Pierre Cardin
© AFP/File Patrick ValasserisPARIS (AFP) - Cardin, who turns 84 two days before his show on Tuesday, last unveiled his men's ready-to-wear line on the Paris catwalk in 1996 and plans to show off his latest creations on wooden mannequins.
"I still think I have something to say," the designer, whose career in the world of fashion spans 60 years after joining Christian Dior in 1946, told AFP in a recent interview.
A similarly, highly-anticipated show will be at Dior several hours later, with rumours circulating of the imminent departure of designer Hedi Slimane, in the midst of renegotiating his contract.
New faces among the 46 menswear shows are set to include Japanese label 0044, Vier5 Fashion Department of Germany and France's Francois Hadaya who is of Syrian origin.
However, a notable absentee from this season's line-up will be Emanuel Ungaro after the departure of designer Jose Levy, although the house plans to return to the catwalk next season.
And a number of well-established labels have opted for a presentation of their collections rather than a runway spectacle, including Balenciaga, Lagerfeld and Veronique Branquinho.
Japan's Naoki Takizawa, creative director for Issey Miyake's menswear for 13 years and womenswear for seven years, unveils his last men's wardrobe for the label on Friday.
The designer is gearing up to develop his own label within the Issey Miyake group and will be replaced by a new designer after the women's ready-to-wear shows in October.
©AFP