Paris Haute Couture Week reveals a packed programme climaxing with the return of Balmain

By

Dominique Muret

Published
Dec 17, 2018

Paris Haute Couture Week has unveiled its calendar for January 2019, revealing another appealing programme that brings together historic couture houses known for their traditional savoir-faire, a number of international labels and several younger, more avant-garde brands, such as that of Japanese designer Yuima Nakazato, who, having skipped the event in July, is returning to the Parisian runway with his digital couture.

The official Haute Couture programme for Spring/Summer 2019, which runs from Monday 21 to Thursday 24 January, features 31 brands, down from 34 in July, spread over three and a half days jam-packed with runways.

Among shows from regulars such as Dior, Chanel, Armani, Givenchy, Valentino and Elie Saab, Balmain Paris' runway is sure to to be the week's main attraction, as the house makes its big comeback to Haute Couture Week after a 16-year absence. 

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Indeed, the label's last Haute Couture runway was in 2002, when Oscar de la Renta was still its couturier. Show attendees will therefore witness the first couture collection by Olivier Rousteing, who has been creative director at the brand since 2011. The show will take place on the evening of Wednesday 23 January at the new Balmain flagship at 374 rue Saint-Honoré, serving to celebrate the location's grand opening.

Although Haute Couture Week is gaining two new brands through Balmain and Yuima Nakazato, it has also lost five names that featured on its July 2018 programme. Moroccan couturier Noureddine Amir, for example, who made his much-lauded debut on the Paris couture runway last season, and French designer Adeline André, who does not always host a show on the Haute Couture calendar. 

Also missing is Tel Aviv-born specialist in evening gowns and wedding dresses, Galia Lahav; Italian designer Maurizio Galante, who has worked from Paris since 1996, and Fendi, which usually puts together a couture runway in July in order to show its winter furs.