Paris Fashion Week, highlights preview

After New York (from 10th to 17th September), London (from 18th to 22nd September) and Milan (from 23rd to 29th September), it will be Paris' turn to kick off the marathon of the women's ready-to-wear collections for Spring-Summer 2016. A fashion week stretching over nine days, from Tuesday 29th September to Wednesday 7th October, during which several brands will make their debut, while others will disappear from the calendar.

About 5,000 visitors are expected at this latest Fashion Week, with 91 shows planned (the figure is still provisional), more or less the same number as in September 2014. The revelries will take place chiefly at the Tokyo Palace, the shows' pulsating core, as well as elsewhere in the French capital, at the Grand Palais, the Tuileries Gardens, the Seine Docks and the Palais des Beaux-Arts.

Lucien Pellat-Finet will open the dances with his show on Tuesday 29th September, alongside two new names making their debut at the Paris week. The Aalto brand, introduced last March in Paris, and its Finland-born stylist Tuomas Merikoski, who will feature an urban, arty and decidedly contemporary outlook for his second collection.

On the same day, Christelle Kocher, the latest Designers Apartment's revelation, will be on show with her Koché brand. The creative director of Ateliers Lemarié (an art house specialised in feather craft) was formerly assistant to Dries Van Noten and former senior designer alongside Thomas Maier for Bottega Veneta's women line, and recently a semi-finalist at the LVMH Prize. She will present a collection in which embroidery, feathers and the interplay of various materials blend together producing quirky, unconventional clothing.
On Wednesday September 30th it'll be the turn of, among others, Guy Laroche, the American Adam Andrascik's second collection, Maison Margiela and John Galliano, Lemaire, Dries Van Noten and Alexis Mabille. They will be followed on Thursday October 1st by Chloé, Paco Rabanne, Balmain, Rick Owens, Lanvin, the young French brand Vêtements, in the spotlight since the last men's fashion week and, for Carven, by the first spring-summer collection styled by the Alexis Martial- Adrien Caillaudaud duo.

Besides the shows by Loewe, Chalayan and Dior, planned for Friday October 2nd, the other highlight of the day will be Balenciaga, featuring the last collection by designer Alexander Wang. On Saturday 3rd, Guillaume Henry will showcase his first summer collection for Nina Ricci. Among the big guns, Kenzo, Ungaro, Céline and Alexander McQueen will present on Sunday 4th, Saint Laurent, Hermès and Rykiel on Monday 5th, Chanel, Agnès b. and Valentino on Tuesday 6th, Louis Vuitton and Miu Miu on Wednesday 7th.

Notable for his absence this year is designer Damir Doma, who recently announced he doesn't wish to show in Paris any more, and will refocus his activities in Milan.

Paris Fashion Week, highlights preview

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