Will Meghan Markle Return to Paris Fashion Week? Inside Her Unexpected Balenciaga Debut

Meghan Markle’s first Paris Fashion Week appearance came with a dramatic entrance, an all-white Balenciaga look and plenty of attention. But the Duchess of Sussex’s 2025 visit also generated controversy, from an awkward greeting with designer Pierpaolo Piccioli to questions over how she secured her place in the front row.

Now, with Paris Fashion Week underway again, attention has turned to whether Meghan could make another appearance.

The Duchess appears to have offered a possible clue herself. On her As Ever Instagram account, she recently shared a photograph of one of the brand’s bookmarks resting on what appeared to be a page from a Paris guidebook. The image was enough to fuel speculation that another trip to the French capital could be in the works.

Paris Fashion Week’s Spring/Summer 2027 season runs from September 28 to October 6, with Balenciaga among the major houses on the schedule.

If Meghan does return, her previous appearance suggests that a relatively brief visit could still attract considerable attention.

A surprise arrival at Balenciaga

Meghan made her Paris Fashion Week debut on October 4, 2025, when she appeared unexpectedly at Pierpaolo Piccioli’s first Balenciaga show.

The Duchess arrived at the last moment and took her place in the front row, marking her first appearance at Paris Fashion Week and her first time back at the shows in more than a decade. Vanity Fair reported that she was quietly ushered into the venue as the lights were fading and the show was about to begin.

She had travelled to Paris alone from Montecito, where she was living at the time, while Prince Harry remained in California.

Her appearance was designed around her connection with Piccioli, whose work she had worn on several occasions. A spokesperson for Meghan said the pair had worked closely together over the years and had collaborated on designs for important appearances around the world.

For the Balenciaga show, Meghan wore a striking monochrome white ensemble consisting of a button-down blouse and matching trousers, finished with a dramatic cape-like wrap that trailed behind her.

She later changed into a black variation of the look for a celebratory dinner following the show.

Meghan had actually asked to attend

One of the more unexpected details surrounding the appearance emerged after the event.

Rather than receiving a conventional invitation, Meghan had contacted Piccioli herself to say that she wanted to support him at his Balenciaga debut.

She later confirmed the account in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, explaining that she had reached out to the designer and offered to come and support him. The two then kept the appearance secret until the show.

The revelation gave a different perspective to what had initially looked like a carefully planned celebrity arrival.

Piccioli’s debut was an important moment for Balenciaga. He had taken over as the house’s creative director in July 2025 after Balenciaga announced that he would replace Demna, with his first collection scheduled for Paris that October.

For Meghan, it also offered an opportunity to publicly support a designer with whom she already had an established relationship.

From Anna Wintour to Baz Luhrmann

Once inside the show, Meghan was photographed among some of the biggest names in fashion and entertainment.

She greeted Vogue editor-in-chief Dame Anna Wintour and spoke with acclaimed filmmaker Baz Luhrmann, adding further star power to an already high-profile front row.

Her appearance quickly became one of the more closely watched celebrity moments of that season’s Paris Fashion Week. Vanity Fair included Meghan among the prominent figures attending the 2025 shows.

But the attention was not limited to her clothes or her guest list.

One moment that circulated widely online came as Meghan greeted Piccioli. As the pair leaned in for an air kiss, their timing appeared to go slightly awry, resulting in an awkward near-collision of their faces. Piccioli’s dark sunglasses may have made the exchange more difficult to judge in the moment.

It was a fleeting interaction, but the cameras were already trained on the designer and his famous guest.

Questions over Meghan’s reaction during the show

Another episode attracted attention after footage appeared to show Meghan covering her mouth and apparently laughing while a model stumbled on the Balenciaga runway.

The moment prompted criticism online, with some viewers interpreting her reaction as laughter at the model.

However, that interpretation was disputed.

Vanity Fair reported that Meghan’s representative said she did not laugh at a model who fell during the show. The representative also disputed claims surrounding another widely discussed moment from her Paris trip.

That distinction is important because much of the online reaction was based on short pieces of video and interpretations of what was happening outside the wider context.

The Balenciaga controversy resurfaced

Meghan’s decision to attend Balenciaga also placed her appearance against the backdrop of a controversy that had previously engulfed the fashion house.

In 2022, Balenciaga faced widespread criticism over an advertising campaign featuring children holding teddy bear-shaped bags dressed in bondage-style accessories. The brand removed the campaign and apologised, while creative director Demna also publicly accepted responsibility for what he described as an inappropriate artistic choice.

The controversy expanded when a separate campaign featured legal paperwork that appeared to reference a US Supreme Court case concerning child pornography. Balenciaga issued another apology and said it strongly condemned child abuse.

By the time Piccioli presented his first collection for the house in 2025, the earlier controversy remained part of Balenciaga’s recent history.

Meghan’s appearance consequently generated discussion beyond fashion, with some social-media users questioning her decision to support the brand.

The Paris tunnel controversy

Another moment from Meghan’s short trip to Paris created a separate wave of discussion.

She shared footage from the back of a limousine, including an image showing her feet resting on the seat as the vehicle travelled through Paris.

Some viewers believed the footage had been taken near the Pont d’Alma tunnel, the location where Princess Diana died in 1997. That interpretation led to criticism because of the site’s profound association with the royal family.

Vanity Fair later reported that Meghan’s representative clarified that she was not at the bridge and had not passed close to the tunnel.

The episode became another example of how quickly seemingly casual images from Meghan’s social-media accounts can become the subject of wider public discussion.

Could Meghan be heading back to Paris?

Meghan’s previous Paris Fashion Week appearance lasted only a short time, but it generated a remarkable amount of attention.

She arrived in a carefully chosen Balenciaga look, sat in the front row for Piccioli’s debut, changed outfits for the evening dinner and became part of several conversations that extended well beyond the runway itself.

Her relationship with Piccioli remains the most obvious connection to the house. When she explained her decision to attend the 2025 show, Meghan said she had been excited for the designer and wanted to support him.

Now, the photograph of an As Ever bookmark alongside what appeared to be a Paris guidebook has prompted fresh speculation about whether she could once again appear during fashion week.

There has been no confirmed announcement in the material available here that Meghan will attend.

But if she does return to Paris, her previous visit suggests that even a surprise appearance could quickly become one of the week’s most closely watched celebrity moments.