The Devil Wears Prada 2 Trailer: Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep and Emily Blunt Return with Runway Magazine

 Gird your loins. 20th Century Studios has unveiled its first glimpse of “The Devil Wears Prada 2.”

Almost twenty years after making their iconic turns as Miranda, Andy, Emily and Nigel—Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci return to the fashionable streets of New York City and the sleek offices of Runway Magazine in the eagerly awaited sequel to the 2006 phenomenon that defined a generation.

The film reunites the original main cast with director David Frankel and writer Aline Brosh McKenna, and introduces an all-new runway of characters including Kenneth Branagh, Simone Ashley, Jus`n Theroux, Lucy Liu, Patrick Brammall, Caleb Hearon, Helen J. Shen, Pauline Chalamet, B.J. Novak and Conrad Ricamora. Tracie Thoms and Tibor Feldman also reprise their roles as “Lily” and “Irv” from the first film.

“The Devil Wears Prada 2” is produced by Wendy Finerman, and execu`ve produced by Michael Bederman, Karen Rosenfelt and McKenna. The film debuts exclusively in theaters May 1, 2026.

SYNOPSIS

Twenty years after making their iconic turns as Miranda, Andy, Emily and Nigel—Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci return to the fashionable streets of New York City and the sleek offices of Runway Magazine in 20th Century Studios’ “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” the eagerly

awaited sequel to the 2006 phenomenon that defined a generation. The film is directed by David Frankel, written by Aline Brosh McKenna, produced by Wendy Finerman, and executive produced by Michael Bederman, Karen Rosenfelt and Aline Brosh McKenna.

Title: “The Devil Wears Prada 2”

Launch: May 1, 2026

Category: Drama/Comedy

Cast: Meryl Streep (Miranda), Anne Hathaway (Andy), Emily Blunt (Emily),

Justin Theroux, Lucy Liu, Simone Ashley, Patrick Brammall, Caleb Hearon,

Helen J. Shen, Pauline Chalamet, B.J. Novak, Conrad Ricamora, Tracie

Thoms, Tibor Feldman, with Kenneth Branagh and Stanley Tucci (Nigel)

Directed by: David Frankel

Written by: Aline Brosh McKenna

Produced by: Wendy Finerman

Executive Producers: Michael Bederman, Karen Rosenfelt, Aline Brosh McKenna

Production Company: 20th Century Studios

Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci at Dolce&Gabbana show

Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci at Dolce&Gabbana show “When Fiction Becomes Fashion”. Story by Eleonora de Gray, Editor-in-Chief of RUNWAY MAGAZINE. Photo Courtesy: GettyImages / @iude @_artaurus_.

We have always known that fashion is theater—an illusion, a performance, a staged verdict. But seldom has the stage itself stepped into the spotlight. On September 27, 2025, at Dolce & Gabbana’s Milan theater, the real and the fictional coalesced: Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci, inhabiting once again the legendary characters of Miranda Priestly and Nigel, sat front row, their gaze mastering the silhouettes that passed. And suddenly, our stories were not just told—they were lived.

A Runway Within the Runway

The Dolce & Gabbana Spring Summer 2026 collection was already a play of paradoxes—lingerie as outerwear, pajama silks reimagined for the boulevard, intimacy displayed as grandeur. Into this mise-en-scène entered Priestly, inscrutable behind her sunglasses, Nigel at her side.

This was not acting. It was embodiment. The presence of Priestly in a real-world show blurred every boundary: fiction became documentary, performance became history. The audience did not simply see characters; they experienced the cultural mythology of The Devil Wears Prada grafted onto a live fashion event.

The Seal of Authority

Why did this moment reverberate beyond mere promotion for a sequel? Because it reminded the world of what fashion is at its core: judgment, authority, and narrative power.

Miranda Priestly may have been written as fiction, but her influence became real. Her aura crystallized an archetype: the editor not merely as observer, but as institution. Runway Magazine—the name chosen in the film as the fictional counterpart to our own—was not parody but prophecy. What began as cinematic shorthand has since merged with reality, with Runway Magazine standing as both symbol and institution: the place where fashion’s authority is recorded, debated, and canonized.

The presence of Priestly and Nigel at Dolce & Gabbana therefore did not borrow from reality. It returned to it.

Fashion as Cultural Manuscript

Supported by Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce, who invited this crossing of worlds into their theater, the act became more than marketing. It became a cultural manuscript. The runway here was no longer fabric and silhouette alone—it became text, layered with references, judgments, histories, and mythologies.

Runway as Institution, Not Illusion

This is why the moment belongs not only to cinema or promotion, but to fashion history. Because Runway is not an invention. It is not a script. It is not a role. Runway is the record, the stage, the institution that has shaped fashion’s narrative for three decades.

