Paris Fashion Week kicks off February 28 with a runway show from Paskal, rounding off a month of fall/winter 2017 collection previews in the four fashion capitals. In an industry already being shaken up with mixed menswear and womenswear shows and "see now, buy now" collections, the French capital's Fashion Week is likely to be full of emotion and surprises, with Clare Waight Keller's last show for Chloé and an eagerly awaited show from Christian Dior -- the second ready-to-wear show from Maria Grazia Chiuri -- celebrating the 70th anniversary of the fashion house's first collection.
A special event for Dior?
On February 12, 1947, Christian Dior held its first ever fashion show, giving rise to the legendary New Look. This year, the fashion house is celebrating the 70th anniversary of this historic collection. Although there's no official word on whether the luxury label plans to turn its fall/winter 2017-2018 show into a full-blown celebration, it's likely that the collection and/or the show, held March 3, will pay homage to the anniversary. In any case, this will be the second ready-to-wear show from Maria Grazia Chiuri, once again tipped for widespread acclaim among buyers, the media and the public.
Clare Waight Keller bows out
After six years at the helm of women's collections at Chloé, Clare Waight Keller will be moving on after her final show for the label, March 2. The show will inevitably be an emotional affair, and will undoubtedly be the center of much attention at Paris Fashion Week since the British designer is reputed for bringing a new energy to the label while still respecting the fashion house's DNA and heritage. A replacement for the designer is yet to be named.
No shows from Givenchy and Ungaro
The fashion world will have to manage without a show from Givenchy this season. The label's absence isn't likely to go unnoticed and will no doubt leave the public disappointed. Givenchy is giving this year's Fashion Week a miss due to the departure of Riccardo Tisci, the label's creative director for the last 12 years, announced February 2. Fashion fans are keen to find out who will be named to replace the designer and get the label back in action from September 2017 for a new chapter in its history. Another absentee from this year's Paris schedule is Ungaro, since the brand's fall/winter 2017-2018 collection manufacturer has gone into receivership.
