New Creative Directors Reshaping Fashion in 2026

2025 saw a huge shuffle of creative directors and designers, major players who had been with houses for years suddenly packing up and jumping ship. It was a big year of trades and swaps, and spring 2026 saw debut collections from major fashion houses like Gucci, Dior, Chanel, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Fendi. Many houses have recently found themselves with new directors at the helm, and most debuted for the Spring/Summer 2026 season, many familiar faces amongst them.

Balenciaga

Pierpaolo Piccioli took over as Balenciaga’s creative director following the departure of previous director, Demna. Piccioli was the creative director of Valentino from 2008 to 2024 and, following a short break, he was right back at it for his debut runway with Balenciaga for their summer 26 ready-to-wear collection. He’s been in the industry since 1990, working at Fendi for 9 years before his 25-year career with Valentino. He’s best known for his use of colour and structure in his designs, and he’s maintaining that notoriety at Balenciaga. In his debut, he paid homage to previous designers for Balenciaga, pulling classic silhouettes and pieces, reimagining the brand back to its classic, elegant aesthetic while retaining the edgy vibe that it's been associated with in recent years. 

(Photos courtesy of Balenciaga)

Gucci

Demna may have left Balenciaga, but he didn’t go too far. He has taken over as creative director of sister company Gucci, with the two brands under the same parent company, Kering. His debut runway was in February 2026 at Milan Fashion Week, titled ‘Gucci Primavera’, their fall/winter ready-to-wear collection. He’s bringing his iconic grungy streetwear vibes to Gucci, working with lace and leather, tight silhouettes, and a delicate blend of sexy and sophisticated pieces for both men and women. He’s not afraid to show a little skin, and the collection is giving us 1990’s rockstar girlfriend (and boyfriend)  realness.

(Photos courtesy of Gucci)

Dior

Jonathan Anderson took over as the creative director at Dior in 2025. He is the first creative director since Christian Dior himself to work across men, women, and haute couture categories. He made his debut with his first collections for men’s, women’s and couture for SS26. Anderson has always been an incredible visionary in the industry; his bold aesthetic choices, colours, shapes, and versatility are second to none. As the sole director for Dior now, he’s producing 10 collections every year, and each one has its own distinct style. His vision for Dior seems to be bridging the gaps between men’s and women’s fashion, including silhouettes and pieces reminiscent of the opposite-gendered lines in each runway, creating an aesthetic where they work in tandem with one another rather than as two separate lines.

(Menswear show. Photos courtesy of Dior)

(Womenswear show. Photos courtesy of Dior)

(Haute Couture show. Photos courtesy of Dior)

Chanel

Matthieu Blazy left his place as Bogetta Veneta’s creative director, a position he held for only 3 short years, to take over at Chanel after Virginie Viard’s departure. Like many designers on this list, his debut collection was presented at Paris Fashion Week for the SS26 season. His work for Chanel has so far been a beautiful contemporary blend of Coco Chanel’s original design work with his own modern spin. Iconic designs reimagined for a modern audience, similarly to Anderson, Blazy seems to be eliminating gender expectations in his designs, saying, “We will never communicate about the fact that we do menswear. There are just pieces that fit everyone.”

(Photos courtesy of Chanel)

Fendi

Maria Grazia Chiuri was Dior’s previous creative director for womenswear, but left her role in 2025, with Jonathan Anderson taking over all sections. She moved over to Fendi to take over as chief creative officer. She started her career at Fendi as an accessory designer in 1989 and left in 1999 with Pierpaolo Piccioli, the two working side-by-side as creative directors for Valentino from 2008-2016, when she left to head women’s collections at Dior.  Her first collection is for Fall 26 and was showcased at Milan Fashion Week in February. As one of the few women heading major fashion houses, Chiuri aims to draw attention to feminism through fashion. Her designs carry deeply powerful messaging and strong social stances while being beautifully empowering and liberating. Her return to the house she started in is a beautiful full-circle moment for Chiuri and Fendi.

(Photos courtesy of Fendi)

Maison Margiela

Glenn Martens, creative director of Diesel, took over for John Galliano as the director of Maison Margiela. Martens continues to lead Diesel at the same time in the same position he has held since 2020. His debut with Maison Margiela was for the co-ed SS26 collection, shown at Paris Fashion Week. One of his most iconic design elements is the structure he brings to his garments. His manipulation of fabric on the body gives his pieces unique shapes and textures. He’s not afraid to be playful with his designs, nor shy away from things that are strange or unconventional.

(Photos courtesy of Maison Margiela)

Mugler

Miguel Castro Freitas is Mugler’s newest creative director. He took over in April of 2025 and showed his first collection in Paris for Spring 2026. Freitas is an alum of Dior, Saint Laurent, and Dries Van Noten. His debut collection with Mugler is titled ‘Stardust Aphrodite’. His goal is to renew the iconic Mugler aesthetic through a series of collections, each embracing a “cliché” of Mugler. ‘Stardust Aphrodite’ embraces the cliché of glamour. Castro Freitas aims to blend the fantasy that Mugler is famous for, with a practicality that seeps into the everyday wardrobe. But that doesn’t mean he plans to play it safe. He plans to explore the multidimensional aesthetic that Mugler has rocked for decades, but not fall too much into reverence for the past. 

(Photos courtesy of Mugler)

Jean Paul Gaultier 

After its namesake founder retired, Jean Paul Gaultier had a five-year “collaborative era”, featuring new designers each season. Now, Duran Lantink has taken over as the next creative director for the house. His debut ready-to-wear collection showed during Paris Fashion Week for SS26. Lantink’s affinity for risqué designs was on full display, blending classic era Gaultier motifs with his own twists. The show featured countless standout looks, highlighting Lantink’s talents as a designer and his ability to reference while maintaining his distinct voice. The collection was eclectic, referential, and memorable. It was an incredible display of work, enough to make Jean Paul Gaultier himself cry tears of joy.

(Photos courtesy of Jean Paul Gaultier)