A very noticeable newcomer to the show calendar is Alaïa. The house’s founder Azzedine Alaïa famously opted out of Paris Fashion Week, choosing to show on his own time instead. Under its current creative director Pieter Mulier, the maison has been often showing its ready-to-wear collections during Paris couture, with a one-off in New York during September 2024. This marks the first time the house enters the official Paris ready-to-wear schedule.
Coperni, which showed off-calendar in Disneyland Paris last season at the tail end of PFW, returns to the official schedule. Known for its buzzy shows, this season the brand will be throwing a LAN party (or local area network), where 200 gamers will sit alongside guests. The “immersive experience” will be held on 9 March at 8.30pm at the Adidas Arena, which was built for the 2024 Olympics.
Ludovic de Saint Sernin is also returning to the French capital, after a stint in New York for AW24 and a couture collection as guest designer for Jean Paul Gaultier. Kenzo (which hasn’t shown ready-to-wear since September 2020), Marine Serre, Undercover, Off-White and Belgian-born designer Véronique Leroy are also making comebacks. For the second season, Danish cult brand Ganni is showing off-schedule straight after Dior on 4 March at 3.30pm. But no worries, the venues aren’t far from one another.
As reported, Loewe is switching to a co-ed presentation format, amid swirling rumours surrounding its creative stewardship. Mugler is absent from the calendar altogether.
Young talents
Christopher Esber, who scooped the 2024 Andam Prize, Hodakova, winner of the 2024 LVMH Prize, and Burc Akyol, a former LVMH Prize finalist, are set to join the schedule.
Speaking of the LVMH Prize, you’ll be able to meet the 2025 semi-finalists at a showroom on 5 March. The 20 contenders include All-In by Benjamin Barron and Bror August Vestbø, the protégés of renowned stylist Lotta Volkova; Yasmin Mansour, who won the ready-to-wear prize at the most recent edition of Fashion Trust Arabia; and Paris-based Alain Paul, who, after working at Louis Vuitton Men’s under Virgil Abloh, created his namesake brand with his husband Luis Philippe, a Colette alum.
Also, don’t miss Matières Fécales, which will make its debut on the official calendar. The Canadian duo, whose brand name translates to “fecal matter”, joins the list of brands supported by Dover Street Market Paris and will host three identical shows on 7 March at 2pm, 3pm and 4pm.
Events
Work hard, play hard. Festivities include Le Grand Dîner afterparty held beneath the pyramid of the Louvre. Dress code: “Fashion black tie.”