When Streep adjusted her glasses as Priestly, it was more than method acting. It was a tacit acknowledgment of Runway Magazine’s permanence—a cultural mirror too sharp to be dismissed as fiction.

Toward the Sequel, Toward the Future

The aftershow cocktail, where Streep and Tucci mingled with Stefano and Domenico, was not simply a celebration of cinema’s return. It was a ceremony of acknowledgment: that fashion houses and Hollywood alike recognize the power of this narrative to endure.

The upcoming Devil Wears Prada sequel is inevitable in its cultural weight, because it builds on what was always more than entertainment. It builds on the very institution of fashion authority. And Runway Magazine stands at the center of this axis—between film and fashion, history and future, perception and reality.

Closing Line

On that September night in Milan, fiction bowed to reality. Priestly was never just a role. Nigel was never just comic relief. They were, and remain, reflections of the living institution of fashion—Runway Magazine, where the line between storytelling and authority vanishes, and where every season is already history.

L’Oreal x Kering Deal

L’Oreal x Kering Deal “KERING SELLS THE SCENT OF SURVIVAL”. Story by Eleonora de Gray, Editor-in-Chief of RUNWAY MAGAZINE. Photo Courtesy: Kering.

There’s a golden rule in luxury business management, neatly outlined in nearly every CEO’s manual on corporate damage control:

When cash bleeds and your legacy is wheezing, sell the perfume.

Preferably to L’Oréal.

And Kering just did exactly that.

On October 19, 2025, Kering announced with near-theatrical grandeur a “strategic partnership” with L’Oréal, sealing off its beauty division in exchange for a €4 billion consolation prize. The sale includes The House of Creed — its only true niche perfume gem — and 50-year licenses (yes, fifty, not fifteen) to develop and distribute fragrances for Gucci, Bottega Veneta, and Balenciaga. That’s not a handshake — that’s a surrender with royalties.

Let’s decode this:

Creed? Gone.

Future Gucci perfumes? Made by L’Oréal.

Balenciaga’s eau de scandal? L’Oréal.

The next Bottega Veneta scent? Still L’Oréal.

Kering, in effect, is stepping out of the vanity room and hoping no one notices the scent of desperation trailing behind.

The Real Story Behind the Glossy Release

Luca de Meo, freshly instated as Kering’s new CEO (a man with actual automotive and tech strategy credentials, not just a legacy name), described the deal as “a decisive step.” And he’s right — decisively late. The house of Pinault has been limping ever since François-Henri Pinault doubled down on a series of self-inflicted wounds:

• Balenciaga’s PR implosion (no introduction needed),
• Gucci’s identity crisis (Alessandro Michele and Sabato De Sarno are out, Demna Gvasalia is in, and the brand still has no idea who it’s dressing),
• A general aesthetic freefall that’s driven high-value customers — and investors — to the competition.

And now, the final bell: monetizing the only consistently profitable arm left — fragrance and cosmetics. Because when couture starts burning, you bottle up what still sells and hand it to someone who knows how to distribute mass luxury.

L'Oreal x Kering - Nicolas Hieronimus and Luca de Meo

L'Oreal x Kering - Nicolas Hieronimus and Luca de Meo

This Isn’t Innovation. It’s Liquidation.

L’Oréal, ever the savvy predator in the beauty jungle, wasted no time. Let’s not forget:

• It devoured YSL Beauté in 2008 (after Gucci Group originally owned it).
• Snatched Mugler fragrances and Azzaro from Clarins in 2019.
• Bought Aēsop from Natura in 2023 for $2.5 billion.

And now Creed — the one house with enough gravitas to sit alongside L’Oréal Luxe’s other prize possessions like Lancôme, Armani Beauty, and Valentino.

In other words: when L’Oréal sees a sinking ship, it doesn’t offer a lifeboat — it buys the cargo and sails off.

Damage Control Masquerading as a Partnership

The press release tries to perfume over the rot with fluffy language: “exploring wellness,” “unlocking long-term potential,” “combining innovation capabilities.”

Translation?

L’Oréal will make money.

Kering will make excuses.

The pitch about a “joint venture” in longevity and wellness is a polite afterthought — a fancy way of saying, “We’re trying to stay relevant, please give us five more years.”

And those 50-year licenses? That’s practically forever in luxury terms. No brand bets that far ahead unless they’re exiting the category altogether.

When Heritage Becomes Overhead

This isn’t the first time a luxury group folded its cards:

• Stella McCartney’s beauty license bounced between LVMH and independent hands.
• Prada once let Puig handle all fragrance development before trying (and failing) to bring it in-house.
• Burberry, in a moment of rare clarity, pulled its perfume business back from Interparfums in 2017 — and its profits soared.

Kering did the opposite. It exited the only division that made sense... and sell.

Because this isn’t about innovation.

It’s about hemorrhaging less.

