Paris Fashion Week Women's SS26 will be under the sign of renewal 76 shows, 36 presentations, a record of debuts and big changes

The preliminary schedule for the ready-to-wear shows for the SS26 collections of Paris Fashion Week has just been announced, and we have a lot to say about it. Between the record number of creative director debuts, the shift of major brands from their usual time slots, the return of some and the absence of others, the calendar is full of surprises. With no less than 76 shows and 36 presentations, the program is packed. So packed that Fashion Week will extend over 9 days, from September 29 to October 7. The first piece of information, and probably the most interesting, concerns the debut of a slew of new creative directors: we will discover the first collection by Pier Paolo Piccioli for Balenciaga, that of the duo McCollough/Hernandez for Loewe, Miguel Castro Freitas for Mugler, Duran Lantink for Jean Paul Gaultier, as well as the first women’s ready-to-wear collection by Jonathan Anderson for Dior and Glenn Martens for Maison Margiela, along with the highly (surely most) anticipated debut of Matthieu Blazy at Chanel.

But that’s not all: the schedule also shows major changes in the organization of shows and presentations. Saint Laurent will close the first day with a show scheduled for 8pm, and is expected to return to the Trocadéro, one of the most spectacular settings for its shows. On its side, Louis Vuitton, which usually shows in the evening with the sunset, has been moved to noon and will present on September 30 at the Louvre, now the brand’s regular runway playground. On October 1, we will see Dior, probably one of the most anticipated shows alongside Chanel, with Jonathan Anderson presenting his first women’s collection for the House in the early afternoon. The next day, Miguel Castro Freitas will debut as creative director of Mugler at noon, followed by Mark Thomas Howard, longtime assistant to Louise Trotter, who will present his first collection for Carven. Then comes the duo Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez on October 3 at 11:30am for Loewe, also a highly anticipated show, followed by the first collection by PierPaolo Piccioli for Balenciaga concluding October 4, after Glenn Martens for Margiela earlier in the day.  Duran Lantink will take the spotlight at Gaultier on October 5 at 4:30pm, marking the brand’s return to the ready-to-wear calendar for the first time in over a decade. But it is especially October 6 that the fashion world is eagerly awaiting, with Chanel, which in exchange for its usual Tuesday morning slot, will present Matthieu Blazy’s first show for the House on Monday evening, closing out the day.

The last day of Fashion Week, unlike usual, does not include the industry's biggest names in its schedule, but will be concluded by Meryll Rogge, recently announced as the new artistic director of Marni, and her eponymous brand. A big shift for the calendar drafted by the Fédération de la Haute Couture, which had gotten used to ending recent Fashion Weeks with Louis Vuitton and Saint Laurent, and has not provided any explanation for these sudden and unexpected changes. Major fashion names will, however, return to the Paris runways, such as Celine, which will present its main collection on October 5 at noon after unveiling Michael Rider’s first creations with a mixed show earlier this month; Lanvin, following Peter Copping’s debut with a mixed presentation during Men’s Week in January; Thom Browne, and Vetements. Smaller names, meanwhile, are officially joining the big leagues, such as Julie Kegels, the recycled label Façon Jacmin, or Matières Fécales, which already generated a lot of buzz last season. All in all, it’s nothing but change for this women’s SS26 Fashion Week. It seems that fashion is ready for a fresh start and looking to build on new foundations, hopefully solid ones.