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At some Paris Fashion Weeks, the biggest brands have big stories to tell. This may not be one of them. While Ibrahim Kamara may be debuting off-white in a tribute to the late Virgil Abloh, fans like Dior and Saint Laurent are mostly in the hands of longtime creative directors with a tried-and-tested formula for using runway shows to tell their brands’ stories to drive clicks and sales.
So instead of dwelling on the big brands, let’s take a look at the independent and emerging talents that make up the rest of the schedule.
defects
As always, Paris is an irresistible draw for French designers. New York labels Vaquera and The Row are on schedule for second seasons. Victoria Beckham chose Paris for her first fitness show since February 2020. Is this a big gamble or a sign that the company is working on a pandemic restructuring (late April 2021, for Night routine She wasn’t sure her brand had the money to show for it). New to the program is Australian brand Zimmerman, who has previously exhibited in New York. The label, now majority owned by the Italian investment firm, is growing rapidly in Europe and has opened stores in major cities such as Paris and Rome in addition to resort towns such as St Tropez, Cannes and Capri.
Japan will return.
The Paris schedule has had a strong lineup of Japanese designers for decades, and this season marks a return to form as Japan lifts most travel restrictions. Comme des Garçons, Junya Watanabe, Noir Kei Ninomiya, Yohji Yamamoto and Jun Takahashi’s Undercover are back, as well as Issey Miyake for the brand’s first show since the founder’s death in August. The week closes with a newcomer to the program, Ujo, who is helmed by Japanese designer Mitsuru Nishizaki.
Ukrainian moment
In February, Paris Fashion Week began just days after Russia invaded Ukraine. The show went on more or less as planned, despite signs outside the airport pledging aid to Ukrainian refugees and closed stores in Russia.
The initial shock of the invasion is over, but the fight is shaping the fashion industry. Ukraine’s counterattack earlier this month may have turned the tide of the war, but Russia’s nuclear saber-rattling and “semi-provocation” have raised international tensions. Europe is also bracing for its first winter without Russian gas, and economists are predicting a recession soon.
Ukraine itself has a small but dynamic fashion industry, and Ukrainian fashion professionals have been staunch advocates for the war effort since the beginning. This Paris Fashion Week is one of their biggest opportunities to garner international support. Two Ukrainian designers are on the program in Paris: Litkovskaya and Anna October.
Apart from the program, the third Ukrainian fashion show, featuring six of the country’s designers, will open in Paris on October 1 (the previous edition opened in New York a few days before the invasion). The hype surrounding the February show was all about daring escapes from Kiev and besieged designers trying to protect their businesses from bomb shelters. This time, the organizers are expressing more optimism: they say that Ukrainian fashion is not only for fighting the war, but also for starting recovery efforts.
Sunday
Milan Fashion Week: Ferrari, Matthias Bovan, Giorgio Armani
Monday
Day 1 of Paris Fashion Week: Vaquera
Burberry shows in London
Tuesday
Paris Fashion Week Day 2: Botter, Dior, Saint Laurent
Wednesday
Paris Fashion Week Day 3: The Row, Undercover, Dry Van Noten, Acne Studios, Balmain
Boho quarterly results
Thursday
Paris Fashion Week Day 4: Shiaparelli, Chloé, Rick Owens, Off-White, Isabel Marant
Nike’s quarterly results
Friday
Paris Fashion Week Day 5: Loewe, Issey Miyake, Giambattista Valli, Victoria Beckham, Yohji Yamamoto
Saturday
Paris Fashion Week Day 6: Junya Watanabe, Noir Kay Ninomiya, Hermès, Comme des Garcons, Anne de Mille Meester
Black History Month kicks off (UK)
The beginning of the golden week in China
He wants to hear from you next week! Send tips, suggestions, complaints and compliments. brian.baskin@businessoffashion.com.
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