French Federation releases breakdown of Paris Fashion Week

By

Godfrey Deeny

Published
Sep 21, 2020

The Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode , French fashion’s governing body, has released the break-down of the upcoming Paris Fashion Week, revealing that 18 houses currently plan to stage actual physical shows. The most of any city in the current international runway season.

 
Among the fashion brands that have committed to a live catwalk show this season in Paris are Christian Dior, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Hermès and Yohji Yamamoto.
 
All told, there will be 84 fashion houses listed on the official calendar of Paris Fashion Week, the world’s pre-eminent runway season, due to be staged between September 28 and October 6. The season will feature spring-summer 2021 women’s ready-to-wear collections.

 A further 20 houses plan to organize physical presentations. And another 45 brands will produce digital displays.
 
The other dozen brands that will stage live shows are chronologically: Coperni, Victoria/Tomas, Kenzo, Gauchère, Acne, Balmain, Chloé, Isabel Marant, Koche, Paco Rabanne, Ami, Gabriela Hearst and Xuly Bet. 

 
“For the organization of events in Paris, the Federation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode and the houses listed on the Official Calendar of Paris Fashion Week comply with the recommendations of the public authorities. In addition, the Federation is in regular contact with the Prefecture of Police and health authorities. It has also established, within the framework of the Federation's legal and social commissions, and with the support of the Ile-de-France Regional Health Agency, a specific protocol for fashion shows and presentations,” said the Federation in a press release accompanying the complete calendar. 
 
Somewhat surprisingly, such major league brands as Balenciaga, Givenchy, Miu Miu, Dries Van Noten, Elie Saab, Loewe and Maison Margiela will not be presenting live shows during the season. Moreover, the entire opening day, which features six emerging talents and new arrivals, will be completely digital.
 
A further dozen houses will produce digital shows, and also provide physical presentations where editors and buyers can meet the designer.

 
Typically, the average ready-to-wear show in Paris attracts upwards of 500 guests. And on occasion, with major brands like Dior or Chanel, over 2,000. However, this season many houses have informed FashionNetwork.com that due to social distancing they will invite less than 100 guests. 

The FHCM is also unleashing a brand new project called Sphere, a Federation showroom dedicated to emerging brands, which will be held simultaneously at the Palais de Tokyo and online. 
 
This summer, Paris Fashion Week also successfully debuted a new platform built by Launchmetrics in partnership with the Federation.
 
The FHCM has also renewed its partnerships with some of the world's largest social media players: YouTube; Google; Instagram and Facebook, and is continuing its collaboration with Hylink, China's leading independent digital communication agency, boosting links to the main social and distribution networks in China. 
 
Get set for a busy season in France.