Paris Fashion Week once again set the fashion world abuzz: this time with a wave of new creative directors taking the stage at some of the most storied maisons. As luxury houses bet on fresh vision, the internet, especially in China — has been alive with debate.
Paris Fashion Week once again set the fashion world abuzz: this time with a wave of new creative directors taking the stage at some of the most storied maisons. As luxury houses bet on fresh vision, the internet, especially in China — has been alive with debate.
October 23, 2025
Paris Fashion Week once again set the fashion world abuzz: this time with a wave of new creative directors taking the stage at some of the most storied maisons. As luxury houses bet on fresh vision, the internet, especially in China — has been alive with debate.
Paris Fashion Week Spring 2026 has sparked a near-global frenzy — a seismic event that marks a major turning point on the world’s fashion map. Yet these creative shake-ups arrive under darker skies: the luxury industry is quietly sliding into a slowdown, where revenue has begun to outweigh creative ambition.
Earlier this year, McKinsey warned of the first luxury downturn in nearly a decade, forecasting negative growth across key markets. LVMH soon followed with a sobering report: €39.8 billion in first-half revenues, down 4% year-on-year, a reminder that even giants aren’t immune to market fatigue.
With no other choice left, change has become the only lifeline for the world’s major fashion houses. Jonathan Anderson, the creative force who breathed new life into Loewe through craftsmanship and playful ingenuity, unveiled his first collection for Dior on Wednesday, marking a striking transition from bohemian freedom to refined elegance.
At Loewe, a new chapter unfolds with the arrival of Proenza Schouler, founders Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez as co-Creative Directors. Meanwhile, at Mugler, Miguel Castro Freitas officially succeeded Casey Cadwallader, debuting a collection imbued with strong personal identity.
Now, all eyes turn to the next wave of debuts: Pierpaolo Piccioli at Balenciaga, Matthieu Blazy at Chanel, and Duran Lantink at Jean Paul Gaultier. These names signal a sweeping creative reconstruction: a new era for an industry once defined by singular visionaries. And the question lingers: will Balenciaga finally shed the “normcore” shell that has long defined Demna’s reign?
New creative faces have become the main topic of debate on Chinese social media, as bloggers scrutinize which debut truly made an impression. In Mugler’s case, the focus has shifted toward commercial appeal and refined craftsmanship, rather than the drama and sensuality that defined Casey Cadwallader’s signature style.
“At first glance, it feels like a nod to Mugler’s roots. But look closer, and the brand’s soul: that daring, hyper-feminine energy, seems to have faded. [...] Perhaps this is also a new way to shed the outdated past. Replacing Casey with Freitas clearly reflects the brand’s ambition for commercialization.”
Another reader echoed this sentiment: “Miguel Castro Freitas’s debut at Mugler feels oddly detached — as if Dries Van Noten’s aesthetic had been misplaced onto a different stage, tinged with a hint of Margiela’s 1990s spirit. [...] The kind of ‘cool’ Freitas brings seems out of sync with Mugler’s essence: a house long synonymous with daring sensuality and captivating theatricality.”
This observation is entirely justified, as before joining Mugler, Castro Freitas had worked at Sportmax, Dries Van Noten, and Christian Dior Couture.
“The new creative director’s designs bear a strong artisanal touch: you can feel the meticulous craftsmanship in every stitch. I used to really admire Casey’s creations; there was a sharpness, an edge to every piece of fabric. However, in terms of wearability, they weren’t easy to wear and were quite difficult to sell. That’s rather unfortunate for L’Oréal, since at the end of the day, making money remains the ultimate goal of any company.”
When Jonathan Anderson “stepped in,” the global fashion community became divided in its opinions. However, in China, Dior’s new direction has been largely welcomed with a positive outlook.
A fashion blogger couldn’t stop praising Anderson’s “precise sense of proportion, deconstructive spirit, and deep knowledge of fashion history,” while emphasizing that “his burning determination to restore Dior to its haute couture golden age was reignited by the return of a star-studded lineup of supermodels—everyone knows Liu Wen and Sun Feifei haven’t walked the Dior runway in years!”
“I can’t even begin to describe my joy at seeing a Dior where the boundaries between menswear and womenswear no longer exist — neutrality is the element that has been retained. Jonathan Anderson is a truly gifted designer who has elevated the brand’s artistic value. These very elements have the potential to drive a remarkable surge in revenue in the next quarter,” another reader shared.
Unfortunately, Anderson’s experimental spirit at Loewe has received mixed reactions from the public. “Industrial silhouettes, towel fabrics, faux layers, and crinkled textures… all of these have been showcased far too often in recent years, hardly a groundbreaking revolution.”
However, most of the attention was drawn to the guest lineup: from actress Zhou Dongyu to Wang Yibo. This shift in attention inevitably eclipsed any deeper conversation about the clothes themselves.
Above all, however, Loewe remains a master of media strategy. As of this writing, the hashtag #Loewe2026SpringSummerWomenswear has garnered 44.39 million views, and netizens continue to shower praise on the star-studded guest list — with representatives ranging from China to South Korea.
In this year Paris Fashion Week, all eyes now turn to the next wave of transformations: Piccioli is expected to bring quiet grandeur to Balenciaga; Lantink may rekindle Gaultier’s irreverent spark; and perhaps, Chanel, after years of polite restraint, is finally ready for revival.
