the body. Paula’s visually impactful, psychedelic floral prints kick up just enough intrigue while negating some of the see-throughness of mesh.

But don’t worry, if you’re here for the whimsy, there’s a lot of that, too. Contrasting the aforementioned body-conscious silhouettes are sculptural shapes and an explosion of texture — Paula’s specialty. (The Spanish-born, Paris-based designer honed her aesthetic while studying for her master’s at Central Saint Martins and interning at major brands like Maison Margiela and Gucci, before launching her eponymous brand in 2018.) To start, the pompom pieces are all knockouts. The painstaking construction process involved several months of hand-cutting strips of jersey and layering them to create a massive orb of a dress, and tops and pants covered in pompoms. 

Paula’s penchant for drama also comes through several shirt-dresses in distorted prints that vaguely resemble photographic negatives of foliage and florals. In one dress, the fabric is drawn inward at the waist and bunched into a central knot — resulting in a striking, sculptural silhouette. More volume is achieved with ultrafemme, bubble hems. The high-low skirts are especially bold and poufy. In the show notes, the designer talks about the concept as an invitation for “softness and self-expression.” There’s no shortage of that seen throughout the evening. 

Of course, I’d be remiss not to mention an offering of the brand that made me fall in love with it in the first place: footwear. (Paula Canovas del Vas’s “devil-toed” Diablo shoes became a staple years ago.) This season, the signature shape is recast into flip-flop-style flats adorned with three-dimensional flowers. Paula also collaborated with Converse, riffing — in her own, surrealist way — on the iconic brand’s Chuck 70 and Chuck Taylor All Star XXHi silhouettes with ribbons and flowers. I observe as one of the models unzips the back of the ultra-high Chucks, adjusts the long tongue, and peels the shoe open, allowing her friend to effortlessly slip her foot inside. 

More cameras click and flash. Even more people gather to watch. In many ways, these private, unguarded moments should feel somewhat discomfiting to witness — especially when one of the models pretends to answer nature’s call while casually reading a book on the toilet. But Paula is flipping that idea: By intentionally exposing something deeply personal in a public way, she gives it strength. “In a world where exposure is currency, privacy becomes an act of resistance,” the designer says in the show notes. “By bringing the most intimate space into the public eye, we reclaim vulnerability as a form of power.”