And hoping no one notices the blood under the eau de toilette.

Final Notes (Base, not Top)

When the family scion steps down and the automotive fix-it guy steps in, the boardroom doesn’t smell like creativity — it smells like risk mitigation.

LVMH isn’t exactly quaking in its Berluti loafers due to being totally isolated from public. Kering is playing catch-up while selling off its best catch.

If this is the future of luxury, someone hand us a sample vial of the past. We’ll take the full bottle, vintage sealed, from a time when luxury meant art, craftsmanship, and leadership… not liquidation.

Michael Kors Spring 2023 New York Runway

Michael Kors Spring Summer 2023 New York Runway. Anne Hathaway attended the show as Andy from Devil Wears Prada. Story by RUNWAY MAGAZINE. Photo Courtesy: Michael Kors / GettyImages.

Michael Kors presented Spring Summer 2023, or perhaps resort summer collection today dedicated as always to New York. He defined this collection as a tribute to polish and sleek elegance of big city.

Urban Resort – that is how Michael Kors defined his new collection. With a runway that juxtaposed the sleekness of the city with greenery inspired by a resort getaway, the show celebrated the fusion of urbanity and nature. Big city polish juxtaposed with relaxed resort glamour, which premiered live this morning on a palm-lined on New York Runway.

Anne Hathaway attended the show, and probably without a special impression she took look of Andy from Devil Wears Prada. Massive comments about this comic appearance blow all social media networks. And yes, she stole the show.

Anne Hathaway as Andy from Devil Wears Prada, Anna Wintour at Michael Kors Spring Summer 2023 New York Runway

The Starbucks coffee mug is noted under the seat of Anna Wintour… Did Andy bring it to her?

Michael Kors Spring Summer 2023 New York Runway Magazine

Michael Kors Spring Summer 2023 New York Runway Magazine

Michael Kors Spring Summer 2023 New York Runway Magazine

Read MORE and see ALL LOOKS Michael Kors Spring Summer 2023 New York Runway HERE

25th Anniversary Fendi Baguette New York show

25th Anniversary Fendi Baguette New York show. Fendi Resort 2023. Story by Eleonora de Gray, Editor-in-Chief of RUNWAY MAGAZINE.

To celebrate 25 years Fendi Baguette Silvia Venturini Fendi decided to bring fabulous Fendi Spring 2023 show in New York City. The show took place at historic Hammerstein Ballroom, at Manhattan Center. Her show was not part of New York Fashion Week, even though it was a first day of the fashion week Spring Summer 2023 season. 

The house unveiled a special fashion show spotlighting iterations of the Iconic style designed by Silvia Venturini Fendi and Kim Jones in collaboration with Marc Jacobs, Tiffany and Co, Porter Yoshida and Sarah Jessica Parker.

“It was a special day when I designed this bag; the stars aligned. The horoscope said it was a Fendi day,” – said Silvia Venturini Fendi

“I didn’t want to do a traditional ‘collection’ for the anniversary. Rather it’s a celebration of a time, of the moment the Baguette became famous. I relate that time to a sense of freedom in excess and fun – both qualities the Baguette possesses,” – said Kim Jones, Artistic Director of Womenswear, Fendi.

“I’ve got one word: Fendiroma. And it is one word! It is another land, this Fendiroma… And I’ve got two words: The Baguette. It’s a bag – and I am never one to shy away from an iconic bag,” – said Marc Jacobs, Creative Director and Founder, Marc Jacobs.

At once interpretations and celebrations of the Baguette in this 25th Anniversary year, the collections of Kim Jones and Silvia Venturini Fendi at Fendi, Marc Jacobs, Tiffany & Co, Sarah Jessica Parker and Porter pay tribute to the bag and the city in which its place in pop culture history was sealed – New York.

See Fendi Baguette all collection of bags from the show HERE.

See all celebrities, Sarah Jessica Parker, Linda Evangelista, Marc Jacobs, Kim Kardashian, Kim Jones, Grace Jones who came to celebrate 25th anniversary Fendi Baguette HERE.

Moved Sarah Jessica Parker said that “I finally left the house and landed in Fendi wonderland. Our top secret collaboration on the iconic Fendi baguette was revealed on the runway tonight, and four colorways are due to arrive sparkly and ready just in time for the holidays. This eve I got to Carrie/carry the lavender delight. The whole show was a feast.”

Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Kardashian at 25 years Fendi Baguette Runway Magazine

Linda Evangelista at 25 years Fendi Baguette Runway Magazine

Taking inspiration from the object itself, a moment in time, as well as the spirit and geography of place, the Baguette is realised in a multiplicity of ways, both in terms of clothing and accessories, reflecting the maker as much as the iconic item, while never neglecting the enjoyment and sense of celebration for the wearer.

