The most anticipated fashion shows of Paris Fashion Week FW23/24

In four weeks' time, Paris Fashion Week will resume its activities, from February 27 to March 7, 2023. After the haute couture and menswear editions, it is time for the women's FW23/24 collections. As usual, the Fédération de la Mode et de la Haute Couture has published the list of new arrivals on the official calendar and its (provisional) programme. Here is what to take away from the 67 upcoming shows.

Schiaparelli

The luxury label that recently caused controversy during Haute Couture Fashion Week with its dresses adorned with animal heads, will also feature in the official ready-to-wear womenswear programme. The brand used to present its ready-to-wear collections during Women's Fashion Week, but this is the first time in a long time that its ready-to-wear collection will be the subject of a fashion show. The show is scheduled for March 2 as per the provisional schedule.

Avellano

On March 7, Frenchman Arthur Avellano will present its characteristic latex pieces on the PFW catwalk. In collaboration with several specialised laboratories, the designer, a graduate of the Atelier Chardon Savard and the École Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Toulouse, has developed his own material, a hybrid latex material similar to leather. The brand had already presented a collection during the menswear edition of PFW in January 2022.

Palm Angels

Palm Angels, an Italian label owned by Farfetch, will be showcasing its womenswear collection on March 5. As the brand states on its website, it offers an "Italian vision of American culture and subcultures". Palm Angels was founded by Francesco Ragazzi. Initially launched as a photography project on Los Angeles skate culture, it became a clothing brand in 2015. In addition to Milan Fashion Week, the label also showed at New York Fashion Week.

Pierre Cardin

The new season also marks the incorporation of the historic fashion house of Pierre Cardin into the official catwalk calendar. Headed by the founder's nephew, Rodrigo Basilicati-Cardin, the label has organised its shows all over the world in recent years: on the Great Wall in China, in Moscow, at the Palais Bulles in Provence, and in Venice in 2022. In an interview with FranceInfo, Rodrigo Basilicati-Cardin said that the show will consist of 50 to 60 garments and will take place in the historic boutique at Faubourg Saint-Honoré number 59.

Dundas

Scheduled for March 7, the Dundas show is the first for the English brand at Paris Fashion Week womenswear. The eponymous label was launched by Norwegian designer Peter Dundas in 2017 and offers bold and sexy pieces, which are often worn by celebrities on the red carpet. It notably dressed singer Beyoncé in 2017 at the Grammy Awards.

Nina Ricci

Parisian fashion house Nina Ricci, owned by the Puig Group, is also making a comeback on the catwalk. The appointment of Harris Reed, the stylist of singer Harry Styles, as artistic director in September 2022 makes Nina Ricci's fall/winter 2023 collection one of the most anticipated of the season. The duo of Rushemy Botter and Lisi Herrebrugh, who were previously at the helm of the brand's creative direction, left Nina Ricci in January 2022.

Alexander McQueen

British fashion house Alexander McQueen will present its FW23/24 collection in a show scheduled for Paris Fashion Week on Saturday March 4. According to WWD, it has been three years since the label owned by the Kering group has shown in Paris. However, during the pandemic, it held its collection presentations in New York and London.

Other shows to keep an eye on

Designer Ludovic de Saint Sernin will make his debut as artistic director of the Belgian fashion house Ann Demeulemeester. His appointment was announced in December 2022 through six visuals photographed by Willy Vanderperre and styled by Olivier Rizzo, images that already hinted at Ludovic de Saint Sernin taking over Ann Demeulemeester’s role at the Belgian fashion house.

Among the most anticipated shows of the season, the Coperni show is certainly one of the most eagerly awaited. After the brand’s September 2022 show went viral with a dress sprayed on live on top model Bella Hadid, the fashion world is expecting more surprises from founding duo, Arnaud Vaillant and Sébastien Meyer.

Balenciaga shows are always among the most anticipated of Paris Fashion Week, but this season's show will leave a bitter taste. The Kering Group brand has become a controversial name after the heavy backlash to its Spring/Summer 2023 campaign that featured children and sexual accessories. However, provocation is a hallmark of creative director Demna - another example being the collection presentation in October 2022, which featured rapper and Ye (Kanye West) opening the show. One wonders if the bad buzz that has surrounded the brand in recent months will overshadow the creative director's provocative touch.

Finally, during the upcoming edition of Paris Fashion Week, the industry will also be keeping an eye on the new generation of young creatives, in particular on the brands launched just before, or during, the pandemic: Maitrepierre (2019), Weinsanto (2020), Pressiat (2021) and Minuit (2020).

This article was originally published on FashionUnited.FR. Translation and editing from French into English: Veerle Versteeg.