It finally feels as though things are slotting into place with the never-ending designer musical chairs saga. Maria Grazia Chiuri has announced her long-speculated departure from Dior, and last week, Pierpaolo Piccioli was announced as creative director of Balenciaga. For some, the move was unexpected, given the success of Demna’s Balenciaga and the stark difference in each of their visions. Industry gossip led people to believe that perhaps Kering would give someone like Martine Rose a chance at a big house, especially given her connection to Demna and his vocal support of her vision. In the end, Piccioli’s succession—and Kering’s aversion to risking it with a slightly untested name—won out after Sabato De Sarno’s short stint with Gucci.
Couture week creeps up in the calendar, where Glenn Martens will debut his first collection for Margiela. Many of the other houses will skip this season and wait for their designer debuts in September/October. For designers who have not yet dealt with couture, a debut season is an incredible undertaking with craftsmanship of that level. As of now, Chanel is the only other house awaiting a designer debut to show on the couture schedule.
With Spring/Summer 2026 ready-to-wear providing a softer landing, we can expect to see collections from Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Loewe, and Celine all banking on star-making freshman shows later this year. There is still an open position at Fendi, and Hedi Slimane, Kim Jones, and John Galliano are still unattached to a house at present. But since the updates just keep coming, below is a running list of the designer debuts yet to come this year.
Glenn Martens at Margiela
Getty Images
Martens has big shoes to fill, stepping in after Galliano's decade-long tenure at Margiela, and the Belgian designer is bravely doing so during couture week in Paris this July. Two things to note: Galliano’s first and final couture show for Margiela was one of the most talked about shows of 2024, deeply moving critics, onlookers, and fans of the brand and Galliano alike. Similarly, Glenn Martens’ first and only foray into couture was when he guest designed Jean Paul Gaultier’s Spring 2022 couture collection and was also met with an overwhelmingly positive reception. So, we know Martens has the stuff for great couture. How does anyone follow in Galliano’s footsteps? Probably with an undertaking like this one.
Matthieu Blazy at CHANEL
Getty Images
Blazy’s stroke of genius at Bottega Veneta has been lost on no one over the past three years, and CHANEL’s decision to pluck him from the ranks of burgeoning superstar designers was a clever move for the house, despite their uptick in revenue under Virginie Viard’s direction. We will see his first show for the maison in October during Paris Fashion Week, where the king of texture and trompe-l’œil illusions will have a whole new host of codes to play with.
Demna at Gucci
Getty Images
Demna’s appointment at Gucci was announced to mixed feedback. After all, no one is a stranger to the controversy the Georgian designer’s subversive ideas have drummed up throughout his career at both Vetements and Balenciaga. How will his ideas translate at the luxury Italian house? Gucci’s “hacking” of Balenciaga back in 2021 may reveal some clues, but one thing to remember about Demna is that he has the ability to make things work. Behind the cult following is the work ethic of a man who is able to keep up with the schedule and demands of Kering. Come Milan Fashion Week in September, we’ll be able to understand what that means for the House of Gucci.
Louise Trotter at Bottega Veneta
Getty Images
Blazy’s exit at Bottega Veneta left an opening in the market, and who better to fill the role than ex-Carven designer–and now first female creative director of the house–Louise Trotter? As we prepare for her September debut in Milan, Trotter is quietly rolling out her new vision. This week, the brand released a perfectly minimal campaign, featuring Bottega Veneta’s classic woven intrecciato leather technique on bags and shirt cuffs et al, accompanied by interwoven and interlocking hands. A symbol of togetherness and simplicity, much like her custom looks for Vicky Krieps and Julianne Moore at Cannes last week. This September, we can expect a quietly confident exploration of Bottega Veneta’s codes.
Michael Rider at Celine
Getty Images
American-born Michael Rider is Celine’s chosen successor to Hedi Slimane, marking the first time in over a decade that the French brand has not opted for a well-known designer to fill the Artistic Director position. Previously creative director at Polo Ralph Lauren, Rider is well familiar with Celine, having worked for a decade as Celine’s design director of ready-to-wear from 2008 to 2018under Phoebe Philo. With this in mind, Rider is both familiar with the house codes and one of the most culturally celebrated moments in fashion history, instilling us with hope that we may get close to what once was under Philo’s stewardship of the brand. Rider will debut his first collection in Paris on July 6, falling between men’s fashion week and Paris Couture Week.
Pierpaolo Piccioli at Balenciaga
Getty Images
One of the most hotly anticipated debuts will surely be Pierpaolo Piccioli’s first collection for Balenciaga during Paris Fashion Week this October. With an eye perfectly honed for the highest level of couture, we can expect Piccioli to bring a sense of sophistication to Balenciaga that Demna was less concerned about (much to his success at the brand, we’ll add), and work more closely with the codes originally established by Cristobál Balenciaga. His proven track record as a skilled couturier will hopefully see the Italian designer go far at the storied French house.
Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez at Loewe
Getty Images
Founders and former creative directors of Proenza Schouler, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, were appointed creative directors of the LVMH-owned Spanish fashion house, effective April 7. Their nominationcame exactly a week after Loewe confirmed the departure of longtime creative director Jonathan Anderson, who has moved into the role of artistic director of menswear at Dior. The duo, whose debut has not yet been slated (although spring/summer 2026 in Paris would be a safe bet), are expected to bring a fresh perspective to Loewe’s legacy of innovation and emphasis on artisanal expression.
Jonathan Anderson at Dior Men’s
Getty Images
The former Loewe designer and creative director of his namesake brand, J.W Anderson, will debut his first show in Paris during June 2025 men’s week. Following Maria Grazia Chiuri’s recent departure from womenswear and couture, all eyes are now on Anderson who could be tipped for a wider role at the house. The move was expected, thanks to the rumor mill that keeps on turning. Here, at Dior Men’s, we can anticipate Anderson to lean into the fairytale of Christian Dior’s vision in an innovative way. Where one of Kim Jones’ biggest skills was as a true archivist, Anderson’s vision is one that is more futuristic.
