After a four-year hiatus, Guy Laroche is reclaiming its place on the Paris fashion scene. The luxury house, which had remained largely silent since the pandemic, marked its return with an exclusive cocktail event at the Hôtel de Crillon on the final day of Paris Fashion Week, March 11. The occasion served as the launchpad for Mathilde Castello Branco, the newly appointed creative director, who unveiled her first ready-to-wear collection—a sophisticated, versatile wardrobe deeply rooted in couture craftsmanship and proudly made in France.
Mathilde Castello Branco – ph Marc Philbert
To reignite its ready-to-wear line, Guy Laroche turned to a seasoned designer with an impressive background in luxury fashion. Trained at École Duperré and Atelier Chardon-Savard, Mathilde Castello Branco began her career at Hermès, working under Martin Margiela, before spending a decade at Lanvin alongside Alber Elbaz.
Her expertise expanded further as she took on creative leadership roles at Azzaro (2011-2012), Princesse tam.tam (2013-2016), and Weill (2017-2021). Most recently, she dedicated herself to a personal project, crafting a wardrobe built around hand-painted silk pieces.
“Stepping into a house with such a rich heritage is a privilege,” says Castello Branco, who took over the Guy Laroche studio just over two months ago. With her first collection, she laid the foundation for a modernized vision of the brand—one that makes women’s lives easier without compromising elegance.
Her approach focuses on versatility, creating timeless pieces that seamlessly mix and match, allowing women to effortlessly adapt their looks. The fourteen silhouettes presented can transform into twenty-eight outfits. At the same time, accessories—including shoes, berets, and glamorous gloves—are crafted from the same fabrics as the garments, ensuring a cohesive total look.
“The clothes are meant to be played with, to be owned by the woman wearing them. It’s all about mix and match,” explains Castello Branco, who sourced flannel, lightweight wool, plongé lambskin, and silk mousseline from France, Italy, and England, while the denim comes from Japan. Production is handled by the Lyon-based atelier Grain de Tailles, led by Alexandra Berthet and Sophie Plaindoux, specialists in tailoring and wool craftsmanship.
A look from Guy Laroche fall-winter 2025/26 – ph DM
Every piece in the collection is precisely cut and thoughtfully designed. The iconic shirtdress, initially created by Guy Laroche, has been reimagined as a coat dress for fall-winter 2025/26. A cape features a reversible plaid design, offering two hand openings and a hidden gusset with a zipper, allowing the wearer to adjust its volume. A flannel top transforms into either a zippered jacket or a billowy blouse, depending on how it’s worn. Another clever design? A pleated skirt and top duo that comes together as an elegant silk jersey evening dress.
Innovation extends to the smallest details: a gray flannel dress conceals invisible pockets seamlessly integrated into its flap design. A skirt with a back zipper lets the wearer adjust the slit height, while an ultra-delicate mousseline corsage fastens with hidden snap buttons.
“Couture is essential, but it should never feel forced,” says Castello Branco, who is committed to reviving French elegance with a short supply chain and a 100% made-in-France production model.
“It’s a fusion of couture and ready-to-wear,” adds CEO Hendrik Penndorf.
Established in 1957, Guy Laroche built its reputation in haute couture, shaping the elegance of its era. Since its 2004 acquisition by Hong Kong-based YGM Trading, the brand has leaned heavily on licensing, with handbags, watches, jewelry, and eyewear driving much of its revenue. Now, with a fresh creative direction, Guy Laroche is making a bold move to reclaim its place at the forefront of luxury fashion.
Carine Roitfeld and her son Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld have unveiled Players, a new sports and media venture that launches for SS25 with Restoin Roitfeld as editor-in-chief and NBA star Dwyane Wade as its first guest editor. Carine Roitfeld is co-founder and head of fashion.
The fashion and multimedia brand is fronted by a bi-annual “collectors magazine” and will expand into “custom publishing, limited edition capsule collections and exclusive collaborations with top athletes and designers”, we’re told.
