The China Mail - Paris Fashion Week to showcase industry makeover with string of debuts

Reflecting an unprecedented shake-up of creative directors, the Spring-Summer 2026 season will showcase the renewal of the top ranks of the global luxury clothing industry on a scale rarely seen.

The sector, facing a slowdown in spending from the world's elite, is banking on the changes to infuse fresh excitement and hopefully boost sales.

"We're opening a new chapter, not so much for Fashion Week itself, but for what fashion will be over the next 10 years," said Pierre Groppo, fashion editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair magazine in France.

Although the first Chanel show by Matthieu Blazy is expected to be the biggest highlight, the VIPs and fashionistas jostling for highly coveted invitations will have to wait until the penultimate day on October 6 to glimpse the 41-year-old.

The Franco-Belgian, poached from Kering-owned Bottega Veneta, faces the daunting task of modernising Chanel's identity and turning the page on the Karl Lagerfeld era of more than three decades.

The "Kaiser" defined the hugely profitable brand up to his death in 2019 and was succeeded by his long-time co-worker Virginie Viard, who was seen as a successful continuity candidate.

Blazy, who first caught the eye as a designer at Maison Martin Margiela, took one of the most coveted spots in the fashion business in December after regenerating Bottega Veneta and its signature handwoven "intreccio" leather patterns.

- New era -

Another hotly awaited moment will be Jonathan Anderson's first women's collection for LVMH-owned Dior, on October 1, after the Northern Irish designer presented a well-received debut men's line in June.

Attention will also turn to Pierpaolo Piccioli at Balenciaga, who is succeeding the provocative Demna, and to Duran Lantink at Jean Paul Gaultier, the brand's first permanent artistic director since its founder retired in 2020.

For Claire Thomson-Jonville, editorial director of Vogue France, "the massive arrival of new creative directors is the sign of a new era: they bring a more global, inclusive and responsible vision, while reinventing the heritage of the houses."

The week will also see the debut of Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez at Loewe, Miguel Castro Freitas at Mugler and Mark Thomas at Carven.

"We can call this a historic Fashion Week," added Thomson-Jonville.

- No 'downtime' -

Some major designers will be showing only their second collections -- often considered by industry insiders as more meaningful than the debuts -- including Sarah Burton for Givenchy, Glenn Martens for Maison Margiela and Haider Ackermann for Tom Ford.

Alongside the newcomers will be collections from Louis Vuitton and Hermes, and the return of long-absent labels such as Celine and Thom Browne, promising a Fashion Week "without downtime," said Elvire von Bardeleben, fashion editor at Le Monde.

Among the new brands, Belgian designer Julie Kegels makes her Paris debut, as does her compatriot Meryll Rogge.

The Paris event comes at a turbulent time for the luxury industry, facing slowing demand in China, US tariffs on exports and uncertainty over the global economy.

Each year, four Fashion Weeks set the rhythm of the calendar: menswear in January and June, and womenswear in February/March and September, the latter being the most closely watched.

These are distinct from Haute Couture, shown only in Paris in January and July, featuring unique handmade pieces destined for red carpets and major events.

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