Haute Couture Recap: The Week of Debuts That Rewrote the Rules of Haute Couture

From Schiaparelli’s opening show, “The Abyss,” to Armani Privé’s boudoir-inspired collection, through Piccioli’s debut at Balenciaga and Blazy’s second collection at Chanel: what stands out from Paris Couture Week.

Thirty fashion houses on the schedule—up from twenty-seven last season—and a concentration of debuts not seen in years: Paris Haute Couture Week, held July 6–9, was not merely a parade of dreamy gowns, but the first true test of the luxury industry’s new creative landscape.

Schiaparelli opens with “The Abyss.” Daniel Roseberry kicks off the schedule with a collection born, by his own admission, from a creative void. The result is a descent into the depths of Elsa’s surrealism: out go silk and satin, in come latex and silicone crafted with refined tailoring techniques. Fetish aesthetics meet the atelier, and the fusion works. Dior under Jonathan Anderson at the Musée Rodin, transformed into an oasis of tree ferns and lacquered wood. Anderson continues his reimagining of the house: inspired by sculptor Lynda Benglis, sculpted and organic forms, metallic pleats, and lace that evoke the natural world. The iconic Bar jacket “melted” into leaf-green fringes, soft ruffles, and silver lamé drapery.

Credits IG @dior

Chanel, Blazy’s Second Act. Matthieu Blazy presents his second couture collection for Chanel at the Grand Palais, playing with the irony of everyday life: the garments even feature embroidered Post-it notes, a statement of a couture that doesn’t take itself too seriously while remaining of the highest quality in its execution.

Credits IG @CHANELOFFICIAL

The most anticipated debut is Piccioli at Balenciaga: Pierpaolo Piccioli presents his first haute couture collection for Balenciaga, a blend of Cristóbal’s rigor and the romantic sensibility of Valentino’s former creative director.

Credits IG @balenciaga

Haute couture knows no crisis: while ready-to-wear sales are slowing, custom-made clothing is winning over a growing clientele of millionaires. And this season shows that the generational shift at the creative helm—Anderson, Blazy, Piccioli, Lantink—has officially entered its operational phase. The coming months will reveal who has won over the clients as well as the critics.