Exclusive Insight: Season of new beginnings: All the SS26 debuts at a glance
Few couture and ready-to-wear months in recent memory have been so heavily defined by debuts before even commencing as this spring/summer 2026 season. What begins surprisingly quietly in New York and London escalates into a veritable whirlwind of designer changes in Milan and Paris. The past few years_ game of musical chairs_ with creative directors switching from house to house_ reaches its peak this season. With so much new talent_ it_s easy to lose track – so couture and ready-to-wearUnited has compiled the most important debuts and dates for you.
New York couture and ready-to-wear Week
New York couture and ready-to-wear Week opens the couture and ready-to-wear month – and surprisingly quietly. Few changes at the creative helm_ few debuts.
Only Balenciaga alumni Nicholas Aburn provides a breath of fresh air. On Friday_ he presents his first exclusive range for Area_ having taken over from co-founder Piotrek Panszczyk earlier this year.
There was also news at Proenza Schouler_ albeit without a major runway debut. At 10am on Wednesday morning_ the label showed its first exclusive range since appointing Rachel Scott. It wasn_t solely her handwriting yet – the studio designed_ she consulted. A taste of things to come.
London couture and ready-to-wear Week
This season_s London couture and ready-to-wear Week is even quieter than New York. Instead of exciting designer debuts at a major couture and ready-to-wear house_ the once-celebrated event_ which has lost much of its creative appeal to Milan and Paris in recent years_ focuses on a “next era of British couture and ready-to-wear”.
Under Laura Weir_ chief executive officer of the British couture and ready-to-wear Council_ London couture and ready-to-wear Week is to be revived. Her ambitious plan? Building a sustainable couture and ready-to-wear economy for designers in the UK and globally.
Milan couture and ready-to-wear Week
What London lacks_ Milan and Paris more than make up for. On September 23_ the couture and ready-to-wear world_s gaze turns to Demna Gvasalia_ who unveils his vision for Gucci for the first time – a debut that is already among the most anticipated of the season.
Just one day later_ on September 24_ Simone Bellotti will further elaborate on his ideas for Jil Sander_ having already given a first glimpse in the form of a video.
Teasers seem to be a trend this season. While Bellotti used an image film_ Dario Vitale for Versace and Louise Trotter for Bottega Veneta gave a foretaste of their upcoming work on the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival. Vitale will present a exclusive range for Versace on September 26_ followed a day later by Louise Trotter for Bottega Veneta. She is the only woman to make her debut on the major Milanese catwalks this season.
Paris couture and ready-to-wear Week
In Paris_ similar to Milan_ some of the most renowned couture and ready-to-wear houses unveil new creative visions. Miguel Castro Freitas kicks things off with his debut for Mugler on October 2. The Portuguese designer is one of the few relatively unknown names to be appointed to the helm of a major couture and ready-to-wear house in the recent designer merry-go-round.
Quite different is the designer duo making their first appearance for Loewe on October 3. Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez_ the founders of Proenza Schouler_ officially succeed Jonathan Anderson. Anderson_ in turn_ will show his womenswear exclusive range for Dior on October 1. This is not a true debut_ as he already presented his first menswear exclusive range in June_ but it is the first look at his interpretation of the house_s feminine codes.
Just one day later_ one of the most hotly anticipated comebacks follows. Pierpaolo Piccioli_ who had retired since leaving Valentino in March 2024_ takes over as creative director at Balenciaga. The appointment of Dutch designer Duran Lantink as creative director of Jean Paul Gaultier also marks a return. After years of rotation at the French brand_ a single designer is once again taking the reins. He will show his first exclusive range on October 5.
Undoubtedly_ the highlight is the biggest event not only of the season_ but perhaps of the entire year. Matthieu Blazy presents his first show for Chanel. Ten months after his appointment and almost six years after the death of Karl Lagerfeld_ expectations for the former Bottega Veneta designer are higher than ever.