Experts Unpack Fashion Designer Debuts in Europe for Spring 2026

Spring 2026 was a fashion season like no other, with a host of new designers stepping into some of the biggest fashion houses. In Europe, including Pierpaolo Piccioli at Balenciaga, Matthieu Blazy at Chanel, Jonathan Anderson at Dior and Demna at Gucci, to name but a few.

For most of these creatives, their collections marked an evolution rather than a revolution, with many paying tribute to the creatives that proceeded them.

WWD polled fashion experts — from authors and buyers to curators and historians — to get their take on the first collections. Here is what they had to say.

Balenciaga: Pierpaolo Piccioli

Linda Fargo, senior vice president of fashion and store presentation director at Bergdorf Goodman

Balenciaga was reborn tonight in Paris. We could hear the heartbeat of the newborn. It was meant to be. As if Pierpaolo has been preparing to take the creative reins at Balenciaga his whole life. He has always had a couturier’s eye. This is his zone completely. He recalled the swooping curves and rounded clean lines that Cristóbal brought to the fore, but Pierpaolo made Balenciaga anew with modern chic silhouettes, structure and the perfect amount of color. We’re incredibly excited to be able to introduce this new Balenciaga to our clients — we’re sure they will eagerly appreciate the beauty.

Alexandre Samson, curator of haute couture and contemporary collections at Palais Galliera

The introduction of a new era for Balenciaga, refocused on its heritage. A kind of return to order. A credible reinterpretation of the historical silhouettes and volumes envisioned by Cristóbal Balenciaga — the sack dress, the tilted back and spoon-shaped curve, the top extended into a peacock tail.

Pierpaolo Piccioli’s mastery and profound understanding of materials prevent it from becoming a static retrospective, instead bringing to life the movement and renewed desirability of these shapes. In doing so, Piccioli subtly weaves in his own creative quirks, while winking (from behind dark glasses) at his predecessor — a way of not entirely unsettling the clientele won over during the previous decade.

Bottega Venetta: Louise Trotter

Pamela Golbin, curator, author and fashion historian

To envision a brand’s future direction, seasoned veteran Louise Trotter looks to understand how its founder thought — their beliefs, values and vision. For her first collection at Bottega Venetta, Trotter chose to focus on the “extravagance of Venice, the energy of New York and the essentialism of Milan” to present a stellar debut. Serving as both points of departure and return, these cities shape not only this collection, but also the identity of the house. Trotter also pays tribute to the creative path taken by Laura Braggion, Bottega Veneta’s first female creative lead, whose 20-year tenure from the 1980s helped shape the legacy of the house defined by craft, innovation, restraint and stealth power. With mastery, Louise Trotter weaves past and present to translate those values into life today from the extravagant to the everyday.

Alexandra Van Houtte, founder and chief executive officer of Tagwalk

It was an incredibly clean and precise collection, with the femininity of Louise Trotter but also the strong DNA pillars of Bottega Veneta. Overall, 48 percent of the looks in the collection featured leather, 66 percent featured oversize elements and 17 percent had fringes. But out of the three most viewed looks, two had fringes, so that’s already a big data intel. The most viewed looks were numbers 14, a white leather Intrecciato jumpsuit; 20, a white fringed top-cum-cape over sartorial ivory pants, and 58, a swishy and fuzzy skirt crafted from recycled fiberglass and short-sleeved shirt. 

Chanel: Matthieu Blazy

William Middleton, author of “Paradise Now: The Extraordinary Life of Karl Lagerfeld”

There was an insouciance to the new Chanel, from the colorful tweed suits that were worn loose on the body, almost like a cardigan, to low-slung pants and skirts that exposed what looks like a panel of ribbed underwear to silk T-shirts paired with floor-sweeping feathered skirts. Blazy displayed reverence for the work of Gabrielle Chanel, her force and her inventiveness, but he brought it into the world of today. It all felt so fresh. 

In many ways, there was much more at stake in Blazy’s debut than there had been for Lagerfeld more than four decades before. In January 1983, Chanel was a storied, historical house that was practically bankrupt. Today, it is an international juggernaut producing $18 billion in annual revenue. The stakes have expanded exponentially. One of the most succinct reviews of Lagerfeld’s first show also works today. “The German-born designer had dared to tackle the house of Chanel, a national monument with which one does not trifle,” wrote Bernadette Morris in The New York Times. “Mr. Lagerfeld did not trifle.”

Neither did Mr. Blazy. 

Fabio Piras, course leader at Central Saint Martins 

Chanel by Matthieu Blazy was stellar and delivered in every way, as the show’s interplanetary setting led everyone to call it definitely the “big bang” we had all been hoping for. A generational shift was at stake, and I can only imagine how difficult it must have felt to respond to such a high degree of hope and expectation. Much more was delivered as the collection unfolded, bringing the style tropes and the histories of the house into a fresh, even disruptive sophistication and a contemporaneity that returned Coco Chanel as the point of reference all at once.

A camellia appeared like a casual knot: super-light woven tweed mesh jackets, vertical striping, intense color prints, classic black and white, oversize, boxy shirts and jackets, and elongated skirt and trouser tailleurs — all speaking new bold volumes and proportions. All still managed to translate the iconic Chanel form with every aspect of the house atelier’s skill and craftsmanship given appreciation and space to shine brightly. There was also cinematic and emotional romanticism. Toward the end, a voice sang, “I would run away with you.” And truly, as the last model walked away with generous joie de vivre, who wouldn’t want to run away with Matthieu and Coco today?

