By FashioningLife
Credit: ©LOEWE, Photography by Molly SJ Lowe
Paris Fashion Week is finally over. After running between June 20-25, offering us 42 shows and 38 presentations of some of the world’s most notorious brands, here is what you may (or may not) have missed, and what to remember from this memorable season.
The World Is Menswear’s Oyster
Pack lightly, but smartly. That’s what brands are teaching us for our next planned trip abroad. Both inspired by travel, Lemaire and Acne Studios teach us that it’s not about the quantity of items you bring, but rather about the quality. The former’s collection, inspired by Cristophe Lemaire and his French-Vietnamese partner and collaborator, Sarah-Linh Tran, and a recent trip to Vietnam, teaches us an elegant lesson on transformability and versatility. Created out of breathable fabrics (airy cottons and flowy silks), all the pieces can be mixed and matched and adjusted according to the weather. Lemaire’s collection is a minimalistic success, thanks to a subtle work of layering via textures and shapes. On the other hand, Acne Studio teaches us how to look whimsical anywhere in the world. Drawing from the 17th century’s “Grand Tour”, during which young men would explore the continent throughout summer, the Swedish brand offered a maximalist approach to your summer vacation. With the same idea at its core: pack lightly, Acne Studios tells us that it's OK to accumulate things and pair them all together in a chaotic ensemble.
Doomsday
While some think of their upcoming vacations, others believe that there will never be room for travelling again. Reflecting on the state of the world, Rick Owens and Yohji Yamamoto offer a sombre take on the current state of the world. Both very faithful to their core artistic vision, the two eponymous houses explored the dyadic relationship between Good and Bad, Light and Darkness. In his own usual austerity, the Californian designer delved into “joy as a moral obligation”, as detailed in his show notes; “with our world conditions under increasing threat, jubilance seems like the wrong note, but maybe it’s the only correct moral response? Beyond being nice to each other, isn’t personal joy what we are put on earth to do?” As slender silhouettes would walk down the stairs of Palais De Tokyo, wrapped around with cinching, drapery-like tops and overly-long flared pants, the show proved to be an elegant, if not, slightly ominous take on personal joy.
As for Yohji Yamamoto, the Japanese fashion designer played around the dichotomies between Light and Darkness, as well as Rawness and Perfection. Inspired by many cultural fields throughout history, such as architecture, painting and literature, the collection, filled with the house’s signature black palette, is a beautiful exploration of ugliness in fashion.
Credit: Lemaire SS24 & Rick Owens SS24
The Rich & Famous
Paris Fashion Week saw an array of celebrities attend and even walk shows, this PFW certainly didn’t disappoint. Ami had French actor Vincent Cassel walking the runway, Marine Serre saw Teyana Taylor opening the show, followed by Svedaliza, Noah Cyrus, Yseult, and Anetha, with Miguel closing the show triumphantly, which was legitimately defined as an ode to music. Louis Vuitton opened the week with a history-defining show on the Pont Neuf bridge in Paris. A-List celebrities such as Rihanna, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Kim Kardashian, Zendaya, Lenny Kravitz and Lewis Hamilton, gathered in full support of Pharrell Williams’ first show for the heritage French house. Elsewhere Loewe, filled its show with 'Succession' stars Nicholas Braun and Brian Cox who were spotted sitting on the front row of Jonathan Anderson’s new show exploring Not-So-Quiet Luxury.
Epic Shows
In some instances, it was as much about the show as the actual clothes, for this season Dior and KidSuper both deserve an award. After 5 years at Dior Men, Kim Jones, whose work sometimes received mixed reviews, spectacularly celebrated his 5th year at the House with an over-the-top, celebrity-filled show. With Offset, Winnie Harlow and Demi Moore sitting frow, facing a long, empty stage, the guests witnessed the models rising from the ground through narrow trap doors on the floors, all of them dressed in typical Jones’ neutral yet embellished, and impeccably tailored suits.
Zendaya & Naomi Campbell at the Louis Vuitton SS24 Show
But it was the emerging designers who stole the show, New-York based brand KidSuper captivated the most attention. Deeply rooted in the designer's playfulness, love for the theatre, and never-ending creativity, Colm Dillane showed his newest collection in the form of an original play at le Théâtre de l’Odéon. Working with artists from various backgrounds, Dillane created a captivating story showcasing a masterfully executed and vibrant collection, faithful to his signature aesthetic. Proving, once more, that fashion is multifaceted and open for creative exploration.
Now that Paris Fashion Week is over, leaving every fashion lover to breathe again and assimilate everything that just happened, we will be preparing for Haute Couture, taking place in the French capital (again) from July 3rd to 6th.
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