BAZAAR breaks down the most anticipated creative director debuts for Spring/Summer 2026

It’s been a tumultuous year for the world of fashion. At the beginning of the year, creative directors were departing from their roles en masse, leaving a power vacuum at the top of the biggest fashion houses. It was a major industry shakeup–one that was mostly resolved by the summer as fashion’s nail-biting game of musical chairs came to an end, with creative directors reshuffled and officially beginning work on their debut collections at their new roles. As expected, speculations and predictions on how each designer would fare at their new roles ran rampant in the lead-up to Spring/Summer 2026 showcases.

So, how did these new creative directors do at their respective debuts?

First, it’s important to understand what matters when reviewing a collection: artistry, loyalty to the brand’s heritage, and commercial viability. Overall, the creative directors were successful in bringing their own design language to the forefront, differentiating themselves from their predecessors without straying too far from the houses’ history and distinctive styles. Making bigger moves, Dario Vitale set himself apart by diving deep into Versace’s 1980s archives, reinterpreting Gianni Versace’s bold and outrageous aesthetic for the modern day.

For others, such as Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez at Loewe and Pierpaolo Piccioli at Balenciaga, the approach to world-building was a bit more understated; they whet the appetite for where they will be taking the brand in the next few seasons. Flying under the radar are the impressively seamless transitions of Glenn Martens at Maison Margiela, Simone Bellotti at Jil Sander, and Miguel Castro Freitas at Mugler.

Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez present layers upon layers for their first Loewe collection

However, the conversation on the business of fashion rings loudest. It is clear that saleability is one of the most pressing factors on these creative directors’ minds. This may not be a big change for Jonathan Anderson, whose commercial mindedness has landed him at the helm of LVMH’s Dior showing his first womenswear collection to close off Paris Fashion Week, but many have followed suit.

Matthieu Blazy’s out-of-this-world, galaxy-themed staging at the Grand Palais housed realistic designs, from the essential white button-downs by historic French shirtmaker Charvet to lightweight tweed suits and drop waist flowing dresses.

At Bottega Veneta, Louise Trotter uses the same strategy she employed at her previous stint at Carven that turned the brand’s fortunes around: presenting intentional and functional designs for women. Notably, even Demna took it down several notches for Gucci, paring down the voluminous silhouettes and provocative streetwear aesthetics in favour of more wearable, elegant pieces. 

As part of this shift in priorities, the big push for bags, shoes and accessories is stronger than ever. There are offerings for the everyday working woman; Michael Rider at Celine introduces the spacious New Luggage bag, Blazy presents the Chanel XXL Flap bag, and Jonathan Anderson collaborates once again with Nina Christen to create playful but practical shoes.

Remarkably, even cynics who can see this commercial effort for what it is must admit that this new class of designers attack the challenge with enough thought, creativity and even whimsy to get away with it. 

Needless to say, it has been an eventful year for fashion, with the debut of these creative directors at its climax. A happy ending to this chaotic chapter, there is definitely a sense that calm and balance is restored and everyone is where they should be–at least, for now! 

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