The dinner got served: how did Who's Next Paris go in September 2026?

Who's Next September 2026 ran from 5 to 7 September at Paris expo Porte de Versailles under one theme, Le Dîner. Attendance rose 3% on September 2025, 56% of visitors came from outside France, from 140 countries, and 1,300 brands exhibited. For Indian brands, the collections that sold best were made for Europe, mixing resort and urban wear, and scarves are still driving sales.

We were there with our brands for the 3 days. Here is how the edition went, from the official figures to what we saw on the stands.

What was the theme of Who's Next September 2026?

Le Dîner. WSN built the whole edition around a dinner. Four shows shared Hall 1: Who's Next for fashion, accessories and lifestyle, Bijorhca for jewellery, Shoppe Object Paris for home and design, and Interfilière Paris for textiles, lingerie and swimwear.

You entered through a tunnel that gave each show its own atmosphere: plants and herbs, low light with the sound of water, fine fabrics. Then on Saturday evening, the theme became real. Long tables, a served dinner, music, and the whole industry sitting side by side: brands, buyers, agents, press. The dinner got served.

On a trade show floor, people need to trust each other before they place an order. A shared table builds that trust faster than a stand.

What were the official figures?

From the WSN post-show release:

• Attendance up 3% on September 2025, with around 40,000 visitors over the weekend.
• 56% international visitors and 44% French.
• 140 countries, up from 133 in September 2025.
• Top countries after France: Italy, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland and the UK.
• 24% of visitors were new to the show.
• Retailers and concept stores were 50.19% of visitors, up 7.66 points.
• 1,300 brands and suppliers, 39% of them new.

Visitors said it too. Anne Grégoire of Ici Concept Store in Nice called it "an immersive experience from the entrance" and said the forum was excellent for discovering new designers.

What was new this edition?

• Who's Next Lab: virtual try-on with Cabine.AI, trend analysis with Livetrend and digital product passports with KOLLA.
• Denim District: 11 designers reworked vintage and second-hand pieces sourced from Eureka Fripe.
• Live shopping with Whatnot: a space for brands and retailers to try selling live.
• WSN Academy: masterclasses and workshops on brand building, distribution and wholesale, with the French women's ready-to-wear federation.
• Shoppe Object Paris: grew from 30 to about 100 exhibitors, with names like Vitra.
• A buyers' club: WSN and PagesMode announced a club to bring retailers together, launching in January 2027.

How did the Indian brands do?

India came in numbers. 94 Indian companies exhibited across the four shows: 82 at Who's Next, 11 at Bijorhca and 1 at Shoppe Object, and 40 of them were in Paris for the first time (the brand list is here).

The collections that did best had one thing in common. They were designed for the European market, with a mix of resort and urban wear.

Accessories are still driving sales. Scarves in particular were in demand again this season, and they remain one of the easiest ways for a buyer to start with a new Indian brand.

Some of the brands that had strong results are in why I think Who's Next is the right show for Indian designers.

How was the sourcing section?

The WSN release doesn't cover sourcing, so here is what we saw. The sourcing section had about 50 exhibitors from India. The Handloom Export Promotion Council (HEPC) and the Indian Silk Export Promotion Council (ISEPC) were there with their members, alongside leather goods manufacturers.

The offer was good. Footfall in this section was lower than in the brand halls. But the buyers who came were serious, and business was done.

Who visited from India?

On Saturday 5 September, a delegation from India's Ministry of Textiles visited Who's Next. They toured the floor and met the WSN team.

The timing matters. The India–EU free trade agreement announced in January 2026 brings duty on textiles and clothing down to zero. What Indian brands and manufacturers need now is access to European buyers, and a show like this one is where that access happens.

What comes next?

Première Classe runs during Paris Fashion Week, 2 to 5 October 2026. The next Who's Next is 16 to 18 January 2027, with the new buyers' club.

If you want to be on the floor in January, the time to prepare is now: collection, pricing and a clear message. Applications are open.