Haute Couture news and archive

Rene Caovilla unveils couture capsule collection

Italian footwear brand Rene Caovilla, which has been making shoes in Venice for more than a century, is introducing a made-to-order couture capsule collection. The couture line aims to celebrate the storied footwear brand’s historic ties with Parisian haute couture, which has seen the company partner with international couturiers, including...

Fashion

Debuts and departures mark Haute Couture Week autumn 2025 edition

With Jonathan Anderson’s appointment at Dior, it seems the designer musical chairs that have marred recent fashion week seasons are beginning to slow down. As such, Paris’ upcoming Haute Couture Week appears to represent somewhat of a transition for the industry, as debuts and departures define a quieter season. Spanning July 7 to 10, the four...

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Couture label ArdAzAei names new general manager

ArdAzAei, known for its responsibly produced couture collections, has appointed industry veteran Ulrik Garde Due as directeur general (general manager) as the fashion house gears up for international expansion and launch a ready-to-wear collection in October. Garde Due has more than 30 years of leadership experience across both legacy luxury...

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Mammoth task for Jonathan Anderson: What awaits the designer at Dior?

Jonathan Anderson’s appointment as artistic director of both menswear and womenswear at Dior may have been long speculated and widely anticipated, but the now-confirmed dual role for the Northern Irish designer is nonetheless historic. With a somewhat understated announcement on Monday, Anderson becomes the first designer to lead all divisions...

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Fashion

Balenciaga names Pierpaolo Piccioli Creative Director amid strategic overhaul at Kering

Kering has appointed Pierpaolo Piccioli as the new creative director of Balenciaga, marking a pivotal moment in the French luxury conglomerate’s broader effort to stabilise and reposition its flagship fashion houses after a challenging 2024. The group reported a 12 per cent drop in annual revenue for 2024, with widening losses at Gucci, as well...

Fashion

Glenn Martens to debut with couture collection for Maison Margiela

More details have emerged regarding Glenn Martens’ highly anticipated debut as creative director of Maison Margiela. The Belgian designer is scheduled to present his inaugural couture collection for the house during Paris Haute Couture Week for autumn/winter 2025, which is scheduled to take place from July 7 to 10. According to the fashion...

Culture

Armani celebrates 20 Years of Privé with an exhibition in Milan

This spring, the house of Giorgio Armani will exhibit a retrospective at the Armani/Silos in Milan, celebrating 20 years of its haute couture line, Giorgio Armani Privé, as well as 50 years of a quietly radical vision that has reshaped modern elegance. Opening to the public on May 21 and running until year’s end, Giorgio Armani Privé 2005–2025...

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Couture up close: hand-embroidered creations by Indian designer Rahul Mishra

Indian designer Rahul Mishra needs no introduction: His hand-embroidered designs draw from the natural world and transform into fantasy creations. He was the first Indian designer to win the International Woolmark Prize in 2014 at Milan Fashion Week and to be invited to showcase at the Haute Couture Week in Paris in 2020. He has garnered...

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Business

Viktor&Rolf secure five-year extension with OTB Group

The OTB Group has announced a significant five-year renewal of its partnership with Dutch design duo Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren, extending their creative leadership of the Viktor&Rolf maison through to 2029. The deal marks a continued commitment to avant-garde haute couture from OTB, which acquired the label in 2008. The renewal comes as...

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Fashion

Haute Couture SS25: A return to the tried and tested and a debut at Valentino

In Paris this week, fashion houses relied on proven formulas, striving for light, feminine collections. Brands like Chanel emphasised their visual codes, while others, such as Dior and Schiaparelli, also played with classic silhouettes. Only the Couture Week debutantes dared to experiment. Established codes As the oldest, still active couture...

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Alessandro Michele’s Valentino: A maximalist’s take on Haute Couture

Red words scrolled along a black board, poetic descriptors heralding Alessandro Michele’s first haute couture collection for Valentino. Words like “Vitruvian,” “Queen,” “Flowers,” and “Harlequin” set the tone for what was to come. The latter served as a fitting prelude to the opening look: a harlequin-patterned gown with an exaggerated...

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Chanel unveils light and colourful haute couture collection

French fashion house Chanel unveiled a light and colourful Spring-Summer 2025 haute couture collection on Tuesday in Paris, crafted by its creative studio rather than new artistic director Matthieu Blazy. Celebrities including Kylie Jenner and Pamela Anderson watched the show at the Grand Palais, a vast glass-roofed exhibition space where models...