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Paris Fashion Week turned 50 in 2024 and it’s in better shape than ever, with a packed schedule and some much-anticipated highlights: the debut of Alessandro Michele at Valentino, the second shows of Chemena Kamali at Chloé, Seán McGirr at Alexander McQueen and Pelagia Kolotouros at Lacoste, the return of Gabriela Hearst and many, many parties. Fasten your seat belt.
The Spring/Summer 2025 women’s ready-to-wear calendar, which will run from 23 September to 1 October, features a total of 70 shows and 38 presentations. That includes heavy hitters Dior, Saint Laurent, Loewe, Hermès, Balenciaga, Chanel and Louis Vuitton, medium-sized brands Victoria Beckham, Rick Owens, Courrèges, Rabanne, Isabel Marant and Acne Studios, as well as a flurry of emerging names.
All eyes will be on Michele’s debut runway show for Valentino on 29 September, following the surprise lookbook release of his first collection. “Even though we saw a pre-collection, it will be the first time his vision for Valentino comes to life,” says Alix Morabito, buying and merchandising director for womenswear at Galeries Lafayette. “It’s all the more exciting because it’s the only major debut show this season.” (Next season will feature at least two big debuts: Sarah Burton for Givenchy and Haider Ackermann for Tom Ford.)
Day one will commence with Weinsanto, one of the younger brands that stole the limelight this summer during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, alongside Maitrepierre and Germanier, which are each showing on Tuesday.
Julie Gilhart, previously long-time fashion director at Barneys who recently relaunched her consultancy Gilhart Co, is looking forward to Alainpaul, who’s showing for the first time as part of the official fashion week calendar. The Hong Kong-born designer, who studied to be a contemporary ballet dancer before joining Vetements and Louis Vuitton in Virgil Abloh’s design studio, finally formed his namesake label in 2023. “He has been the talk of all fashion circles since his first show off calendar at Théâtre du Châtelet in September last year,” Gilhart says. The collection was gender fluid and inspired by the ballet world.
Expect an LVMH Prize effect on the attendance of shows belonging to Ellen Hodakova Larsson, who was awarded the top LVMH Prize on 11 September (off-calendar on 24 September at 1.30pm), Duran Lantink, who was awarded the Karl Lagerfeld Prize (29 September at 1pm), and finalists Marie Adam-Leenaerdt (24 September at 12pm) and Niccolò Pasqualetti (29 September at 11.30am). Christopher Esber, who scooped the 2024 Andam Prize, returns to this season’s presentation calendar.
For the first time, Danish cult brand Ganni is showing in Paris, off calendar at 3.30pm on 24 September, straight after Dior and a few hours before Saint Laurent. That’s what we call making an entrance.
As previously reported, Maison Margiela is among the notable absentees from the show schedule but is planning to host a film premiere on 30 September. Y/Project was due to return to the calendar after skipping a season, yet those plans changed when Glenn Martens stepped down from his role as creative director earlier this month. The collection will be presented through a lookbook instead. Ludovic de Saint Sernin is also not showing, despite being on the calendar initially. “2024 has been an incredible year for Ludovic de Saint Sernin in terms of visibility and positioning. As the company continues to grow, and as part of its long-term strategy to strengthen the business foundations and foster further development, we have decided not to do a show and will present the collection differently this season,” a spokesperson wrote over email.
Off-White and Alaïa showed in New York this season, though Alaïa is due to offer a ‘resee’ in Paris for those who missed the NYC show.
The Row had a no-phone policy in February. Will that be the case this season, too? What’s for certain is that The Row will be a hot ticket once again after the brand received backing from illustrious investors including the owners of Chanel and L’Oréal heiress Bettencourt Meyers via their respective family vehicles, per Bloomberg. Also showing on 25 September is Dries Van Noten, whose collection will be designed by the studio after the eponymous designer took his final bow before retiring last summer.
Chanel’s ready-to-wear collection will also be designed by the studio, following Virginie Viard’s exit in June. Among other show highlights is Miu Miu, the red hot fashion brand that has yet to announce a new CEO following the departure of Benedetta Petruzzo for Dior. Louis Vuitton closes the curtain of the official calendar on 1 October, however Coperni will stage its Disneyland show later that evening. It’s not the first time fashion designers and Disney collaborated: Riccardo Tisci once designed a Bambi sweatshirt for Givenchy, while Mary Katrantzou presented a Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs collection at Colette. But the Coperni show is expected to take the links between fashion and entertainment to a whole new level.
Also noteworthy, the Council of Fashion Designers of America and Vogue are renewing their Americans in Paris initiative, bringing eight designers who are alumni of the fund — including Christopher John Rogers and Rachel Scott of Diotima — to show their collections in the French capital. There’s also a London Fashion Week event celebrating its 40th anniversary, and a Copenhagen Fashion Week showroom.
Finally, if you are visiting Paris this fashion week, you should expect a strong night scene, too. “Despite the tough economy, there’s a need to have a bit of lightness and fun,” PR guru Lucien Pagès notes. Le Grand Bal at Maxim’s on 25 September (that he oversees) will be a case in point. The dress code? “Dress to impress.” “We’ll see if guests play along, there’s something nostalgic about a big ball and Maxim’s is the most iconic location for that,” Pagès says.
There’s also a L’Oréal Paris show at Palais Garnier, an Etam show, a Messika show, a Balmain beauty bash, a Levi’s event celebrating its Haus of Strauss concept in Paris, as well as a Christian Louboutin show held at Piscine Molitor, a swimming pool seen in Emily in Paris.
Take your vitamins.
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