The upcoming Paris couture catwalk season in July will see notable absences and exciting returns, according to a provisional calendar released by the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode. The house of Dior has decided to sit out this season, while Maison Margiela and Iris van Herpen are set to make their return to the Parisian runways.

Dior's decision is linked to the recent appointment of Jonathan Anderson as its new creative director for menswear, womenswear, and haute couture. While Dior will miss the July couture shows, Anderson is scheduled to make his runway debut for the house with a menswear show on the afternoon of June 27.

Another major house, Balenciaga, will present the final collection by its departing creative director, Demna, in July. His successor, Pierpaolo Piccioli, will unveil his first collection for Balenciaga during the Paris women’s ready-to-wear season this fall.

The next couture season is scheduled to take place from Monday, July 7, to Thursday, July 10. It will commence with a presentation by the legendary house Schiaparelli and conclude with a show by Rami Al Ali, a critically acclaimed Syrian-born couturier known for dressing celebrities such as Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, and Helen Mirren. In total, 25 couturiers are listed on the official haute couture calendar, with both Chanel and Giorgio Armani planning to stage two shows each.

For Chanel, this July show will be the last one designed by its in-house studio team where no designer takes a bow, a practice observed for its last five collections. The house's new creative director, Matthieu Blazy, is set to make his debut in October during the women’s ready-to-wear season in Paris.

One of the most eagerly awaited debuts of the season will be Glenn Martens for Maison Margiela, as he succeeds John Galliano. This follows Galliano's highly praised January 2024 couture show. The season will also welcome back French couturier Adeline André, along with guest houses ArdAzAei and Robert Wun.

The Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode also noted that two Parisian fashion houses, Celine and Patou, will stage runway shows on Sunday, July 6, the eve of the official couture week, at 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. respectively.

Despite some no-shows, collections designed by studio teams, and a select clientele of fewer than 5,000 women, Paris haute couture continues to be regarded as the ultimate expression of creativity in fashion—the industry's grand laboratory. The week promises to be a bustling period, with the streets of Paris filled with limousines transporting the world's wealthiest women to the most exclusive fashion presentations on the globe.