Paris Haute Couture Week 2025: Celine’s spring 2026 show marks Michael Rider’s first runway, honouring past designers Phoebe Philo and Hedi Slimane while looking forwards
Dior and Valentino are skipping haute couture week, while it’s unclear whether Giorgio Armani will be at his Armani Privé show – but Celine and Patou offer plenty of excitement
The autumn/winter 2025-26 haute couture season officially begins today with Schiaparelli, but ready-to-wear brand Celine kicked things off on Sunday with its spring 2026 show. The event marked the debut of Michael Rider at the LVMH-owned French label after the successful six-and-a-half-year tenure of Hedi Slimane.
While at Celine, Slimane wasn’t a fan of fashion week – he showed his collections in locations such as Los Angeles, or in Paris but off schedule, and often released images and videos in lieu of holding shows – which means the maison has been off the radar for many editors and industry insiders.
The Celine spring 2026 show featured plenty of whimsical costume jewellery. Photo: Handout
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Debuting Rider’s collection during haute couture week was a smart decision on the part of LVMH, as the calendar this season is a bit lacking in excitement.
Dior – which recently parted ways with womenswear designer Maria Grazia Chiuri to make way for Jonathan Anderson – will not hold a show, while Chanel’s collection has been designed by the fashion studio in anticipation of Matthieu Blazy’s debut in October. Balenciaga will stage Demna’s last show as he gets ready to unveil his first collection for Gucci in September, and Italian label Valentino is not on the calendar. Meanwhile, it’s unclear whether 90-year-old designer Giorgio Armani will be at his Armani Privé show, after he skipped the men’s shows in Milan last month for health reasons.
Belgian designer Glenn Martens’ debut as creative director of experimental brand Maison Margiela will be a hot ticket. He takes over from John Galliano, who left the Italian-owned label at the end of last year.
Given the lack of high-profile outings, the Celine show was the week’s most awaited event. Rider joins Celine from Ralph Lauren, but this is not the American designer’s first job at a European house. Following a stint at Balenciaga, Rider worked at Celine under Phoebe Philo, making his new role a homecoming of sorts.
A giant silk scarf hung over the courtyard of Celine’s headquarters for the spring 2026 show. Photo: Vincenzo La Torre
Held at the label’s headquarters on Rue Vivienne, the show took place in the courtyard of the 17th century building – where a giant printed scarf acted as a kind of canopy – and in the upstairs salons.
Silk scarves similar to that one appeared throughout the show, even tied as a bow at the neckline on one of the best looks, a strapless black gown.
Celine is not a brand with rich archives to mine, but it still boasts a strong visual vocabulary thanks to Philo and Slimane. Rider did a great job of bringing back some of Philo’s signature silhouettes, while also revisiting Slimane’s tailoring and his penchant for elevating wardrobe staples such as skinny jeans and leather jackets.
