Photos courtesy of the labels
If there’s one event that can take us out of daily doldrums – it’s Paris couture week. For a few days, under the watchful eye of Célin Dion – who once again showed up at the shows in head-to-toe designer looks that rivalled the pieces walking down the runway – the world’s best craftsman bead, feather and design the hell out of garments that thrill and inspire. From the kinetic sculptures at Iris Van Herpen to the premiere show of Lagerfeld’s successor at Chanel, he’s the looks that made our jaws drop.
Faux fur drama at Gaultier
While more and more designers are joining onto the fur-free bandwagon, Jean Paul Gaultier is giving cruelty-free showmanship. He instead relied on his mastery of trompe l’oeil to create the illusion of the real thing using flamboyant animal prints and genius feather application. But alongside the animal kingdom looks were stunning geometric pieces. The star of the show was the closing look – a white tulle creation that draped down from a cone like a circus tent with a billowing train that completely swallowed the model; Gaultier’s version of a bride, if you will.
School uniforms at Margiela
Photos courtesy of Maison Margiela
Illusion seems to be a trend at this couture week. A house known for their subversion of conventions, Maison Margiela stuck to the theme for their dystopia-meets-high fashion presentation. There were plenty of nods to traditional couture in the form of bustiers, trains and dramatic silhouettes, but there were plenty of details that might make you do a double take. What appears to be a gown is actually an oversized pair of trousers that’s been sliced open, turned inside out, and transformed into an abstraction of a bustier with a billowing, perforated skirt. Traditional schoolboy vests & shirts are paired with garter belts and thigh high boots. The conventional notions of gender, along with those of couture, seem to be turned completely upside the head for this collection inspired by an instinctive search for legitimacy in a time of digital excess.
Wooly ornamentation at Valentino
Photos courtesy of Valentino
While other designers embraced the technological developments in the fashion world, it’s evident there were painstaking hours of human labor that went into the Valentino Haute Couture presentation. “You can feel the humanity in it,” said creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli at a pre-show press conference. Truly a feast for the eyes, there was a sea of handworked embroidery, floral appliques, hand painted bouquets, and woven headpieces, made even more dynamic in brilliant and sometimes unexpected color combinations. Held against the backdrop of the exquisite Rothschild villa and its gardens, the show was optimistic and romantic. One of the many heartwarming moments of the show was when Piccioli brought out the white coat clad ateliers that worked tirelessly on the collection in an emotional finale, lauded by the founder of the house himself, Valentino Garavani, who sat in the front row. And that’s not even touching on the diverse casting, which we’re sure will make this show a standout of this couture season.
The library is open at Chanel
Photos courtesy of Chanel
In her debut couture show for Chanel, Virginie Viard presented a collection that oozed all the effortless Parisian elegance and understated glamour and synonymous with the French fashion house. Paying homage to her predecessor Karl Lagerfeld and the house’s namesake Coco Chanel who were both avid bibliophiles, Viard chose to set the show in a library-inspired setting, with mahogany bookshelves reaching toward the ceiling and providing the perfect backdrop to a collection that retained something of a school mistress vibe with floor-length tweed overcoats, full skirts, ruffled collars and oversized spectacles.
Hypnotic geometry at Iris Van Herpen
Photos courtesy of Iris Van Herpen
The Dutch designer sent a collection of hypnotic sculptural creations down the runway, inspired by the kinetic artworks of American artist Anthony Howe. Models sported futuristic and flowing artworks, passing through Howe’s ‘Omniverse’ installation whose mechanical rotating tendrils mirrored the softly curving forms of the illusory designs. Van Herpen’s finale dress was nothing short of a show-stopper – created in the image of Omniverse, the piece featured an outer cage of undulating feather-adorned wirework that produced the effect of delicate wings ready perhaps to transport the model to an ethereal alternate universe.
Faceless camp at Aganovich
Photos courtesy of Aganovich
French label Aganovich had ghostly, mannequin-like silhouettes parade looks that featured full-length white dresses punctuated with frothy layers and ribbon detailing, and offset with black top hats. Embellished lip detailing marked the only feature on otherwise covered faces. At once extravagant and camp, the series also maintained an understated elegance thanks to the monochrome palette, minimalist tailoring and textures of crushed velvet and chiffon layers.
Haunted house at Dior
For the Dior show, Maria Grazia Chiuri transformed the house’s historic Parisian atelier at 30 Avenue Montaigne into a dark and shadowy haunted mansion complete with a gnarled tree and ghostly forms printed onto the walls. The collection itself reflected the macabre mood, comprising gothic pieces in heavy materials and adorned with black feathers, veils and bejewelled chokers. Models tread through the gloomy interior before stepping out into a whimsical floral menagerie that continued the fairy tale effect. One outfit stood out in a sea of black – the opening look featured emblazoned with the slogan “Are Clothes Modern?”, the name of an essay penned by Christian Dior’s contemporary Bernard Rudofsky who mused on how the wearability of clothes informed their ability to be innovative. Comfortable couture, what a revelation.