In this rough-cut romance between uptown and downtown, luxury and utility, excess and reality, the Baguette and the clothing and accessories it inspires are at once defined as a moment in history and part of a continuum with today.

For Fendi, the essential utility of the bag becomes a multi-pocketed motif, migrating throughout the collection. The unmistakable Baguette dimensions made mini and micro pockets, appearing on parkas to gaiters, roving all over the body, covering gloves, hats, skirts, sweaters and, of course, the bag itself in one of its new iterations. In contrast and cohesion, a sense of hyper-luxe and glossy glamour pervades the collection – the Baguette is not entirely utilitarian after all. Those gaiters are made from silk satin, that parka shaved mink or glossy leather; a stratification of sequins and biased cut silks are often layered beneath, adding a shimmer of art deco allure.

For Marc Jacobs, grand dimensions from another time are contrasted with the humble origins of today and in so doing banish notions of costume in his collection. A reflection of the glittering and gritty New York cityscape the casual is made formal in parachute train skirts, balloon-backed broken denim jackets, rustling cellophane opera capes and fluro recycled fur stoles and hats. The glitter of rhinestones, silver, and fluro yellow pervades, becoming an almost literal example of ‘local colour’; inspired by the glass frontages and workman’s safety vests to be found on the city’s streets.

Exaggerated, platformed and oversized, the take on the Baguette itself also shares something of these silhouettes’ grand gestures – elongated and gleaming, replete with multiple mini versions of itself attached. ‘Fendi at Tiffany’s’ might be the name for the meeting of these two grand edifices. Here, the storied New York institution takes on the Baguette and reimagines it in its most precious of forms, through its use of sterling silver, enamel, croco, white gold and diamonds.

The T and the F complement each other in logo white gold fastenings, encrusted in diamonds while shining crocodile takes on the hue of Tiffany Blue – a colour which also irresistibly permeates the Fendi clothing palette. Perhaps most startling of all is an unprecedented Baguette made entirely of stippled sterling silver. Crafted by hand over a period of four months by the Tiffany artisans, the bag is engraved with lilies and roses – the national flower of Italy and New York State, respectively. It is also the first of Fendi’s ‘Hand in Hand’ partnerships to come from outside Italy and is a measure of Tiffany & Co’s superlative

craftsmanship.

“It’s not a bag, it’s a Baguette,” declared Sarah Jessica Parker in Sex and the City and the pop apotheosis of the Baguette was complete. It is a statement that is also inscribed inside each of SJP’s capsule bags, or rather Baguettes. Designed alongside SVF (that’s Silvia Venturini Fendi), embroidered in degradé sequins with a palette of purple, wasabi, baby pink or soft blue, the bags feature four interchangeable buckles to suit the wearer’s mood.

In contrast, the supreme utility of the Japanese luggage brand Porter, gives the Baguette a decidedly masculine bent. Known for their hard-wearing bonded nylon – that nevertheless exudes beauty and luxury – together with precision Japanese craftsmanship, here lightness and functionality are key. The Porter collection is also a proponent of one of the Baguette’s latest incarnations: the Bum Baguette.

25 years Fendi Baguette New York Show - Fendi Resort 2023 Runway Magazine

25 years Fendi Baguette New York Show - Fendi Resort 2023 Runway Magazine

25 years Fendi Baguette New York Show - Fendi Resort 2023 Runway Magazine

25 years Fendi Baguette New York Show - Fendi Resort 2023 Runway Magazine

25 years Fendi Baguette New York Show - Fendi Resort 2023 Runway Magazine

25 years Fendi Baguette New York Show - Fendi Resort 2023 Runway Magazine

Photo Courtesy: Fendi / GettyImages

Haute Couture Fall Winter 2022-2023 Best of

Haute Couture Fall Winter 2022-2023 Best of.

Dior Haute Couture Fall 2022-2023 folklore and tradition “From Ukraine with love”.

The tree of life is at the heart of Ukrainian artist Olesia Trofymenko’s work, and the starting point for the Dior fall winter 2022-2023 Haute Couture collection designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri. Painting and embroidery give an emotional charge to this image that is a symbol for different far-flung cultures and mythologies.

Dior Haute Couture Fall 2022-2023 Runway Magazine

Chanel Haute Couture Fall Winter 2022-2023 “Blurring reality”. 

Virginie Viard, artistic director of Chanel invited artist Xavier Veilhan to collaborate for this collection. He made a film with blurred dog, car and the shark, featuring himself alongside Chanel ambassador Charlotte Casiraghi, musician Sebastien Tellier and model Vivienne Rohner. Virginie Viard adored this fantasy universe, populated by animals and playfully shaped objects.

Chanel Haute Couture Fall Winter 2022-2023 Runway Magazine

Giorgio Armani Privé Fall Winter 2022-2023 explores realism, a distinctive trait within Giorgio Armani’s style, always filtered through his personal vision and interpreted through refined art, is a constant presence in a collection that arises from the need to give new space to sparkle and frivolity, offering an escape into dreams and creativity.

Giorgio Armani Prive Haute Couture Fall Winter 2022-2023 Runway Magazine

Balenciaga Couture Fall 2022-2023 “Latex on, latex off and Daft Punk forever”. 

Black, faceless, masked, and latexed Balenciaga couture collection 51 presented today by Demna Gvasalia / Demna of Destruction. This show was some sort of kaleidoscope of disorder, peasant jean looks as a reminded of Levi’s prisoner uniform from the beginning of XX century in California, known today as model 501, Daft Punk helmets, fabulous pieces from the archives by Cristóbal Balenciaga, founder of the house. Today it is all Couture according to Demna. But where’s Couture, where’s Balenciaga? And let’s hope he credited Tony Gardner, the original creator of this fabulous glossy helmets / headpieces.

On the runway we saw Kim Kardashian, Nicole Kidman, Bella Hadid, Dua Lipa and Naomi Campbell. Latex on, latex off approach and Daft Punk forever!

Balenciaga Couture Fall Winter 2022-2023 Runway Magazine

Elie Saab Haute Couture Fall Winter 2022-2023 “The Beginning of Twilight” . 

Another collection of Elie Saab with voluminous shiluettes and beads…. lots and lots of beads. Read carpet dresses more and more becoming “Stay Home” dress-robes. It is another collection of Elie Saab we all know. You’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. Elie Saab enveloped the mystery, and we wrapped it up.

Elie Saab Haute Couture Fall 2022-2023 Runway Magazine

Zuhair Murad Haute Couture Fall 2022-2023 “Hamsa, ever watching eye”.

This is one of the most beautiful stories told at this Haute Couture fashion week in Paris. Zuhair Murad in every creation told a magic story about hamsa, tarot, horoscope, mystery of birth. Each and every pieces was embroidered or painted with one story.

Inspired by the ethereal art of Daria Hlazatova, Zuhair Murad engenders a collection in which cryptic and complex symbols prevail. Here immeasurable stars abound; elsewhere, myriad eyes, windows to the soul, draw benevolence and purity. A prominent place is reserved for the eye in a part of the collection, whether allowing moonlight to filter through silver embroidery, or centered on the fabrics, gathering its folds with absolute tenderness.

Zuhair Murad Haute Couture Fall 2022-2023 Runway Magazine

Jean Paul Gaultier Couture by Olivier Rousteing Fall Winter 2022-2023.

What exactly Olivier Rousteing did with archives of Jean Paul Gaultier? Or even better, what exactly he created out of iconic pieces of Jean Paul Gaultier? Well, nothing. Absolutely nothing! He simply recreated them – he is so good at recreation… although it was NOT an idea…

Master of copy, Olivier Rousteing was invited officially to see the archives and re-fresh the looks of Jean Paul Gaultier. He is a master of reproducing. “Jean Paul such big inspiration,” – said Olivier Rousteing, and getting into his archives such great possibilities for copy, I might add. We only can imagine how he feels, like a little boy in a candy factory. Rather than visiting libraries, taking pictures of the famous looks from old magazines, as he did for years, and reproducing them, Olivier Rousteing got the access to the archives.

Jean Paul Gaultier by Olivier Rousteing - Couture Fall 2022 Runway Magazine

Fendi Haute Couture Fall Winter 2022-2023 “Rome in a global context”. 

“This season, I wanted to step away from Rome, or at least I wanted to place Rome in a global context,” says Kim Jones, Artistic Director of Couture and Womenswear. “In this collection, we are looking at fragments of different cities, namely Kyoto, Paris and Rome. The fragmentary nature of things is echoed throughout the collection, like snatches of memory or the impression of things past, present and future.”

This season Jones and the craftspeople of the Fendi ateliers approach the couture collection as a palimpsest, where iterations, transparencies and fragments of the past go to make up the present and move subtly into the future.

Fendi Haute Couture Fall Winter 2022-2023 Runway Magazine

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Podcast Color Expertise

Podcast Color Expertise. Episodes about the history and values of the colors. Podcast recorded with help of the new Text-to-Speech technologies and artificial voice. Listen to the Articles by Guillaumette Duplaix, Color Specialist, Executive Director, Global Editor-at Large at RUNWAY MAGAZINE.

RUNWAY MAGAZINE PODCAST Color Expertise

Haute Couture 2022 Fashion Week

Haute Couture 2022 Fashion Week. Review by Eleonora de Gray, Editor-in-Chief of RUNWAY MAGAZINE

Haute Couture Spring Summer 2022 fashion week Top News Headlines

• Thierry Mugler died night before Haute Couture fashion week.
• Schiaparelli presented “flat” couture, or “Schip” show of reproduced looks of Pierre Cardin, Thierry Mugler, and Jean Paul Gaultier, claiming that these looks are unique and invented by Daniel Roseberry, creative director. Images of “re-invented” famous looks of Pierre Cardin compared to the new looks of Daniel Roseberry for Schiaparelli flooded social media networks.
• Schiaparelli presented its new collection to PurnHub Producer Kanye West, assumingly that these pieces will soon be used in his production.
• Kanye West came to several fashion shows of menswear and Haute Couture with black pantyhose over head, as a bank robber from 1980s. That made huge laugh all over United States and pinned by Snoop Dogg and Kevin Hart. Apparently Kanye West wanted to match his ex-wife Kim Kardashian look, who was suppose to come for Haute Couture fashion week (cancelled at last moment). She appeared in black outfit made for her by Demna Gvasalia, creative director of Balenciaga, for Met Gala 2021.

Haute Couture Spring Summer 2022 review by RUNWAY MAGAZINE - Top News Headlines - Dior, Chanel, Valentino, Pharrell Williams

Scandal - Kanye West, Kim Kardashian at Paris Fashion Week 2022

• On the occasion of Paris Fashion Week Haute Couture, “On Aura Tout Vu” (“We’ve seen it all”) presented “Haute Couture” sex-toys and showed them at their show “Superheroes”. The brand is entitled to use “Haute Couture” term for its production, as this brand is accepted by Fédération française de la couture (French fashion federation) as Haute couture invited guest and member. Haute Couture brand presented sex-toys as “Haute Couture” accessories to the media and during their show. Federation of Haute Couture didn’t express their opinion, didn’t put any ban on this production and use the “Haute Couture” name for sex-toys. For the last couple of years Federation of Haute Couture accepted as invited guests to present at Haute Couture fashion week the designers who have no connection to production in France, or don’t comply even with one requirement, or don’t have any production at all.
• Federation of Haute Couture accepted Ralph Rucci (American designer) as part of the official calendar of The Federation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, to present this season…. This designer never had production in France, he didn’t use any French atelier of métier d’art (ateliers of handmade crafts). In fact, this designer presented his old “collection” of drawings he did in 1990-2000s with marks 2022 and photos of his sketches with attached fabrics. The media received press-release and lookbook of drawings called “Ralph Rucci Spring Summer 2022 Haute Couture Collection”. NOTHING has been produced yet – not in France, not anywhere else. The brand invited media and buyers to contact for the appointment. The participation at Haute Couture fashion week has quite a high fee. How desperate Federation of Haute Couture could be to accept this?!!
• Pharrell Williams appeared at the shows wearing a reproduction of extraordinarily rare Mughal spectacles “Halo of Light” or “Gate of Paradise” (XVII century spectacles, named by the owners Mughal Royals, India). Pharrell Williams, who became a new creative director of Tiffany, claimed that this is his original “custom-designed” glasses. Sotheby’s chairman Edward Gibbs told CNN that  “As far as we know, there are no others like them.” Production of exact copy, without mentioning the original, and presentation to public as  Tiffany’s new glasses created another international scandal.

Pharrell Williams reproduction for Tiffany & Co of Mughal spectacles - XVII century spectacles, India

• Chanel announced a new CEO, and the first woman leader Leena Nair. The Haute Couture house announced that Leena Nair, the former Unilever human-resources chief, would assume the role of CEO in January 2022. She’s replacing Alain Wertheimer, Chanel’s co-owner. She was supposed to come to Paris and see the team, see the Chanel Haute Couture show, and meet the media. And to the very surprise of all, she cancelled her presence and didn’t appear at the show, she didn’t meet the designer or the media.
• Chanel after giant controversy with the first edition of Chanel advent calendar 2021 issued in December 2021 ($825 price for the several stickers and freebies available with every purchase at Chanel + 1 perfume, 1 soap and 2 lipsticks) announced just day before Haute Couture fashion week that the prices for the Chanel bags increased to $10 000. It is practically double. This decision for unjustified prices right after pandemic, when economically everybody has weakened, brought another wave of negative public opinion, and will probably give backfire and another boycott from buyers of luxury goods.

Chanel advent calendar 2021 - $825 for 22 stickers and freebies

• Chanel Couture Spring Summer 2022 show started with Charlotte Casiraghi riding horse. Although this collection didn’t have any piece or look which is related to horse-riding. The collection was intended for a new CEO and presented the best pieces of Karl Lagerfeld redesigned by Virginie Viard, creative director of Chanel, for an occasion. Chanel has been pinned for attempting to become an equestrian brand, and a clumsy hit on Hermes fashion house.  Virginie Viard also decided to give a “black eye” to some models without special announcement. Apparently it was done simply to pay some special homage to battered women.
• Unusually “quiet” and dull collection of Christian Dior in black, navy, gray, and brown also surprised the guests and big public. And also the same day Dior released a fabulous book about John Galliano from 1997-2007 with the designs of great designer. This is not just a different time of the Dior house. This is two different worlds – talent and banality. And it looked like two different forces in Dior house ripping it apart. Christian Dior belongs to LVMH luxury group.
• LVMH luxury group announced Louis Vuitton fashion house is not defining itself solely as a fashion house, but as a true “cultural creation company”. The fashion house sells “desire” and “culture” rather than watches or dresses. Louis Vuitton, its flagship, is described as a “cultural brand with a global audience” which also reaches a very large clientele in generation Z. This is a big and quite important step as from this moment on fashion becomes a cultural attribute, which can and should be protected as a cultural heritage. 
• Pierre Cardin,  a fashion house known in the 1960s for the futuristic fashion style, made its relaunch under the new direction of nephew of the designer Rodrigo Basilicati-Cardin. Fabulous show took place at Le Bourget, and the runway was installed under the Space Rocket Ariane 5.

That was a rich fashion week by its news and difference announcements.

And on a personal note: “Fashion” dressed, or more likely ridiculously dressed people, who are hanging around the entrance to the fashion shows, more and more becoming public laughing stock. Add here when they interviewed – they are appallingly stupid, and have no idea about fashion industry, they are here to show themselves, like some sort of rotten “fashion leftover”.

Fashion can be an expression of personal feelings, a statement, and can be considered as an art… but not anymore. When it was started more than 40 years ago it made sense  – fashion became a concept, an attraction, much more than expression of a personal style. Vivienne Westwood is a very good example. Although today it is just ridiculous, and more and more fashion is associated with this ridiculously dressed crowd, less and less public have an interest in fashion. If fashion luxury brands are not intended to change it – the gap between luxury fashion brands and the public will be much larger than it is today, which will lead to massive financial losses.

Already today people don’t follow the fashion shows and new trends dictated by luxury brands, as it was before. Many people don’t even know the names of the luxury brands. As an example, Fendi Haute Couture show this season was watched live only by 4000 people all over the world, youtube and instagram put together. And the number of buyers may not even come to a couple of hundred. That is how little interest the public have today to the massive production of luxury goods and the luxury industry. Something to think about.

Haute Couture Spring Summer 2022 Best of

This Paris Haute Couture fashion week was very rich by the events. The effect was like an earthquake. Shake it, shake it, baby, but not stir! It’s been a long time when everything became some sort of routine for the designers, media and buyers.

But apart from that what about the fashion and style? What actually designers showed for the Spring Summer 2022 season? And what actually can become a trendsetter?

Christian Dior showed the collection in black, navy, gray, and brown. Very simple looks, the “quiet fashion”, as Maria Grazia Chiuri, creative director of Dior, called it. The silhouettes are very simple and casual. See all looks of Dior Couture Spring Summer 2022 HERE.

Dior Haute Couture Spring Summer 2022 by RUNWAY MAGAZINE

Schiaparelli, as being said, showed a collection of the looks so well chosen and reinvented from Pierre Cardin, Thierry Mugler, and Jean Paul Gaultier, with slight difference that these looks meant for Kanye West and his new adventure and production. Suzy Menkes, known independent fashion expert, called it “Schiap show”. See all looks of Schiaparelli Couture Spring Summer 2022 HERE.

JP Gaultier for Stephanie Faracy - Hocus Pocus 1993 vs Daniel Roseberry for Schiaparelli HC Spring Summer 2022

Lebanese designer Georges Hobeika showed wonderful and very fresh looks. This Spring Summer collection included several very cute long and short cocktails dresses. What I personally like here is that collection is not attached to the one country codes. This dress I can easily see in New York, Paris, or Milan. And I can definitely wear one. See all looks of Georges Hobeika Couture Spring Summer 2022 HERE.

Georges Hobeika Haute Couture Spring Summer 2022 by RUNWAY MAGAZINE

Chanel for this season finally made a beautiful come back to Karl Lagerfeld looks, this sparkle might light up Chanel once again. This collection has been very criticized by brand lovers for the quality, by experts for absence of the one line of the collection, by influencers and “watchdogs” of fashion for taking on Hermes market. “Black eye” given to some models (with make up of course) didn’t give any comments of public, as it was simply not understood. See all looks of Chanel Couture Spring Summer 2022 HERE.

Chanel Haute Couture Spring Summer 2022 by RUNWAY MAGAZINE

Carla Bruni fabulously appeared for Didit Couture Spring Summer 2022 advertising campaign. Radiant and graceful, former First Lady of France, former model, lighten up the sky over Haute Couture fashion week this season. See all looks of Carla Bruni for Didit Couture Spring Summer 2022 HERE.

