This season, nothing felt more like a hometown victory than seeing Tunisian model Ameni Esseibi open Weinsanto’s Spring 2026 Ready-to-Wear show during Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday.
Esseibi was handpicked to lead the show in a pink corset dress made out of Jacquard de Soie: a silk fabric sourced from King Louis XVI’s room at the Château de Versailles. Wearing one of two creations woven from the centuries-old textile, the SS26 ready-to-wear show was an ode to 18th-century muses like Madame de Pompadour and Madame du Barry; women who, as creative director Victor Weinsanto put it, weren’t born into power yet managed to shape culture thanks to their personality and charm.
“I’ve been opening for [Weinsanto] at Paris Fashion Week for the past five years,” the model told MILLE. “I absolutely love working with Victor because he really understands a woman’s shape and makes her feel sexy and powerful. I was the only Arab woman in this show, and it felt like a huge milestone to represent Arab women on an international stage — especially as a curvy woman. At a time when many designers still aren’t hiring or casting curvy models, it’s important to show that diversity, both as a curvy woman and as an Arab, and to affirm that we have a rightful place on the international scene,” she added.
Victor (Weinsanto) actually used to be a designer for Jean Paul Gaultier before launching his own brand, which is inspired by Gaultier — so it felt like an extension of my relationship with the house,” Esseibi, who is a Jean Paul Gaultier brand ambassador, said. “Victor is someone who loves corsets and really focuses on celebrating a woman’s body and curves; he’s very inclusive,” she added.
With the Paris-based house, plus labels like Lilli Blanco, in her roster and her role as a Jean Paul Gaultier ambassador, Esseibi has become a face to watch on international catwalks, showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon.