The SPHERE Paris Fashion Week® Showroom, operated by the Federation of Haute Couture and Fashion (FHCM), will be returning to Paris Fashion Week starting September 25, 2024. With a mission to support emerging designers, FHCM has operated Sphere Paris Fashion Week^® Showroom with the support of DEFI and L’Oréal Paris since 2020.

The SPHERE Paris Fashion Week® Showroom brings together a group of brands invited to the official calendar or fashion prize winner, selected for their creativity and development potential. This year’s designers include ABRA, Charles De Vilmorin, Florentina Leitner, Lucille Thièvre, Maitrepierre, Paolina Russo, and Weinsanto.

The Women’s Spring/Summer 25 showroom session will occur at the Palais de Tokyo from Wednesday, September 25th to Tuesday, October 1st, 2024. A digital version will also be available by invitation with the help of Le New Black and Grand Shooting from September 25th, 2024.

SPHERE PARIS FASHION WEEK^® SHOWROOM DESIGNERS

ABRA*

ABRA was founded in 2019 by Abraham Ortuño Perez. A graduate of the Master of Arts at the Institut Français de la Mode, his designs play on the codes of his childhood by reinterpreting the wardrobe of the early 2000s. As an accessory designer for brands such as Loewe, Jacquemus and Coperni, the designer delivers an allencompassing experience from accessory to garment. A provocative simplicity that sets the brand apart and which, through a sensitive and inclusive approach, symbolises unbridled creation for all femininities.

Charles de Vilmorin

Charles de Vilmorin launched his house in 2020 by posting a few images of his creations on Instagram. In January 2021, he joins the Official Calendar of Haute Couture Week as a guest. A collection featuring hand-painted motifs that would become his signature. The same year, he was appointed Artistic Director of Rochas. In July 2023, his eponymous brand was once again featured in the Official Calendar of Haute Couture Week. Then, in October, he chaired the Fashion Jury at the Hyères Festival, and in December he took over as Artistic Director of the Galeries Lafayette Christmas, which he adorned with his unique creative imagination. He presented his first ready-to-wear collection in March 2023.

Florentina Leitner*

Combining a chic wardrobe with a delicate, feminine aesthetic, Florentina Leitner aims to inspire joy and freedom. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, Austrian designer Florentina Leitner began working with Dries Van Noten before launching her eponymous label in February 2022, based in Antwerp. Known for her 3D prints and flowers, Florentina Leitner offers unique and playful designs for women of all ages, produced in artisanal factories in Italy using eco-friendly materials. After joining the official calendar of the Paris Fashion Week® in September 2022, she won the Emerging Talent Award at the Belgian Fashion Awards.

Lucille Thièvre

After studying at L’École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, Lucille Thièvre joined Hermès and then Givenchy. She founded her eponymous brand in 2019. That same year, she was a finalist at Festival International de Mode de Hyères. With strong stylistic roots, the designer blends a sensitive and authentic wardrobe with a sustainable and ethical vision. Her career is deeply rooted in the creative ecosystem of the Ateliers du Wonder in Paris, where art, music, and know-how merge to inspire her unique creations. Each season, she demonstrates her love of jersey, borrowing from the vocabulary of swimwear to sculpt the body, the drape of shiny viscose, and iconic denim pieces.

Maitrepierre*

Alphonse Maitrepierre founded his brand in 2019, after studying at La Cambre in Brussels and gaining experience at Jean Paul Gaultier and Acne Studios. Maitrepierre combines old-fashion aesthetics with geek culture. His wardrobe is cheerful, optimistic, printed and colourful. In 2018, he unveiled his first bag inspired by a video game controller, later followed by a new line of bags inspired by the cake box. In 2021, he won the Prix de la Ville de Paris Marque Émergente and joined the Official Calendar of Paris Fashion Week® the same year. Since 2022, he has collaborated every year with Desigual on a collection made entirely from recycled materials and certified fabrics. He will also unveil his second collaboration with Carel at his next presentation.

Paolina Russo

Both graduates of Central Saint Martins, Paolina Russo and Lucile Gilmard bring together artisanal methods and industrial production, seamlessly connecting heritage craftsmanship and modern technology. The Franco-Canadian duo were finalists in the Woolmark Prize and the LVMH Prize in 2023. The London-based brand is supported by the 1 Granary platform. Winner of the first Zalando Visionary Award, Paolina Russo presents her collections at Copenhagen Fashion Week.

Weinsanto*

A graduate of the Atelier Chardon Savard, Victor Brunstein founded Weinsanto, the name of his maternal grandmother, in 2020 with the support of the Dover Street Market Paris incubator. From 2018 to 2020, he worked as an assistant designer for Jean Paul Gaultier, perfecting his skills and craftsmanship while unlocking his creativity. A semi-finalist for the LVMH Prize in 2022, he infuses his designs with the ideas of movement. A former dancer, he finds inspiration in the living arts. Each of his collections is seen as a stage production, that of his inspiration, his friends and muses.

To learn more about The SPHERE Paris Fashion Week® Showroom and FHCM please visit https://www.fhcm.paris/en/paris-fashion-week. For all these actions dedicated to emerging brands, the FHCM benefits from the continuous support of DEFI and L’Oréal Paris, Official Partners.

(*Indicates brands on the Paris Fashion Week® Official Calendar)

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Source: Paris Fashion Week, L’Oreal Paris, DEFI, ABRA, Charles De Vilmorin, Florentina Leitner, Lucille Thièvre, Maitrepierre, Paolina Russo, Weinsanto