Fashion’s Big Debuts: New Creative Directors and What to Expect

This Autumn, fashion’s innovation plays out like a high-stakes game of musical chairs. Major houses have reshuffled their creative ranks, setting the stage for fresh visions. From Balenciaga’s return to elegance to Gucci’s radical reinvention, here’s who’s stepping into the spotlight and what their debut collections might deliver.

Pierpaolo Piccioli – Balenciaga

October 4^th, 8PM – Paris Fashion Week

After Demna’s dystopian streetwear era, Balenciaga pivots back to its founding ethos of uncompromising elegance under Pierpaolo Piccioli. The Valentino alum, celebrated for romantic opulence and masterful craftsmanship, is expected to channel Cristóbal’s 1950s legacy. Accessories will likely shift from stark to subtle, with hidden fastenings and sculptural draping that redefines space around the body.

Jack McCollough & Lazaro Hernandez – Loewe

October 3^rd, 11:30AM – Paris Fashion Week

The Proenza Schouler duo brings downtown NYC edge to Loewe’s Spanish heritage. Known for sharp tailoring and textile innovation, and the iconic PS1 bag, their challenge is balancing Jonathan Anderson’s cerebral artistry with commercial savvy. Expect layered media, precision cuts, and a dose of urban cool applied to Loewe’s artisanal leather.

Matthieu Blazy – Chanel

October 6^th, 8PM – Paris Fashion Week

Leather as yarn. Leather as canvas. Matthieu Blazy’s Bottega Veneta tenure was a masterclass in material alchemy, with ordinary tank tops and jeans revealed as supple leather miracles. At Chanel, his technical wizardry meets the house’s sacred codes. Anticipate trompe l’oeil so deceptive it borders on magic, tweed that dissolves into fringe, or two-tone slingbacks with detachable clutches. His SS24 ‘wardrobe’ collection for BV proved his reverence for archetypes; Chanel’s suit lexicon will likely get the same scholarly, yet subversive, treatment.

Louise Trotter – Bottega Veneta

September 27^th, 5PM – Milan Fashion Week

The sole woman among this season’s major debuts, Louise Trotter (ex-Lacoste, Joseph) brings minimalist precision to BV. Her Lacoste tenure reimagined sportswear with gender-fluid polish, while Joseph honed her knack for quiet luxury. Expect artisanal leatherwork fused with sleek tailoring and neutral palettes, offering a refined counterpoint to Blazy’s flamboyance.

Demna – Gucci

September 23^rd, 7PM – Milan Fashion Week

After reshaping Balenciaga with dystopian parkas and couture-as-critique, Demna arrives at Gucci as Kering’s antidote to the brand’s slipping identity. His signature irony and narrative intelligence could reboot Gucci’s maximalism, perhaps through exaggerated silhouettes or runway theatrics that blur streetwear and heritage. Chairman François-Henri Pinault calls him ‘exactly what Gucci needs’; the pressure is on to prove it.

Duran Lantink – Jean Paul Gaultier

October 5^th, 4:30PM – Paris Fashion Week

Dutch upcycling provocateur Duran Lantink takes JPG’s guest-designer reins. Known for politically charged deconstruction through naked mesh and extreme slits, he’ll likely amplify couture as commentary, tackling queerness, ecology, and systemic critique. Expect a riot of reclaimed fabrics and subverted glamour.

Jonathan Anderson – Dior Womenswear

October 1, 2:30PM – Paris Fashion Week

JW Anderson’s cerebral whimsy meets Dior’s legacy. His Loewe work was playful, dimensional, and teasingly absurd, hinting at a womenswear debut that marries intellectual rigor with romanticism. Think surreal twists on the Bar Jacket or accessories that double as art objects.

Glenn Martens – Maison Margiela Ready-to-Wear

October 4, 12PM – Paris Fashion Week

Burger King was the unlikely destination for Glenn Masters’ career-defining call. The Belgian designer, fresh off transforming Y/Project into a cult favourite, is now at the helm of Maison Margiela. For his debut, expect precision meets punk. Martens has spent months digging through Parisian thrift bins, reworking discarded clothes into high fashion – think see-through, shower-curtain gowns and masked anonymity.

Nicholas Aburn – Area

September 12^th, 10AM – New York Fashion Week

The New York label Area is known for its crystal-class maximalism and club-kid futurism. But with the appointment of Nicholas Aburn, formerly of Rick Owens, the brand may be entering a more structured, possibly more shadowed phase. His background in sculptural tailoring and avant-garde construction suggests a refinement of Area’s visual language, perhaps evolving from spectacle to silhouette. This could broaden the brand’s reach beyond statement eveningwear into architecturally grounded luxury, signalling a coming-of-age moment.

Dario Vitale – Versace

September 26^th, TBA – Milan Fashion Week

Ex-Miu Miu designer Dario Vitale teams with Donatella to recalibrate Versace’s glamour. Modern tailoring and irreverent touches could replace excess, appealing to a generation craving sophistication with edge.

Simone Bellotti – Jil Sander

September 24^th, 10:30AM – Milan Fashion Week

With 16 years at Gucci, Bellotti’s appointment signals a return to rigorous minimalism. His debut may blend Sander’s purity with subtle Italian sensuality.

Miguel Castro Freitas – Mugler

October 2^nd, 12PM - Paris Fashion Week

Mugler’s post-Cadwallader chapter begins with the appointment of Miguel Castro Freitas, a designer whose resume spans Dior, Dries Van Noten, YSL, and most recently Sportsmax. Long behind the scenes, Freitas is expected to steer Mugler toward a more refined, less bombastic vision, rooted in sensual power dressing and silhouette. His challenge will be preserving the house’s commercial momentum while establishing a more elevated design amid intense competition in the high-glamour space.

Mark Howard Thomas – Carven

October 2^nd, 4PM - Paris Fashion Week

Carven’s reemergence under Mark Howard Thomas reflects a broader industry movement toward understated, intelligent design. The French label, now backed by China’s Icicle Group, has been relatively quiet in recent seasons. But Thomas, formerly of Helmut Lang and Joseph, offers a strategic path forward in quiet luxury. His debut collection hinted at soft tailoring, clean lines, and controlled femininity.