The Duchess of Sussex visited Paris Fashion Week in Paris, where she turned heads in a controversial outfit and had a cringeworthy run-in with a renowned designer.
Meghan Markle certainly caused a stir after making a dramatic appearance at Paris Fashion Week on a surprose trip to the French capital. The visit marked Meghan’s first trip to mainland Europe in three years, with Prince Harry nowhere to be seen.
The Duchess of Sussex made her debut at the Balenciaga show, sitting in the front row, dazzling in a chic all-white ensemble. She later changed outfits into a gorgeous black dress with an asymmetrical neckline for a Balenciaga after-party. Although it was only a quick trip to the French capital, Meghan’s visiy garnered a lot of attention and criticism, from fans sharing their divided thoughts on her outfits, and one awkward run-in with a top designer quickly going viral.
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real cause of the trip
Meghan traveled to Paris on Saturday to take part in the Balenciaga women’swear design showcase for Spring/Summer 2026.
Many people inquired as to why Meghan attended this particular show, but it turns out she is a close friend of Balenciaga’s new creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli, who wore his designs while he was a Valentino’s assistant.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, accompanied Pierpaolo Piccioli, who recently took over the role of creative director for the house, to the Balenciaga show in Paris on Saturday night, according to a spokesman for the duchess.
She hasn’t returned to the shows in more than ten years. The duchess has worn a number of Pierpaolo designs over the years. They have collaborated closely, creating stunning visual elements for significant events in the world.
She has long admired his craftsmanship and contemporary elegance, and tonight was no exception. She supports his new creative chapter at Balenciaga, reflecting the culmination of many years of artistry and friendship.
Paris Fashion Week is one of the biggest events in the social calendar for the fashion world, with the shows coming to a close on Tuesday.
Awkward kiss
Meghan had the opportunity to meet up with her fashion partner before taking her seat in the front row of the show.
But an awkward moment between the two was captured on camera and posted to TikTok, which appeared to show Meghan going in for a kiss on the cheek to congratulate the designer – but instead she appeared to hit her nose on his sunglasses.
The designer grabbed Meghan’s hand to get a picture taken while the cameras were on them, and the incident appeared to be laughed off before snapping a photo of them. Meghan thanked the designer and then finished the awkward encounter by giving her a quick smooch.
The awkward exchange then became clear, and an expert claimed Piccioli was responsible for Meghan’s unintentional butthead with him.
Judi James, a body language expert, told The Mirror : “It was Piccioli who created the ‘cringe’ moment for poor Meghan, getting way too close to greet and speak to her, leading to a lack of reading her non-verbal cues when they air-kissed, leading in turn to a nose-clunk when they each aimed in the wrong direction.”
He attempted to control Meghan by turning her in front of the cameras, but he also kept his sunglasses on, which wouldn’t have helped. She quickly regained control of her own actions, putting her arm in his direction, she continued.
When Piccioli moved in for a close-quarters hug with Meghan after the photos were over, Judi continued, “Any form of grabbing and squeezing should have been avoided.
Friends or foes?
At the show, Meghan reunited with Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, years after rumours emerged of a rift between the two women. Rumours of a feud between Anna and Meghan have previously surfaced, but the pair were seen chatting, with Anna telling Meghan it was, “Nice to see you”.
Before Wintour looked at Meghan’s outfit and uncharacteristically gushed, “Beautiful, Cherie,” the two exchanged kisses on both cheeks. You appear fantastic.
For some, the tender moment appears to have quashed persistent rumours of a rift between the two, following supposed tensions at Vogue surrounding Meghan’s alleged “demands”, when she assumed the position of guest editor for a British Vogue edition in 2019.
The magazine sold out in just ten days, making it the fastest-selling issue in the history of fashion. Meghan and former Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enninful collaborated on the Forces for Change edition to create a publication that honored pioneering, inspiring women for seven months.
However, Meghan’s alleged “demands” to the Vogue team reportedly caused a rift between her and Enninful, with claims that she even approached Wintour after being told by Enniful that her requests couldn’t be accommodated.
According to reports, Meghan made the decision to cancel the entire feature after Enninful and Wintour failed to fulfill her demands, leaving Enninful “furious” with no response.
However, insiders told Page Six that Meghan and the pair continue to have a “warm and respectful” friendship despite their disagreement over Meghan’s coverage in 2022, occasionally sending each other flowers and wishes for each other.
dramatic appearance
Meghan wore a white oversized cape over a button-down shirt the same color for the Balenciaga show. She kept her hair in a slicked-back bun and paired the light attire with black pointed-toed heels.
Some fans took to social media to express their opinions of her ensemble after seeing her first look of the evening.
After a restless night, one fan wrote, “My bed sheets,” and another, “Ugh! It combines Beyoncé and Bed Bath and Beyonce.”
For a Balenciaga after-party, she later changed outfits into a stunning black dress with asymmetric necklines. Ben Skervin, Meghan’s hair stylist, wrote in the post, “Well that was fun!!!” Meghan made her Paris Fashion Week [Paris Fashion Week] debut by supporting her close friend’s opening show. We had a slick bun look and were bringing Sade to life.
