Fantasy Takes Flight as Paris Couture Week Opens with Bold New Shows
Updated (5 articles)
Opening of the four‑day, biannual couture event draws 13 houses and star‑studded crowds Paris Haute Couture Week began Jan 26‑29, featuring 13 maisons including Chanel, Dior, Valentino, and the first Armani Privé runway since Giorgio Armani’s 2025 death; the schedule highlighted debut collections from new creative directors and attracted a celebrity‑filled front row [1][2][4].
Matthieu Blazy reimagines Chanel with feather‑laden lightness and stripped signatures Blazy’s Grand Palais show presented transparent silk mousseline, ghost‑like dresses and layers of feathers inspired by birds, while he questioned whether Chanel’s essence survives without its classic motifs; the collection blended modern tweed‑jeans nods with airy silhouettes [1][2].
Jonathan Anderson debuts Dior couture through a nature‑themed “Wunderkammer” Anderson’s Dior runway featured bulbous gowns, slithering layers and cyclamen‑flower jewelry, emphasizing curiosities over formulaic design; he described the task as “intimidating” and insisted his vision would keep Dior “ginormous” [1][2].
Armani Privé returns under Silvana Armani and Valentino embraces cinematic fantasy Silvana Armani directed the first post‑Giorgio Armani couture line, showcasing pastel mint‑green satin suits, while Alessandro Michele’s Valentino used a “kaiserpanorama” viewing station, feathered headdresses and 1930s Hollywood references, signaling a generational shift toward imaginative storytelling [1][2][4].
Animal‑print “Boom Boom” era erupts across runway and street style Celebrities sparked the trend: Demi Moore opened the week in a cheetah‑print Schiaparelli catsuit, Dua Lipa wore an acid‑swirl suit at Chanel, and Kendall Jenner displayed a beaded tiger‑stripe dress in New York; Roseberry’s Schiaparelli collection pushed the motif further with hyperreal reptilian textures [3].
Front rows glitter with royalty, music icons and fashion veterans Victoria Beckham received the Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters, while the Beckhams, Rihanna, John Galliano and Anna Wintour filled seats; Galliano, once dismissed from Dior, attended Anderson’s show, underscoring couture’s blend of heritage and contemporary spectacle [1][2].
Sources
-
1.
CNN: Fantasy Takes Flight at Paris Couture Week: Highlights Daniel Roseberry’s fantasy framing, debut shows by Chanel and Dior, and the week’s dual narrative of imagination versus reality .
-
2.
BBC: Paris Haute Couture Week dazzles with new designers and star‑studded front rows: Details the four‑day schedule, debut collections, celebrity attendance, and Victoria Beckham’s royal honor .
-
3.
CNN: Dua Lipa, Demi Moore and Kendall Jenner Lead 2026 “Boom Boom” Animal‑Print Surge: Chronicles the rise of bold animal prints, celebrity looks, and Roseberry’s extreme reptilian couture .
-
4.
AP: Paris Kicks Off Spring/Summer 2026 Haute Couture Season: Reports on theatrical runway moments, including Stephane Rolland’s acrobat, Armani Privé’s SS 2026 line, and Valentino’s celebrity guest .
Timeline
2025 – Giorgio Armani passes away, prompting the first Armani Privé couture show under his niece Silvana Armani the following year and marking the end of an era for the legendary designer [1].
Dec 3, 2025 – Chanel stages its Métiers d’Art collection inside Manhattan’s abandoned Bowery subway station; actress Kristen Stewart calls the show “cinematic and emotionally resonant,” while creative director Matthieu Blazy highlights “real‑life” clothing that blends luxury with everyday wear [4].
Jan 2026 – Valentino Garavani dies earlier in the month, leading Alessandro Michele to present Valentino’s first couture collection after the founder’s passing, featuring a “kaiserpanorama” viewing station and a backstage mantra that the garments enable “dreaming with concrete things” [2].
Jan 26, 2026 – Christian Dior unveils its Spring/Summer 2026 couture collection, introducing nature‑themed, floaty silhouettes under a flower canopy and signaling the official start of the Paris haute‑couture calendar for the season [5].
Jan 27, 2026 – Stephane Rolland incorporates a live acrobat into his runway and showcases former model‑actress Adriana Karembeu, emphasizing performance art as part of couture storytelling [5].
Jan 27, 2026 – Matthieu Blazy presents his debut Chanel couture collection at the Grand Palais, stripping away classic Chanel signatures and stating, “I wanted to see whether, when you strip away the usual Chanel signatures … you can still get to that essence” [1].
Jan 27, 2026 – Jonathan Anderson debuts his first Dior couture collection, describing the task as “intimidating” and declaring, “My Dior is never going to be a formula … Dior is ginormous” [1].
Jan 27, 2026 – Silvana Armani directs the first Armani Privé couture show since her uncle’s death, describing the collection as “classic Armani, but with a touch of originality” [1].
Jan 27, 2026 – John Galliano, who was famously fired from Dior in 2011, attends Anderson’s Dior show alongside Jean‑Paul Gaultier, underscoring the reconciliation of past controversies with the current creative direction [2].
Jan 28, 2026 – Valentino’s runway, attended by actress Kirsten Dunst, showcases Alessandro Michele’s homage to early cinema with feathered headdresses, batwing sleeves, and a “kaiserpanorama” that transports viewers into a black‑and‑white romance film [2].
Jan 28, 2026 – Paris officially kicks off the Spring/Summer 2026 haute couture season with theatrical runway moments across multiple houses, signaling a vibrant start to the fashion calendar [5].
Jan 29, 2026 – Victoria Beckham receives the Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters on the first day of Paris Haute Couture Week, while celebrities fill front rows, highlighting the event’s cultural prestige [1].
Jan 29, 2026 – Demi Moore opens the week in a cheetah‑print Schiaparelli catsuit, Dua Lipa debuts an acid‑swirl suit at Chanel, and Kendall Jenner showcases a beaded tiger‑stripe dress in New York, collectively igniting the “Boom Boom era” of louder animal prints that trend analyst @databutmakeitfashion describes as a nostalgic, escapist response to a bleak socio‑economic climate [3].
Jan 30, 2026 – Daniel Roseberry frames couture as fantasy, proclaiming “The rest of the year is for reality” after unveiling his feather‑laden Schiaparelli collection, which blends horns, neon, and soaring wing‑like collars [2].
Jan 30, 2026 – Paris Couture Week organizers emphasize that couture serves as an indulgent escape before the lights rise and “the rest of the year is for reality,” underscoring the dual role of haute couture in inspiring imagination and anchoring the commercial fashion calendar [2].
All related articles (5 articles)
-
CNN: Fantasy Takes Flight at Paris Couture Week
-
BBC: Paris Haute Couture Week dazzles with new designers and star‑studded front rows
-
CNN: Dua Lipa, Demi Moore and Kendall Jenner Lead 2026 “Boom Boom” Animal‑Print Surge
-
AP: Paris Kicks Off Spring/Summer 2026 Haute Couture Season
-
CNN: Chanel Rebrands NYC Subway with Métiers d’Art Show
External resources (2 links)
- https://www.instagram.com/p/DQzSXMODiYE/?img_index=1 (cited 1 times)