France Federation reveals Paris menswear and couture show schedules, with debuts by Ardazaei and returns by Thom Browne and Charles de Vilmorin.
The Federation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode has revealed the new provisional calendars for this summer’s menswear and haute couture runway seasons in Paris, which have been pushed up due to preparations for the Olympic Games.
The season of haute couture shows, the highest expression of fashion internationally, will open Monday morning, June 24 with Schiaparelli and finish on Thursday evening, June 27 with Ardazaei, a new guest member on the official calendar. Haute couture week is traditionally staged in the first week of July.
While the season will also welcome back Charles de Vilmorin, the French talent known physically as a doppelganger of Yves Saint Laurent, and Thom Browne, both as guest members.
All told, a total of 30 houses are listed on the couture calendar, testifying to how dynamic haute couture remains in Paris, the only legally authorised stage for a couture season anywhere. Hence, Browne, despite being Chairman of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, the Federation’s equivalent in the United States, shows couture in Paris, but ready-to-wear in New York.
“The decision to shift the Haute Couture Week by one week was made precisely a year ago, in late April 2023. The rationale behind this move was our anticipation of the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games and the necessity to avoid any potential overlaps between our events and the Games in Paris. This meticulous preparation has been a collaborative effort with the dedicated French public authorities, including the Préfecture de Police, Organizing Olympic Committee, Paris City Hall, and the ministry of Culture,” the Federation’s Executive President Pascal Morand told FashionNetwork.com exclusively.
The four-day couture season includes such luminary marques as Christian Dior, Chanel, Giorgio Armani Privé, Balenciaga, Fendi and Jean-Paul Gaultier. Ever since Jean-Paul’s retirement, his house has shown under a novel format, inviting in a new guest couturier each season. This June it is the turn of Nicolas Di Felice, the brilliantly talented designer of Courrèges.
“The Paris Fashion Week provisional Calendar boasts 37 shows and 35 presentations, while the Haute Couture provisional Calendar features 30 shows. This is proof that the perspective of the Olympics has not affected the presence of the Houses, which is massive,” underlines Morand
June will be a particularly intense month for Di Felice, who will also stage a Courrèges presentation during the six-day menswear season. That season opens on Tuesday morning, June 18, with a joint Bachelor of Arts show at IFM, Paris’ most important fashion college, and ends Sunday evening, June 21 with Taakk, the noted Japanese conceptual label founded by Takuya Morikawa.
In an action-packed menswear week, there will be 37 runway shows, and a further 37 presentations. The menswear action will include major attractions like Louis Vuitton –with Pharrell Williams‘ third show for LV – Issey Miyake, Rick Owens, Dior Homme, Balmain Homme, Comme des Garçons Homme Plus, Loewe, Hermès, Dries Van Noten and Sacai. Plus, the return of Bianca Saunders, Arturo Obegero, C.R.E.O.L.E., Etudes Studios and Y-3, the hyper influential partnership between Yohji Yamamoto and German sports powerhouse Adidas. And feature a debut by Berlin-born magazine label 032c.
Paris has always been regarded as Primus Inter Paris, or first among equals, when it comes to the great fashion seasons, a position the Federation is determined to maintain.
“The success of Paris Fashion Week relies on seven key factors: the notable presence of the most renowned French and international luxury and designer brands, alongside the most promising emerging talents; the strength of French fashion and luxury groups; a well-structured ecosystem encompassing press offices, production companies, prestigious Prizes and the role of Institut Français de la Mode as an education leader; the Fédération’s pivotal role in coordinating the calendar and selecting and supporting brands; both a cultural and an economic large event; a close collaboration with public authorities such as the Préfecture de Police, City of Paris, Ministry of Culture; and lastly, the undeniable and long-run “Paris flavor” steeped in fashion tradition, haute couture, and artistic heritage,” insisted Morand.
As in recent seasons, several women’s ready-to-wear brands will piggyback on to these seasons. Like Patou, which has confirmed it will stage a women’s catwalk show on Monday, June 27 at 5PM. While last January, the house of Alaïa showed women’s ready-to-wear – and one of the most acclaimed collections of the past few years anywhere – on the Tuesday evening during couture.
Moreover, it remains highly noticeable how many major foreign couturiers and designers come to Paris to show. Like on the opening day of couture, when every single one of the eight couturiers is foreign-born – American, Dutch, Lebanese, Italian, Indian, American and Spanish – even if they create for a French-founded house.
Throughout, Paris remains careful to liaise with London, Milan and New York when discussing the dates of the runway seasons in the Big Four fashion capitals.
“There is a historical order, a sequence of major fashion weeks worldwide, which is essential to maintain as it shapes an entire ecosystem. This framework mobilizes fashion professionals in a movement that needs to be coordinated and coherent. This global-scale organization is naturally coordinated with the Camera Nazionale de la Moda Italiana, the British Fashion Council and the Council of Fashion Designers of America,” notes the diplomatic Morand.
Since Morand’s appointment in 2016, the Federation has radically overhauled its website, and is planning further changes.
“We have brought structural innovations to the Fédération’s website reflecting the ever-changing nature of our industry and acceleration of digitalisation more globally. The attractiveness of the Official Paris Fashion Week Calendar is evidenced by half a million visitors and 3.5 million page views during the latest womenswear ready-to-wear PFW in March. Which is completed by our partnership with YouTube and Tencent, bringing two billions additional views,” noted Morand.
The focus will remain on expanding Member and Accredited spaces on the Federation’s website to provide tailored services and resources. While enriching exclusive content offerings, including Insider magazine and the Catwalk Calling podcast, featuring insights and interviews with industry figures. The Federation, French fashion’s governing body, also recently launched a Member-dedicated platform to the organisation of PFW and HCW in conjunction with the Olympic Games, offering access to public resources and tailor-made notes edited by the Fédération, with a secure connection.
“Ultimately, Paris Fashion Week’s and Haute Couture Week’s position are primarily derived from the outstanding creative talent demonstrated here each season. We live in an era where the combination of creativity and innovation is crucial and we will keep on innovating and preparing the future,” concluded Morand.
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