ss24 fashion month dior
Image: Dior/Adrien Dirand

SS24: The complete guide to fashion month

04 Sep 2023 | Updated on: 05 Sep 2023 | By Zoe Gunn

From the season’s hottest new names to major creative debuts at big-name houses, here’s everything to expect from New York, London, Paris and Milan

New York Fashion Week kicks off on 8 September 2023, marking the start of a busy SS24 fashion month that will see swathes of fashion editors, models, influencers and industry professionals once again head out on the New York-London-Milan-Paris circuit. Whether you’ve managed to secure your tickets to the FROW or will be admiring the collections from afar, there’s plenty for fashion fans to look forward to this season.

From new creative direction debuts at Gucci and Helmut Lang, to the hugely-hyped return of Phoebe Philo, to the new names we predict that everyone will be talking about, here’s your essential guide to the SS24 fashion month.

New York Fashion Week, 8-13 September 2023

There’s been a lot of speculation about the future of NYFW over the past few years. The general consensus among industry insiders is that it has lost its way a little, with big-name houses taking their shows elsewhere, diminished travel budgets deterring European editors from attending, and the lack of a central hub leaving those that do having to contend with a schedule that historically gave very little consideration to the realities of Manhattan traffic.

In SS23, presentations from Fendi and Marni gave NYFW a sense of international importance, but the February schedule was largely packed with emerging names. Even Tom Ford, the former president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), opted out. So, will SS24 be any different?

The big news is that Ralph Lauren is returning to the NYFW runway after a four-year hiatus; a vote of confidence that will surely bouy the other large houses, including Michael Kors, Carolina Herrera, Tory Burch and Altuzarra, who have remained loyal to New York. Elsewhere, Peter Do will kick off proceedings by unveiling his debut collection for Helmut Lang, while Gabriela Hearst will show the first collection for her eponymous label since announcing her departure from Chloé. Conspicuous in his absence, however, is current CFDA president Thom Browne, who took the leap across the pond this year, showing his first couture collection in Paris in July.

London Fashion Week, 15-19 September 2023

While the London fashion scene will be grieving the loss of Christopher Kane, long one of LFW’s tentpole names, after the Scottish designer’s eponymous label announced bankruptcy earlier this year, there’s still plenty to look forward to.

Traditionally the most experimental of the four major fashion weeks with a strong reputation for nurturing up-and-coming designers, SS24 will see debuts from exciting talent including LVMH Prize semi-finalist Aaron Esh and a fresh crop of young designers supported by talent incubator Fashion East. Not in the industry? Over at the Design Museum, Rebel: 30 Years of London Fashion opens this month celebrating the three-decade legacy of the British Fashion Council’s Newgen programme, which has been responsible for establishing the careers of designers including Molly Goddard, Simone Rocha, Mary Katrantzou and Erdem.

Elsewhere, the LFW schedule offers up a reliably solid list of established names, including Roksanda, Richard Quinn, JW Anderson and Emilia Wickstead. Be sure to tune in for Daniel Lee’s second outing for Burberry which, after last season’s eccentric take on British countryside chic, promises to be quite the highlight.

Milan Fashion Week, 19-25 September 2023

While there will be plenty of fashion behemoths showing at Milan Fashion Week – Prada, Fendi, Armani, Versace, Tod’s, the list goes on – the name that will be on everyone’s lips is Gucci. This season will see the house finally unveil its new direction under Sabato De Sarno, the creative director it poached from Valentino back in January following the departure of Alessandro Michele. Will he lean into the whimsically romantic codes honed under Pierpaolo Piccioli at Valentino, embrace the colourful quirkiness of Michele’s Gucci, or opt for something entirely different? Find out on 22 September.

There’s change over at Tom Ford, too, where long-standing in-house designer Peter Hawkings will show his first collection as creative director at the brand, having taken over from the eponymous founder earlier this year. Elsewhere, Gucci alum Simone Bellotti will make his debut at Bally, and Moschino will showcase its first collection without Jeremy Scott at the helm. Perhaps proving difficult to replace thanks to his singular, maximalist vision, Moschino is yet to appoint a successor to Scott, instead enlisting a collective of stylists to create its SS24 collection.

Paris Fashion Week, 25 September – 3 October 2023

It's boom time over in France, where Paris Fashion Week has extended to a mammoth eight days, boasting a schedule bolstered by fashion giants such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Saint Laurent, Valentino, Hermès and Loewe. There are also a few welcome additions to this season’s schedule, including the return of Maison Margiela, Mugler and Peter Do, the latter giving himself some recuperation time after showing with Helmut Lang at NYFW.

After five years away from the show circuit, Carven will also make a comeback during PFW under new creative director Louise Trotter, while Marni is jumping ship from Milan to stage a special show at Karl Lagerfeld’s former residence on Rue de l’Université. Casablanca fans, too, will finally get to stop stealing their other halves’ statement jumpers as the French brand unveils its first womenswear collection and a healthy contingent of houses, including Alexander McQueen, Victoria Beckham, Kiko Kostadinov and Stella McCartney, will be flying the flag for British fashion.

Keep your eyes peeled for developments on the launch of Phoebe Philo’s eponymous brand during Paris Fashion Week as well. While nothing official has been announced, it would feel remiss of LVMH to pass up the biggest fashion week of the year as an opportunity to launch its biggest new investment.

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