The Paris mega-party mixes fashion and sport

Vogue World, one of the biggest fashion events of the year, arrives in Paris on Sunday, bringing together top French designers for a rare joint Olympics-themed show.

The event, which will be attended by 500 hand-selected guests at the stunning Place Vendome, comes midway through Paris Fashion Week's haute couture and menswear shows.

Here's what we know about the event in this summer's Olympic host city:

The concept

Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour told AFP in February that the outdoor show will be “a mix of fashion show, entertainment and spectacle… and a few surprises.”

The date was not chosen at random, June 23 being International Olympic Day.

The idea is to combine different sports (such as cycling, gymnastics, tennis, taekwondo and breakdancing) with eras of French fashion since 1924, the last time the Games were held in Paris.

There have been two Vogue World events in the past: a street fair in New York in 2022 and a tribute to London's theater scene in 2023.

As the Vogue magazine business struggles to stay relevant in the online world, Wintour is looking for entertainment shows to keep the brand alive.

Front row tickets to the New York event cost $3,000. Pricing has not been revealed for this week's show.

The guests

The guest list is also a secret, but the promotional video features top models Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner, and actress Isabelle Huppert, trying out various sports.

Most of the 500 seats are reserved for A-list celebrities, and the event will be hosted by British model and actress Cara Delevingne and directed by Sam Wrench, who has overseen Taylor Swift's Eras Tour.

It is rare for brands to present shows side by side, but the event will bring together almost all the big names in French fashion at once: Balenciaga, Balmain, Chanel, Courreges, Dior, Fursac, Givenchy, Hermes, Jacquemus, Jean Paul Gaultier, Lacoste, Lanvin, Louis Vuitton, Marine Serre, Rabanne and Saint Laurent.

Pharrell Williams, hip-hop mogul and creative director of Louis Vuitton, said at the February press conference: “I have to say that taking over Place Vendôme is pretty legendary.”

He added that the show would highlight “true French style – what we see on the podium, what we see on the boulevards – with an inclusive spirit.”

Congestion

Place Vendôme, headquarters of the French Ministry of Justice, was an ideal location for the organizers, as it is also known as the heart of high-end jewelry in Paris.

But the police were reportedly less interested given that central Paris is already facing considerable congestion as a result of preparations for next month's Games.

Vogue World hopes to ease the burden by offering a donation of one million euros to a charity, French Popular Relief, which fights poverty and discrimination.