The duo said that Wade’s role in the inaugural issue sets the tone for Players’ “unique blend of high fashion storytelling, cultural influence and immersive brand experiences”.
Restoin Roitfeld added: “we are building something beyond the magazine – an intersection of fashion, culture and sport that speaks to a new generation of readers and collaborators.
“This venture will open doors for a new wave of creatives – writers, stylist photographers and designers – who have never worked with the CR team before, bringing fresh perspectives and storytelling to players. It will also really find how brands are featured, placing them in unexpected factors and collaborations that feel disruptive, modern and culturally irrelevant”.
They believe that the “fusion of sports and high fashion has never been more topical. Social media has transformed athletes into the new style stars of today”.
As mentioned, it will be more than a magazine and beyond editorial storytelling will foster a global network of creatives athletes and fashion insiders with the aforementioned custom publishing and product drops elements also key to creating a durable brand.
In-the-news Debenhams has turned its attention away from corporate matters to tell us the brand is heading to the races. The digital department store has signed a two-year partnership deal to sponsor The Jockey Club and its premier racecourses.
Specifically, the ‘Debenhams Day Spa’ is to launch at four of the UK’s key fixtures, creating “unrivalled moments of glamour and excitement” to deliver immersive race-day beauty experiences at some of the most prestigious fixtures on the racing calendar across 2025-2026.
It all begins with the upcoming Cheltenham Festival (15-18 March), followed by Epsom’s Derby Festival (7-8 June), Sandown Park (5-6 July), Newmarket’s July Festival (12-14 July), and the Grand National Festival in 2026.
We’re told the partnership unites “two British icons in retail and racing, blending Debenhams’ legacy of championing personal style and self-expression with The Jockey Club’s heritage of elegance and performance”. And the aim is “creating a modern space for racegoers to indulge in the very best of fashion and beauty from Debenhams”.
The Day Spas are luxury pop-up destinations that will provide spectators with interactive beauty moments and touch-ups using L’Oréal Luxe products (Lancome, YSL, Prada, Armani and Viktor + Rolf).
The spas will also feature pieces from the Coast at Debenhams fashion collections.
Beyond race-day activations, the partnership includes year-round branding across The Jockey Club’s 15 racecourses, “delivering consistent exposure to race-day audiences and an average ITV viewership of 400,000 across 85 fixtures annually”.
Dan Finley, CEO of Debenhams, said: “Horse racing embodies elegance, excitement and unforgettable memories – values that align perfectly with our ethos. Our Debenhams’ Day Spas will offer racegoers an irresistible opportunity to unwind, indulge and feel their very best throughout the day.”
Best-know for its trainers, New Balance is increasingly turning its attention to the comfort/leisure footwear sector.
Described as a “new market opportunity for New Balance”, the introduction of the new ‘Made in UK Allerdale’ comes about as the brand “looks beyond only retro running by capitalising on a shift towards a more formal and tailored approach to fashion”, according to New Balance creative design manager Sam Pearce.
The ‘Allerdale’ is the latest addition to its ‘Made in UK’ collection with the all-new model “combining the brand’s “walking shoe heritage and contemporary design for a more formal aesthetic”.
Designed for both “comfort and elegance”, the Allerdale’s craftsmanship and style is paired with the brand’s signature FuelCell cushioning comfort technology.
The model features a cupped sole unit, with heavy-duty stitching and a hiking-inspired tread. Made with premium leather and suede, the shoe is finished with minimalist branding marked by an embroidered flying New Balance logo.
Pearce added: “Building on the legacy of our revolutionary Hiker models, and our lesser-known walking collection of the 1980s – which were also made in England – this design was born and named by its very surroundings. The ‘Allerdale’ is a modern expression of a classic style, built for those who want to walk their own path.”
The Allerdale, in brown leather, will be available globally online from 20 March.