The last week of Paris’s summer fashion calendar may be its most anticipated. Fall 2026 Haute Couture Week, running from July 6 to 9, will feature thirty houses on the official schedule — an increase from the twenty-seven that showed last season. The provisional calendar, released by the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode on June 2, promises a season defined by major debuts and the return of established names to the couture stage.
The most anticipated debut belongs to Pierpaolo Piccioli at Balenciaga. The former Valentino creative director will present his first haute couture collection for the Kering-owned house, following his appointment in July 2025. The show marks a full-circle moment for Piccioli, whose career was built on a deep understanding of couture construction, and for Balenciaga, which returns to its foundation as a couture house under his direction.
Jean Paul Gaultier’s guest designer program continues with Duran Lantink taking the reins for the Fall 2026 couture collection. The Dutch designer follows predecessors including Simone Rocha, Nicolas Di Felice, and Haider Ackermann, each of whom has brought a distinct sensibility to the house’s archives. Lantink’s gender-fluid, upcycling-informed aesthetic offers an intriguing counterpoint to Gaultier’s canon of provocation.
The season’s most significant homecoming belongs to Maria Grazia Chiuri, who will present her inaugural couture collection for Fendi. The show is scheduled for July 9 in Rome, marking a return to the Italian capital where Chiuri built her reputation at Valentino. The collection represents the first Fendi couture presentation under her direction since her appointment as the house’s chief creative officer, and will be closely watched as the first major test of her vision for the Roman house.
Schiaparelli will open the season on July 6 at 10:00 AM, following tradition as the first show on the couture calendar. Daniel Roseberry’s theatrical presentations have become the unofficial starting pistol for the week, and this season’s show is expected to continue the house’s trajectory as one of the most photographed and discussed moments of Paris’s fashion year.