Dior: Jonathan Anderson

Simon Longland, director of buying, fashion at Harrods

Anderson’s debut at Dior marks a revolution rather than an evolution. The show was a collection of contrasts — couture against everyday ease, femininity with androgyny, covered versus sheer. Striking in its modernity, youthful energy and elegant ease, the collection reimagined Dior’s most iconic codes through Anderson’s singular lens. His update of the Bar jacket and skirt will undoubtedly be on countless wish lists, setting the tone for a bold new chapter at Dior.

Benjamin Simmenauer, professor and director of research at the Institut Français de la Mode in Paris

As expected, Anderson has brought more geometry and edgy sculptural volumes, as well as a play on proportions (mini Bar jackets the length of a crop top), to the Dior universe. It is less easy and brainier than his immediate predecessor. He seems to have tapped again into the 1948 collections: We see the same [references] of the Delft dress and the Caprice ensembles as in the menswear presented last June. And, like in June, a batch of commercial pieces also (notably in denim). For me, the most interesting are the newest components and especially this deconstructed Bar jacket and all these knots, which evoke couture.…There is a lot to see, which is not surprising: Anderson has to integrate many dimensions — the Dior heritage, his own legacy from Loewe, the British accent he puts on Dior, the men’s and women’s collections’ consistency and the promise of haute couture, which he never touched before.

Gucci: Demna

Barbara Franchin, president of Fondazione ITS and founder of ITS Contest and ITS Arcademy

I have always loved Demna’s storytelling ability, and this idea of a Gucci “family” is a clear representation of that, with a touch of irony and retro sexiness filtered through a more instinctive, emotional approach. If you go past the archive tribute, there are strong shoulders, dramatic silhouettes, clashing fabrics and that overarching idea Demna masters: Fashion isn’t here only to please us, it’s here to move us, to make us question the world and see it from another perspective. Some of these looks are easy, others make you uncomfortable. We’re not yet witnessing the revolution, but it is as if Demna is inviting us to take notes and find the evidence of things to come. Don’t be fooled, there is intention. What strikes me is the designer Demna is today. My eyes still see that twentysomething talent who arrived at ITS Contest in 2004 and won Collection of the Year. I see that intensity, that poetry, a romantic soul looking at the world. Yet now, after years of conceptual provocation and technical growth, one can tell he wants to make clothes that feel good in real life — pieces that carry emotion, pleasure, surprise. It’s a new direction for him, not just for Gucci. It is never just about fashion with Demna. That’s why, for me, it’s a 10.

Christos Garkinos, chief executive officer and founder of Covet by Christos

Overall, I liked what I saw — but I think this is more a teaser of Demna’s future at Gucci than a definitive statement of direction. The references are clear: Tom Ford, Alessandro [Michele] and, of course, his own Balenciaga DNA. There’s something here for everyone, which is exactly the point of a first outing. What I’ll be watching closely is which of these “characters” he chooses to elevate in the seasons ahead, and how he defines a new Gucci narrative from them. Personally, I loved the 1960s touches — look 2 is a standout — and there’s no question stylists are already vying for that star black gown for their clients. Smartly, Demna hasn’t overplayed his hand. By keeping the field wide open, he ensures that the audience is left wanting more. And in fashion, that’s the best first move you can make.

Loewe: Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez 

Roopal Patel, senior vice president, fashion director, Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus 

Loewe’s latest collection has a new vibe, with Jack and Lazaro infusing their signature New York attitude into the house codes. Highlights included sculpted leather jackets and dresses, the minimalist sleek cuts and the layered scarf dress. Standout accessories included the bucket bag and the multilayer flamenco clutch. The result was a show that felt luxe.

Maud Pupato, buying director for luxury womenswear, accessories and footwear at Printemps

At the entrance of the show a geometric bicolor artwork from Ellsworth Kelly set up the tone, creating a consistency with Loewe former designer Jonathan Anderson’s show. Jack and Lazaro are color masters and managed to successfully play around with the brand’s codes while imposing their blueprint: accumulation, subtle ruffles, long dresses, smart layering. I feel a true respect for the past honoring the work of Jonathan Anderson, while projecting the brand into the future. The leather pieces are very sharp, from outerwear to bags, which is one of Loewe’s strengths. Jackets impose a feminine silhouette styled with the right dose of modernity. Standing ovation for this promising debut.

Versace: Dario Vitale

Anna Lottersberger, managing director and dean at Ferrari Fashion School

Dario Vitale has been flirting with the lascivious spirit of Versace — its mischievous glamour — without falling into a literal homage to the archive, and that’s something I appreciate. We can all sense his bourgeois “upbringings” in some of the volumes and styling, but the prints, metallic appliqués, inlaid leather patterns, knit variations and shiny finishings reveal a compelling exploration of color and material. The show leaves me hungry for more.

Cameron Silver, founder of Decades Inc.

The collection was fresh while being deeply rooted in the vintage icons of Gianni Versace. Because the brand has not had a particularly distinctive point of view for several seasons, Dario Vitale successfully mixed it up with very retro references, a youthful exuberance, and separated his point of view from his predecessor, Donatella. It was very casual, Miami-chic, and the glamour of the brand was diluted since evening looks didn’t appear on the runway. Vitale definitely paid homage to Gianni Versace’s heyday with the primary colored high-waisted jeans (straight out of Jeans Couture), belts with gilt hardware, passive scarf print references and exaggerated shoulders. The codes of Versace are very strong and Vitale manipulated the familiar in a playful way. His Versace is quirky and sexy. This “nerd” element is distinctive and breaks way from the Gianni and Donatella eras.