The FW26 fashion month circuit has come to a close, and with it, the final chapter of LE MILE Magazine’s OUTSIDE THE SHOWS series. Over the past few months, I’ve spent the season moving between cities documenting street style and street fashion across Paris Fashion Week menswear, London Fashion Week, and now Paris Fashion Week womenswear.

Fashion Week is often defined by what happens on the runway, but as any street style photographer will tell you, some of the most compelling moments unfold outside the shows – on sidewalks, at crosswalks, and in the brief exchanges between guests arriving and leaving. LE MILE’s OUTSIDE THE SHOWS series focuses precisely on these moments: the in-between spaces where personal style, subculture, and spontaneity intersect.

This Paris Fashion Week womenswear edition marked the final instalment of the FW26 series – and, in many ways, it felt like the culmination of everything that makes photographing fashion on the street so exciting.

Street style fashion photography at Paris Fashion Week womenswear FW26 by London street photographer of woman wearing orange outfit in front of historical building at Zimmermann fashion show — @abihoffman outside Zimmermann | Paris Fashion Week Street Style FW26

From Menswear to Womenswear: A Season of Street Style

The past few months have been a whirlwind of photographing street style and street fashion across Europe.

Fashion Week is a break from reality, contrasting the commissioned lifestyle photography work that fills my schedule, like advertising, personal branding, and even dating photography in London. Travelling with six other photographers and sharing Airbnbs makes Paris Fashion Week feel more like a vacation for us than work.

Earlier in the season, I documented Paris Fashion Week menswear, followed by trend-spotting for Pinterest at London Fashion Week just two weeks before womenswear began. That momentum carried directly into Paris – but the atmosphere this time felt completely different.

January’s menswear week had been cold, grey, and rainy. In contrast, the weather during the womenswear was incredible. Bright sun and clear skies created the kind of dramatic light I love working with in my street photography. Hard shadows slicing across the pavement can turn even the simplest scene into something visually striking – exactly what I seek when mastering street photography.

When the subjects happen to be wearing some of the most thoughtfully curated outfits in fashion, the results are even better.

It reminded me of shooting candid moments on London’s streets, where the light itself becomes part of the composition. In Paris during womenswear week, the same thing happened: sunlight bouncing off Haussmann buildings, long shadows stretching across crosswalks, and flashes of colour from bold outfits passing through the frame.

Street style fashion photography at Paris Fashion Week womenswear FW26 by London street photographer of woman with black leather high neck jacket and black bob haircut looking at camera — @kiwileehan outside Hèrmes | Paris Fashion Week Street Style FW26

Rethinking Womenswear Through a Street Lens

I’ve always had an intrinsic pull toward menswear.

Before working with LE MILE, I had photographed Paris Fashion Week street style for menswear magazine The Rakish Gent for PFW street style, where the focus was entirely on men’s fashion. Menswear has always felt visually rich to me: broad shoulders, layered jackets, geometric silhouettes, structured tailoring, and textures stacked on textures.

But womenswear this season genuinely surprised me.

Shows like Lacoste and Comme des Garçons brought out the part of me that first fell in love with photography – the part that thinks like a streetwear fashion photographer. Suddenly, it wasn’t just about gowns or flowing dresses. There were oversized silhouettes, experimental layering, bold accessories, and playful streetwear influences that felt right at home on the pavement outside the shows.

The looks felt dynamic and expressive in ways that translated beautifully into street photography.

Street style fashion photography at Paris Fashion Week womenswear FW26 by London street photographer of man wearing orange scarf reaching to camera with lens flare outside of Lacoste — @aliounebf outside Lacoste | Paris Fashion Week Street Style FW26

The Thin Line Between Street Fashion and Paparazzi

There can be a surprisingly thin line between being a street fashion photographer and becoming something closer to paparazzi.

During womenswear week in Paris, that line becomes even more visible. The crowds outside major shows can be enormous, with photographers clustering around celebrities as they arrive. It’s easy to get swept up in that energy – running with the pack of photographers chasing the same shot.

But that approach has never really appealed to me.

Working with LE MILE gives me the freedom to focus on what originally drew me to fashion photography: the outfits. If someone notable happens to be wearing an incredible look, that’s amazing – but chasing faces over clothing runs counter to what I love about Fashion Week in the first place.

More than anything, I enjoy the smaller shows and quieter streets.

That’s where I can slow down, notice a look that stands out, and spend a moment approaching guests for street portraits. A quick compliment about someone’s outfit often opens the door to creating something collaborative – a portrait that feels intentional rather than rushed.

Those moments are where the most memorable images happen.

Street style fashion photography at Paris Fashion Week womenswear FW26 by London street photographer of Loewe boot outside Loewe show adjacent to orange cone and chain — Outside Loewe | Paris Fashion Week Street Style FW26

Avoiding the Press Pit

Womenswear week in Paris is significantly bigger than menswear – and with that scale comes massive crowds.

At certain shows, like Celine, we simply turned away after seeing the press pits. As a street photographer, I want to be moving, exploring, and interacting with people. Standing on a stool in a tightly packed press area, waiting for celebrities to appear, feels like the opposite of the photography I love.

Of course, those photographers will often walk away with strong images.

But the story I want to tell happens somewhere else – usually around the corner, where guests are walking between shows, adjusting their outfits, greeting friends, or catching a moment of sunlight on the street.

That’s where fashion and a unique perspective come together.

Street style fashion photography at Paris Fashion Week womenswear FW26 by London street photographer of woman in glossy black trench coat and red turtleneck with two purses — Outside Issey Miyake | Paris Fashion Week Street Style FW26

Capturing What Happens Outside the Shows

The OUTSIDE THE SHOWS series with LE MILE blends eye-catching outfits with intimate portraits and unusual angles that offer a different perspective on Fashion Week.

Rather than photographing from a distance with a long zoom lens, I prefer to work close with a wide lens. It allows me to step directly into the moment – capturing details, gestures, and interactions that might otherwise be missed.

Many of my favourite images come from those split seconds when someone pauses mid-step, the light hits their outfit perfectly, or a small interaction unfolds on the sidewalk.

That approach draws heavily from what I love about my London street photography: spontaneity, playfulness, and small human moments layered into the frame.

Fashion Week might revolve around the runway, but for a street style photographer, the real story is happening just outside it.

Street style fashion photography at Paris Fashion Week womenswear FW26 by London street photographer of woman standing on historical staircase wearing all red in distance — @tonigarrn outside Gabriela Hearst | Paris Fashion Week Street Style FW26

Paris Fashion Week Womenswear FW26 – Street Style Gallery

Below is my full gallery from Paris Fashion Week womenswear FW26, photographed for LE MILE Magazine as part of the OUTSIDE THE SHOWS series.

These images capture the personalities, silhouettes, and spontaneous encounters that define Fashion Week on the street – the moments between the shows where style becomes something lived rather than performed.