Of all the changes at design houses, Matthieu Blazy's move to Chanel is perhaps the most anticipated. Photo: Chanel
Of all the changes at design houses, Matthieu Blazy's move to Chanel is perhaps the most anticipated. Photo: Chanel
Of all the changes at design houses, Matthieu Blazy's move to Chanel is perhaps the most anticipated. Photo: Chanel
Of all the changes at design houses, Matthieu Blazy's move to Chanel is perhaps the most anticipated. Photo: Chanel

Fashion’s creative overhaul: 15 designers in new roles across the Big Four fashion weeks


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New York Fashion Week spring/summer 2026 kicks off on September 11, opening the new Big Four season across New York, London, Milan and Paris.

Fashion thrives on change, but this season is unprecedented: 15 designers will deliver debut collections in new roles.

Some may feel niche to a Middle Eastern audience — Nicholas Aburn at AREA, for instance — but many shifts are era-defining. Jonathan Anderson is making his women’s ready-to-wear debut at Christian Dior, where he now oversees men’s, women’s and haute couture as the first designer in decades to hold all three. That means at least 10 shows a year, each scrutinised under Dior’s fierce spotlight.

British designer Jonathan Anderson will debut his women's ready-to-wear collection for Dior, during Paris Fashion Week, spring-summer 2026. EPA
British designer Jonathan Anderson will debut his women's ready-to-wear collection for Dior, during Paris Fashion Week, spring-summer 2026. EPA

Replacing Anderson at Loewe is design duo Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough, founders of Proenza Schouler, who have decamped from New York to Paris. Their departure opens the way for Jamaican designer Rachel Scott to step in at Proenza, alongside her own label Diotima.

Industry veteran Pierpaolo Piccioli will be showing his first collection for the storied Spanish name of Balenciaga, nearly 18 months after leaving Valentino.

With 25 years of experience across ready-to-wear and haute couture at Valentino, he is seen as a return to elegance for Balenciaga, after 10 somewhat notorious years led by Georgian designer Demna, who embraced oversized streetwear for the house.

Donatella Versace has stepped aside from her family's label, with new creative director Dario Vitale to show his first collection, during Milan Fashion Week spring/summer 2026. AFP
Donatella Versace has stepped aside from her family's label, with new creative director Dario Vitale to show his first collection, during Milan Fashion Week spring/summer 2026. AFP

Demna, meanwhile, has shifted across to stable-mate company Gucci, for whom he will deliver his first collection in a couple of weeks.

His arrival comes at a crucial time for parent company Kering, which hopes he can ignite the same buzz as his tenure at Balenciaga.

Other changes include Duran Lantinks at Jean Paul Gaultier, ending its era of rotating guest designers; Miguel Castro Freitas at Mugler; Mark Thomas at Carven; and Dario Vitale at Versace, the house’s first non-family creative chief, already teased at Venice by Julia Roberts and Amanda Seyfried. Donatella Versace steps into the role of chief brand ambassador at the company, that was acquired by Prada in April.

Industry veteran Pierpaolo Piccioli is expected to bring back old-school elegance at Balenciaga. Photo: Balenciaga
Industry veteran Pierpaolo Piccioli is expected to bring back old-school elegance at Balenciaga. Photo: Balenciaga

Simone Bellotti will reveal his first Jil Sander collection, while Louise Trotter outlines her vision for Bottega Veneta.

And in what may be the season’s biggest shift, Matthieu Blazy moves to Chanel, taking over from Virginie Viard. Having previously transformed Bottega Veneta, his arrival at Chanel — arguably fashion’s most consequential role — is expected to herald an entirely new era. His show, closing Paris Fashion Week, carries the full weight of Parisian expectation.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
If you go...

Etihad flies daily from Abu Dhabi to Zurich, with fares starting from Dh2,807 return. Frequent high speed trains between Zurich and Vienna make stops at St. Anton.

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

Employment lawyer Meriel Schindler of Withers Worldwide shares her tips on achieving equal pay
 
Do your homework
Make sure that you are being offered a fair salary. There is lots of industry data available, and you can always talk to people who have come out of the organisation. Where I see people coming a cropper is where they haven’t done their homework.
 
Don’t be afraid to negotiate

It’s quite standard to negotiate if you think an offer is on the low side. The job is unlikely to be withdrawn if you ask for money, and if that did happen I’d question whether you want to work for an employer who is so hypersensitive.
 
Know your worth
Women tend to be a bit more reticent to talk about their achievements. In my experience they need to have more confidence in their own abilities – men will big up what they’ve done to get a pay rise, and to compete women need to turn up the volume.
 
Work together
If you suspect men in your organisation are being paid more, look your boss in the eye and say, “I want you to assure me that I’m paid equivalent to my peers”. If you’re not getting a straight answer, talk to your peer group and consider taking direct action to fix inequality.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULT

Al Hilal 4 Persepolis 0
Khribin (31', 54', 89'), Al Shahrani 40'
Red card: Otayf (Al Hilal, 49')

The specs

Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder MHEV

Power: 360bhp

Torque: 500Nm

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Price: from Dh282,870

On sale: now

The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

UAE tour of Zimbabwe

All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – UAE won by 36 runs
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I

World Cricket League Division 2

In Windhoek, Namibia - Top two teams qualify for the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, which starts on March 4.

UAE fixtures

Thursday February 8, v Kenya; Friday February 9, v Canada; Sunday February 11, v Nepal; Monday February 12, v Oman; Wednesday February 14, v Namibia; Thursday February 15, final

The specs

Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder

Transmission: 7-speed auto

0-100kmh 2.3 seconds

0-200kmh 5.5 seconds

0-300kmh 11.6 seconds

Power: 1500hp

Torque: 1600Nm

Price: Dh13,400,000

On sale: now

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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Liverpool's all-time goalscorers

Ian Rush 346
Roger Hunt 285
Mohamed Salah 250
Gordon Hodgson 241
Billy Liddell 228

Company Profile

Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million

The National in Davos

We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.

Updated: September 10, 2025, 12:02 PM