And so the spectacle of Fashion Week has ended, and I think most of us can agree that it was as much of a visual treat as it was beautifully chaotic. But before the start of every show comes a hush of importance: the runway show invitation itself. Maybe it’s the switch around of creative directors this season, but the show invitations were particularly exciting to see. Seemingly humble, yet they’re essentially the first glimpse into a new chapter for the house, all contained in that little invite.
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And amongst the many, a few stood out. Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel era opened with a dainty silver necklace featuring the double C emblem and a tiny house-shaped pendant. The real surprise came with a peephole glass window at its centre—look into it, and you’d find the show details. Then there’s Glenn Martens’s first ready-to-wear line for Maison Margiela: the invite came in the form of a sleek recorder engraved with the label’s name—maybe a hint of the hauntingly mesmerising orchestra that would play during the show.
We all loved Louise Trotter’s debut at Bottega Veneta, and the invite itself came with a crafted twist. Packaged as a block of leather, it was cut so precisely that it could be unfolded into a small latticed tote—a nod to the brand’s signature weave. And for Jonathan Anderson’s Dior, guests received a silver-grey box containing a porcelain plate topped with walnuts and hazelnuts, inspired by barbotine plates from Christian Dior’s vaisselier.
Pierpaolo Piccioli’s Balenciaga came with a musical iteration that looked deceptively simple—a cassette player and tape holding a single recorded heartbeat—introducing his first collection titled The Heartbeat. And over at Valentino, Alessandro Michele sent out an envelope containing tiny vials filled with glow-in-the-dark fireflies, referencing Pier Paolo Pasolini’s 1941 letter where the insects symbolised fragile light surviving in darkness.
All in all, the romance of receiving a carefully thought out invite marks the start of an experience with the collection, a little sneak peek if you will. From Maison Margiela’s recorder invite to Chanel’s charming house necklace, see below for some of the best runway show invitations from the season.
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Balenciaga
Consisting of a cassette player and tape, the recorded heartbeat is a nod to Pierpaolo Piccioli’s debut collection titled The Heartbeat.
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Dior
Inspired by barbotine plates from Christian Dior’s vaisselier, guests received a porcelain plate topped with walnuts and hazelnuts.
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Bottega Veneta
Bottega Veneta’s invitation was a thoughtfully cut out block of leather that transforms into a tote when extended, echoing the brand’s signature weave.
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Bottega Veneta
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Maison Margiela
For Glenn Marten’s ready-to-wear line debut, guests received a recorder chicly engraved with the brand’s name.
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Valentino
Valentino’s invite came in the form of a humble envelope that contained tiny vials filled with glow-in-the-dark fireflies, a nod to insects symbolising light surviving in darkness.
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Valentino
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Courrèges
For Courrèges, guests received a sleek pair of black sunglasses—a fun added accessory option to wear to the show itself.
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Chanel
Blazy’s debut at Chanel started off with a dainty necklace with a tiny house pendant: featuring the double C emblem and a glass window at its centre where invitees can peep the show details.
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Gucci
The film screening invitation from Demna contained a 20th century Gucci crest with an accompanying certificate of authenticity.
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Chloé
Chemena Kamali welcomed Chloé’s spring/summer 2026 season with an invite in the form of utility—a vibrant porcelain ashtray.
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Givenchy
For Sarah Burton’s second show for Givenchy, the invite arrived in the form of a leather clutch with two keys—containing show details—dangling from a bordeaux cord.
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Givenchy
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Celine
Michael Rider’s spring/summer 2026 show invite came in a sleek white packaged gracefully wrapped in a knotted silk scarf.
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Loewe
Marking the new era of Loewe with Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez at the helm, guests received a handcrafted leather invitation embossed with either a bottle opener or corkscrew.
