It’s something few people had on their fashion month bingo cards: Meghan Markle in Paris, being ushered into one of the most anticipated designer debuts of the year.
But there she was, the Duchess of Sussex draped in a white scarf over a button-down shirt, snapped en route to the Balenciaga show at Paris Fashion Week on Saturday afternoon, having teased this surprise appearance by posting an Instagram story that showed her pointed-black heels walking on quintessentially Parisian marble floors.
The duchess, who seems to be travelling solo for her first European visit since the 2023 Invictus Games in Germany, is staying at the Hôtel Plaza Athénée — the same luxury accommodation just namechecked on Taylor Swift’s new album in the song, “Elizabeth Taylor,” and a fashion crowd favourite.
While she’s not the first royal to attend fashion week — Princess Diana, for example, was in the front row in Paris in 1995, while the late Queen Elizabeth sat next to Anna Wintour for a London show in 2018 — this is Meghan’s first appearance at a Paris show. (She did attend both New York and Toronto back in her working actor days.)
She chose her moment: This Balenciaga show is Pierpaolo Piccioli’s first for the storied French house, just one of several closely-watched debuts at major labels, most notably Demna at Gucci, Jonathan Anderson at Dior and on Monday, Matthieu Blazy at Chanel.
Could Meghan stick around for the latter? It’s possible, although it’s likely her history with Piccioli is what brought her to Paris to support his first big statement as creative director of Balenciaga.
She wore several of his designs when he was at Valentino, including a custom red gown in Morocco in 2019 and more recently, a white shift dress she wore on her birthday this year that we first saw in 2021. She also has a notable brown power suit from Valentino which she wore to a Netflix event in 2023.
“She has long admired his craftsmanship and modern elegance, and tonight was no different,” her spokesperson told People. “This evening reflects the culmination of many years of artistry and friendship, reflected in her support for his new creative chapter at Balenciaga.”
It’s a rare public appearance for the duchess, who released the second season of her Netflix lifestyle show in August shortly after dropping a new collection for jams-and-confetti sprinkles brand, As Ever.
She’s one of many famous faces at Paris Fashion Week, which tends to be a magnet for celebrities and tends to be one of the high points of fashion month. This year is no exception: Hollywood actors Zendaya, Pamela Anderson, Jennifer Lawrence, and reality TV star and business mogul Kim Kardashian — who caused a stir with a dramatic new pixie cut — have all been spotted sitting front row.
