Haute Couture Week is the dizzying pinnacle of Parisian fashion, where a rareified handful of houses and designers – each one meticulously vetted by the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode – are allowed to show on schedule, abiding by a strict set of rules. At heart, these centre around haute couture’s raison d’être: that each garment is made-to-measure to a client’s proportions, using labour-intensive processes which can see a single gown take hundreds of hours to complete.
The rules state that to retain a haute couture designation, a house must keep a Parisian atelier – the workshop at the centre of a couture house – employ at least 15 full-time staff, and present a collection of at least 25 designs each fashion season. It means an equally exclusive client base – there are an estimated 4,000 couture active buyers in the world, a minuscule number compared to those purchasing ready-to-wear.
That said, the haute couture shows have become marketing opportunities for the world’s biggest houses, a fantastical circus of elaborate show sets, imaginative design, and celebrity-filled front rows (A-list only). As such, as much as the garments on show are for a select few, the week nonetheless influences the style zeitgeist: some of fashion’s most memorable moments have taken place on the haute couture stage.
This season is particularly interesting. Though a number of houses are sitting A/W 2025 out – like Valentino, where Alessandro Michele has chosen to show couture just once a year, Jean Paul Gaultier, where new creative director Duran Lantink is still settling in, and Dior, where Jonathan Anderson will host his first couture show in January – there is still plenty to look out for. These include Chanel’s final outing by the in-house ‘Creation Studio’ prior to Matthieu Blazy’s debut in September, Demna’s last haute couture show at Balenciaga before he moves to Gucci, and Glenn Martens’ anticipated debut at Maison Margiela.
Alongside our daily report on the shows, to bring Haute Couture Week to life this season, the Wallpaper* editors on the ground will be offering a real-time look at the weekend’s happenings – from behind-the-scenes glimpses to access to the shows, presentations and parties. Stay tuned. JM
Jack Moss is Wallpaper’s fashion features editor, reporting for the magazine’s digital and print editions – from international runway shows to profiling the style world’s leading figures.
Jason Hughes is Wallpaper’s fashion and creative director, overseeing all style content – from fashion and beauty to watches and jewellery – as well as leading the visual direction of the magazine.
‘There was a foundation to build on’: Michael Rider makes his debut at Celine
Celine’s S/S 2026 collection, which marked Michael Rider’s debut
Taking place yesterday on the eve of haute couture week in Paris, Michael Rider presented his debut collection for Celine – an astute opening act which balanced the house’s recent legacy with a fresh, contemporary vision which nodded to his American roots. ‘I did not want there to be a sense of erasure. There was a foundation to build on. That to me felt modern, it felt ethical, it felt strong,' he said after the show, with moments which nodded to the tenures of Hedi Slimane and Phoebe Philo (he worked under the latter at the house from 2008-2017). But this was no rehash – read our full review of the show below. JM
READ: Michael Rider’s joyful Celine debut: ‘I’ve always loved the idea of clothing that lives on’
What to look out for this week
Chanel’s S/S 2025 haute couture show, staged earlier this year in Paris’ Grand Palais
We’ve compiled five moments to look out for this Haute Couture Week as proceedings begin this morning in Paris. These include Glenn Martens’ debut at Maison Margiela (he replaces John Galliano after a 10-year tenure), Demna’s swansong at Balenciaga (the Georgian designer will head to Gucci this summer), shows from the couture heavyweights (with a few notable absences), and a new vision for Dior creative director Jonathan Anderson’s eponymous London-based label JW Anderson, which will be revealed later today.