Paris Fashion Week is part of the "Big Four" fashion weeks, including London, Milan, and New York. However, it is considered the most important of the four due to the high caliber of designers showcasing their collections. The week-long event features runway shows, presentations, and events held in various locations throughout the city. The event attracts top fashion editors, celebrities, and industry professionals from all over the world. It is known for its avant-garde designs, high-end fashion houses, and iconic fashion moments that have shaped the industry.
Paris Fashion Week is where the world's top luxury brands debut their latest collections, set new trends, and inspire the fashion industry. Designers such as Chanel, Dior, Saint Laurent, and Louis Vuitton are just a few examples of high-end fashion houses that showcase their collections.
In addition to established fashion houses, Paris Fashion Week also provides a platform for emerging designers to showcase their talent and gain exposure within the industry. This has contributed to Paris' reputation as a hub for creativity and innovation within the fashion industry.
Let's take a deep dive into this year's first Paris Fashion Week. What's new?
1. Heliot Emil: Burning Man
The outfit in question was a trademark of HELIOT EMIL, which was completely covered in black fire-resistant technical clothing, and was anything but simple; rather, it made a strong statement that actually set Paris Fashion Week on fire. With a distinctive toolbox-style bag in hand, the model elevated the silhouettes, materials, and designs that were frequently in HELIOT EMIL's Fall/Winter 2023 runway collection “Connected Forms” with the use of zippers, metal-capped drawcords, and an oversized finish.
Henry Moore's architectural, abstract sculptures served as the source of inspiration for this season. Because the British artist is well-recognized for using bronze, many of his sculptures are shown publicly. As a result, the sculptures' bizarre designs have taken on a natural polish and blended in with the surrounding landscape.
Image Credit: Vogue Runway, Heliot Emil
2. Courrèges: Models Texting on Runway
The Fall/Winter 2023 collection by Nicolas di Felice for Courrèges was inspired by his observations of people and the reality of how much of our lives are now spent on our phones.
The runway presentation's first couple of models came out as the LED screen was lit on her face, looking down at her phone. An AI-like voice that kept asking "Is the sky blue?" in the background throughout the collection served as a reference to the tech-centered theme.
Image Credit: Courrèges
3. Off-White: On the Moon
The second runway presentation he produced as the brand's art and image director embraced Virgil Abloh's meteor holes, which were represented by the enormous silver ball that was positioned in the center of a large field of red earth and stones.
The collection marked a significant development over his debut, resembling a luxury streetwear version of "District 9" and a futuristic Alaa.
There were some striking scenes in the show, including Naomi Campbell in a jersey gown suspended from a beaded rubber tire around her neck and male models leaving the stage wearing vivid puffer jackets and sunglasses with four lenses. The show was impressive and overflowing with ideas.
Image Credit: Off-White
4. Coperni: Robot Dogs
In the grand finale of its Spring/Summer 2023 runway show, Coperni literally sprayed a dress onto Bella Hadid's body, breaking the internet in the process. The Fall/Winter 2023 fashion show by Coperni opened in an open set using Boston Dynamics' well-known "Spot" robot.
Image Credit: Coperni
Models moved between the yellow, canine-like robots that were pacing Coperni's set as an ambient soundscape filled the room. Eventually, the Spot robots started interacting with the models. Before pulling the jacket off a model's shoulders, one of them displayed an arm that touched the model's face.
Afterward, a dog robot raised one of Coperni's brand-new bag designs in the air.
Image Credit: Coperni
5. Anrealage: Color Therapy
Previously collaborated with Fendi for the FW20 collection for four silhouettes with technical properties of the Italian house, Anrealage used UV lights to reveal colors and patterns for its FW23 presentation showing off their light-dependent color-changing photochromic fabrics.
There was also a new thesis: Morinaga considered the philosophical/biological concept of Umwelt—that our perception of our environment is defined by our capacity to perceive—to make the point that things are not necessarily what they seem to be.
Image Credit: Anrealage
6. Vivienne Westwood: She is Eternal
Similar to her memorial service last month, Vivienne Westwood's first presentation was held in the home she built after passing away in December. Her physical absence caused a real sense of loss. But what stood out, even more, was the joyful, vibrant feeling of her creative presence in a line that proved Westwood's place in fashion history was secure: Before making her farewell appearance on the Westwood runway, Sara Stockbridge was destroying her eye makeup backstage. She was joined by Sibyl Buck, Arnaud Lemaire, and Farida Khelfa. The show's finale featured Westwood's granddaughter Cora Corré wearing a ceremonially traditional—but also familiarly traditional in its cut—bridal ensemble. The pre-show gathering included both of Westwood's sons, Ben and Joe, and the atmosphere felt welcoming. Andreas Kronthaler, the widower of Westwood, said: "Today seems extremely supportive."
Image Credit: The Guardian, Vivienne Westwood
7. Ann Demeulemeester
The designer pulled looks from Demeulemeester's archive to direct the showcase and presented identical looks, one after the other, for men and women. Simply put, from Sernin's directorial debut on, the offering fell short and left something to be desired. Beginning with a uniform personality, co-ed clothing walked down the catwalk, offering corresponding male and female looks that alternated along the designer's gender-fluid spectrum. For instance, the first and last looks both featured floor-length silk skirts with a single feather, one in black and the other in white, covering the models' exposed chests.
Image Credit: Vogue Runway
8. A.P.C.
A.P.C. presents a collection that honors uniqueness, authenticity, and individuals for its first runway presentation since the epidemic. The Fall/Winter 2023 display, "Maman Je Sors Ce soir," or "Mom, I'm Going Out Tonight," was performed by high school seniors from Paris' Lycée Diagonale, where Judith and Jean Touitou's daughter studies.
The outcome was a collection that seemed genuine since the models were dressed in A.P.C., which added a touch of normality to the occasionally extravagant and theatrical Paris Fashion Week schedule.
Jean Touitou said: “The young people walking the runway are like our war veterans. They experienced the raging of the hormones in the parents’ bunker during the Covid crisis. They will be the flame of this show.”
Image Credit: A.P.C.
9. Rokh: Office Hours
Are you working in the workplace full-time now? Rok Hwang considered his ideal workforce to be dressed in "office basics." They ended up acting like they were "working" as they moved around the Garage Amelot's concrete floor, sitting at desks, gathering around photocopiers, pretending to place crucial phone calls on landlines, and gazing into outdated computer terminals.
10. Kimhekim: Dramatic Pearl Performance
Another inspired performance of a brand comes from Kimhekim. After Coperni’s interactive performance last season, we are face to face with something similar. Chains of pearls were scattered on the catwalk during the final exit of the model, who appeared almost naked, but wearing a headdress made of long strings of pearls. A minute later, these threads were loosened by the brand team and nothing remained of the outfit. The main message was to remove the framework, overcome the boundaries and release the true human essence. Seems familiar?
Overall, Paris Fashion Week is a celebration of fashion, creativity, and artistry. It brings together some of the most talented and influential figures in the fashion industry, and it is an event that fashion enthusiasts from all over the world look forward to every year.
Opmerkingen