Fashion Week in Paris can be enough of a hardship: zipping around the city, waiting in lines, battling traffic, and then you finally get to the show, only to find yourself sitting next to an octopus sprawled out and requiring several seats. Or even worse, a couple of bug-eyed scallops blocking your view of the magic unfolding on the runway. This was the scene today as the worlds of Loewe interwove with that of the Cologne-based artist Cosima von Bonin.

Models walks the runway during the Loewe Womenswear Fall/Winter 2026-2027 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on March 6, 2026 in Paris, France. Photo: Estrop/Getty Images.

It was a animalistic wonderland at the Chateau de Vincennes. Von Bonin’s plush menagerie was scattered throughout on the white benches, while a high-gloss yellow runway made the fashion pop. Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez are certainly leaving a mark on the Spanish luxury house, and their confident show struck a balance of whimsical and cool. They’re having fun and it shows. Certain looks channeled the animal kingdom (did we see swans, penguins, and bears?) as well, and there were feats of construction like inflatable parkas and scarves. “What is fashion but an open field for endless creative play?” the pair asked in the show notes. Their artist collaborator certainly got that memo.

A large octopus sculpture by Cosima von Bonin installed on the runway set for the Loewe Womenswear Fall/Winter 2026–2027 show during Paris Fashion Week. Courtesy of Loewe.

Before embarking upon the project, von Bonin was excited, but reticent. “Before our first meeting, I had prepared an exit strategy in case things didn’t click with Jack and Lazaro,” she recalled. “‘Unfortunately, there’s water damage in my house and I need to leave immediately.’ Within a few minutes of meeting them, it became clear that water damage would not be required. I fell in love with both of them almost instantly.” Her zoomorphic vision ultimately extended beyond the scenography, with the creatures appearing as minaudières, charms, jewelry, and accessories throughout the collection.

A look from Loewe Womenswear Fall/Winter 2026-2027. (Photo by Estrop/Getty Images)

Von Bonin has exhibited with Petzel Gallery, and her work is in the permanent collections of institutions including MoMA and Tate Britain. Plush ocean creatures have been part of her artistic arsenal for years, and as past show titles like “Who’s Exploiting Who in the Deep Sea?” suggest, there’s far more to these characters than their soft, squishy exteriors.

The runway set for the Loewe Womenswear Fall/Winter 2026–2027 show during Paris Fashion Week, featuring sculptures by Cosima von Bonin. Courtesy of Loewe.