Margiela Makes a Comeback, Peet Dullaert Set for Official Couture Debut in Paris

Paris couture: Margiela returns as a member of Haute Couture, Peet Dullaert officially debuts By Godfrey Deeny Published December 19, 2023 Maison Margiela and John Galliano will return as members of Haute Couture on the catwalk in the next Paris couture season in January, when Peet Dullaert will make his Parisian debut as a guest member. Maison Margiela AW22 Couture - Maison Margiela In a busy season, a total of 30 houses are listed in the official calendar, a copy of which has been published by the Federation of Haute Couture et de la Mode, the governing body of French fashion, which check out all the seasons of fashion shows in Paris. Forget today's weak luxury market, interest in Parisian couture has rarely been so intense. The couture division of Maison Margiela, the conceptual fashion brand, will present the final show of the four-day season, which runs from Monday morning January 22 to Thursday evening January 25 in Paris.

The house's creative director John Galliano's last major attempt at couture was an epic multi-format show titled Cinema Inferno, in which an American psychodramatic road-movie met a theatrical fantasy and a phantasmagoric set inside of the Palais de Chaillot. Galliano called it "spooky cowboy prom queen couture" and the fashion crowd can't wait to see his next release. As has happened in recent years, Schiaparelli will open the season, which features spring-summer 2024 dresses created for an exclusive group of the one percent of the one percent. A clientele that barely exceeds 5,000 customers, including movie stars who will flock to the collections in the hope of finding the ideal dress for the upcoming Oscar ceremonies. The 96th Academy Awards will be held on March 10 at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood.

The season will also see the official debut of Peet Dullaert, a Dutch-born designer based in Paris, who has received acclaim for his elegantly ethereal designs. A graduate of a well-known fashion school, Arnhem's ArtEZ University, Dullaert, 33, has already presented "couture" collections during the Paris season, but January will mark his first season as an official guest member of the Federation, a highly coveted title for budding couturiers. And one that requires approval from an FHCM committee made up of historic couture houses.

In a busy week, major brands such as Christian Dior, Chanel, Giorgio Armani, Valentino and Fendi will all present couture shows. But perhaps one of the most anticipated will be Jean-Paul Gaultier, and the latest iteration of this house's particular plan to invite a guest designer each season. On Wednesday 24 January, it will be the turn of Simone Rocha, the award-winning Irish-born designer who was named Designer of the Year in 2016 at the British Fashion Awards. Rocha succeeds notables such as Chitose Abe, Olivier Rousteing and Haider Ackermann at Gaultier. Another return is that of Robert Wun, a designer born in Hong Kong and graduated from the London College of Fashion who also returns as a guest member. It all contributes to what a successful couture season should be – the true laboratory of fashion and often the ultimate expression of this refined art form.