PARIS – A major debut, and a high-profile swansong, are among the highlights of the preliminary Paris Fashion Week calendar released on Friday.
After a historic season that saw eight designer debuts in Paris, the fall 2026 schedule marks a reset amid continued turbulence in the luxury goods sector, with many brands reeling from the Saks bankruptcy.
There will be 68 runway shows between March 2 and 10, down from 74 last season, according to the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, French fashion’s governing body. In addition, 31 presentations are scheduled, versus 37 the prior season.
Among the brands sitting out this season in the French capital are Valentino, Sacai, Maison Margiela, Casablanca, Christopher Esber, Coperni, Vetements and Meryll Rogge.
Antonin Tron will show his first collection since being named creative director of Balmain in November, succeeding Olivier Rousteing after a 14-year tenure. The show is scheduled for March 4 at 1:30 p.m., between The Row and Dries Van Noten.
Capping off that day, Pieter Mulier will present his last designs as creative director of Alaïa in a show at 9 p.m. As reported, the designer is joining Versace on July 1.
Off-White is returning to the Paris calendar after a season in New York, with a show on March 5 at 11:30 a.m.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian brand Litkovska and Georgian label Situationist will graduate to runway shows from presentations, while U.S. label Co and South Korean brands Eenk and Time will join the presentations schedule.
Valentino announced in December that it will exceptionally hold its next fashion show in Rome on March 12, decamping from Paris for one season.
Rogge, who is gearing up for her Milan debut as creative director of Marni, indicated she would return to Paris in June.
In a statement, Coperni co-founders Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant said they chose not to show this season due to a dispute with fashion development platform Tomorrow London, its shareholder and distributor since 2019.
“This relationship has since deteriorated significantly, to the point that Coperni no longer has the means to support its development. In this context, and out of respect for our teams, our partners and our work, we have taken the decision not to stage a fashion show this season,” the brand said.
“It reflects our determination to fully regain control of Coperni’s destiny, to preserve its integrity, and to write a new chapter — independently and always in an innovative way,” it added.
Giambattista Valli, who cancelled his haute couture show last month, is scheduled to show his fall 2026 ready-to-wear collection on March 6 at 2:30 p.m. According to market sources, parent company Artémis, the private investment arm of the billionaire Pinault family, has been quietly exploring a sale of the company in recent months.