Carla Bruni for Didit Hediprasetyo Couture Spring Summer 2022

Valentino presented its Couture Spring Summer 2022 collection in the form of old fashion presentation/show under flag displayed on the Valentino’s building on Place Vendome, “Anatomy of Couture”. Creative Director Pierpaolo Piccioli brings the world close in a reimagined Salon de Couture: stripped of distraction, and singularly focused on his latest collection. An expression of physicality, a look into infinite shapes with the collection of Valentino “Anatomy of Couture”. I personally find this collection wonderful. Even the looks were not new, many of them are recreated by the designer from previous seasons, but garments were adapted for all shapes and ages. See all looks of Valentino Couture Spring Summer 2022 HERE.

Valentino Haute Couture Spring Summer 2022 by RUNWAY MAGAZINE

Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Spring Summer 2022 collection is another ode, another poesy. He has such recognizable style. Golden fluid shiluettes, and this time the accent made on the jewelry, giant, absolutely magnificent jewelry. See all looks of Stephane Rolland Couture Spring Summer 2022 HERE.

Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Spring Summer 2022 by RUNWAY MAGAZINE

Elie Saab Haute Couture Spring Summer 2022. It was another fabulous show. Yes, Elie Saab is a Red Carpet designer. And the gowns he presents every season are created to praise femininity and grace. See all looks of Elie Saab Couture Spring Summer 2022 HERE.

Elie Saab Haute Couture Spring Summer 2022 by RUNWAY MAGAZINE

Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture Spring Summer 2022. Jean Paul Gaultier collection this season presented by designer Glenn Martens from Y/Project. Glenn Martens is Creative Director – Diesel, and his own brand Y/Project. “This is a celebration of Gaultier. I’ve stayed close to the woman Jean Paul created in the past—pure diva goddess beauty,” – said Glenn Martens in his notes. He reinvented the iconic marinière with barely visible constructed lines in his own way. “Jean Master” tried to reach the iconic look of Gaultier by waiving the lines up and down. I personally find it like a great success. See all looks of Jean Paul Gaultier Couture Spring Summer 2022 HERE.

Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture Spring Summer 2022 by RUNWAY MAGAZINE

Franck Sorbier for Haute Couture Spring Summer 2022 created another poesy,  “Ode of Life”. Probably this is the first time Franck Soriber created something very joyful. See all looks of Franck Sorbier Haute Couture Spring Summer 2022 HERE.

Franck Sorbier Haute Couture Spring Summer 2022 by RUNWAY MAGAZINE

Fendi Couture Spring Summer 2022. The story of this Fendi Haute Couture collection by Kim Jones is a story told by Fendi is a fantasy from past to the future. The historic codes of the city, its marble statues and aesthetic, are explored by creative director of Fendi Kim Jones. I personally find this collection “disoriented”, as if Kim Jones had so little interest to making it, he just used paints, like anybody else, on fluid fabrics, and patch couple of embroideries on the gowns. Collection was presented in France, so let’s give to Marianne, the female allegory of Liberty, a runway. See all looks of Fendi Couture Spring Summer 2022 HERE.

Fendi haute Couture Spring Summer 2022 by RUNWAY MAGAZINE

Ziad Nakad Haute Couture Spring Summer 2022. For this Haute Couture collection Ziad Nakad took a woman as a jewel. The choice of models as his muses for this season he came to France, Australia, Georgia, United States, Germany, Netherlands, and Korea. He wanted to dress the women from around the world. This collection is his statement that beauty is universal. See all looks of Ziad Nakad Haute Couture Spring Summer 2022 HERE.

Ziad Nakad Haute Couture Spring Summer 2022 by RUNWAY MAGAZINE

Pierre Cardin “Cosmocorps 3022” show was absolutely amazing finale for this so “disturbed” Haute Couture fashion week. This show was not just a tribute to the pioneer designer of “space” fashion but a magnificent relaunch of the brand, relaunch of the trend started in the 1960s. The Pierre Cardin show 2022 – Cosmocorps 3022 took place at Le Bourget Air and Space Museum, known to the world by its exposition of the plains, space rockets and the exposition of all important innovations and technologies related to space. Thousands of guests were invited to make the voyage from Paris to Le Le Bourget. We passed through the museum, accompanies by the robots, and following the lights, leading us to the Space Rocket Ariane 5, we came to the installed runway. See all looks of Pierre Cardin show 2022 – Cosmocorps 3022 HERE.

Pierre Cardin show 2022 - Cosmocorps 3022 Le Bourget by RUNWAY MAGAZINE

Well…. I love Happy endings. And that was it. Let’s also paraphrase “Pierre Cardin saved more than a day, he saved Haute Couture fashion week”. And we’ll continue Happily Ever After Haute Couture stories from Paris next season.

Eleonora de Gray, Editor-in-Chief of RUNWAY MAGAZINE