Twice a year, almost 100 fashion shows take over the most prestigious venues in Paris. The eyes of the world are turned to the City of Light for Fashion Week, a not-to-be-missed event in the world of fashion.
For a week, the whole of Paris will be buzzing to the rhythm of the catwalk shows by the great fashion houses such as Dior, Chanel, Jean Paul Gaultier, Yves Saint Laurent, Versace…
Spotlight on the catwalk shows
Fashion Weeks are marathons of fashion shows. On average, there are 15 shows a day, scrupulously programmed by the fashion federation to ensure that they do not overlap. More poetically, the catwalk shows are all about flashbulbs going off, people embracing exuberantly… but above all, they are inspiring moments when each designer brings his or her collections to life, generating dreams and creating a sensation to imprint his or her vision on the spectators.
Fashion Week Paris must-see addresses
The venues for the different shows at each Fashion Week differ at least in part each year. However, there are a number of places to be:
- The Grand Palais
- The Tuileries Gardens
- The Louvre oratory
- The Palais de Tokyo
- The Palais de Chaillot
- Le 35-37
- The Espace Niemeyer
- The Carrousel du Louvre
A brief history of Fashion Week
For one week, twice a year, Paris, New York, London and Milan create the event. These four fashion capitals of the world bring together designers, journalists and enthusiasts for their Fashion Weeks. These are major events for the economies of these cities, which, in France, have their origins in the birth of the Chambre Syndicale de Haute Couture in 1868 and the creation of the legally controlled appellation of “Haute Couture” in 1945.
However, fashion shows really took off in the 1970s, notably during the “battle” between the French haute-couture team and the American design team at Versailles.
Then, in the 80s, there were the pharaonic catwalk events (such as Thierry Mugler’s show at the Zénith in front of 6,000 people). But it wasn’t until 1994 that the first real Paris Fashion Week was held, in the heart of the Carrousel du Louvre, under the impetus of the iconic Karl Lagerfeld.
Dates of forthcoming Fashion Weeks
The major designers’ creations for the Autumn/Winter 2024-2025 season will be unveiled from Monday 26 February to Tuesday 5 March 2024. The Spring/Summer 2025-2026 collections will be presented from Monday 23 September to Tuesday 1 October 2024.
For men’s fashion, the Autumn/Winter shows will take place from 16 to 21 January 2024, while the Spring/Summer 2025 collections will be presented from 18 to 23 June 2024.