By FashioningLife
Although Couture Week AW24 officially starts on July 3rd with Schiapparelli, a few houses decided to do differently and presented their collections the day before. Here's a roundup of what happened yesterday.
Home of couture and fashion, Paris has also been the center of animated riots following the murder of a 17 year old teenager by a police officer. But despite a tense political context, Couture Fashion Week doesn’t seem to be shying away, with houses determined to show their collections this week. Whilst Hedi Slimane from Céline decided to cancel his show, stating that he felt out of place hosting a show in such a climate, the iconic houses Patou and Alaïa decided to proceed with their collection.
Performed on the bridge named after Senegalese-French poet and Politician Léopold Sédar Senghor, linking the Musée d’Orsay to the Jardin des Tuileries in the 1st Arrondissement, Alaïa’s collection was an elegant display of today’s fascinating concept that is “quiet luxury”. Pieter Mulier, creative director of the House since 2021, created a lot of mystery around his upcoming collection by sending a foldable chair as an invitation to his 200 guests. A beautiful homage to Azzedine Alaïa, the house’s founder, who died in 2017, who was famous not only for his extensive collection of art, but also his interest for architecture and structure which could be seen in his designs. The guests were of course invited to bring the chair to sit on during the show.
Maison Alaïa & Patou AW24 couture shows
Patou’s Guillaume Henry, on the other hand, offered a fun and playful collection, inspired by Disco and Parisian parties, with some looks seeming perfectly fitted for Margot Robbie’s Barbie Movie press tour. Taking place in the historic auditorium Salle Wagram, the oldest ballroom in the French capital, just a few metres away from the Champs Elysée, the collection felt like a joyful take on contemporary chic attire. “Tonight, it was [about] dancing in Paris, and the desire for clothes for cocktail hour and for evening.” as explained by the French fashion designer. On the menu for the night was: bright colours (bright orange, fuschia and turquoise), baby doll dresses, butterfly sleeves, oversized bows and golden chain belt for a functional yet fun result.
It is with Schiaparelli that Paris Couture Week officially opened, and it is safe to say that Daniel Rosberry will keep his crown of Couture’s little prodigy. This time around, no negative controversy for the Italian-house, following its previous collection featuring faux-animal heads, but on the contrary, Roseberry drew inspirations from some of the most famous and talented artists for an homage to the art world. Freud, Matisse, Mirò, Klein, and of course Dalí, were the muses of this Fall Winter Couture show with clear references to their art. Klein Blue, hand painted brush prints and mirrored mosaic blended harmonically with the usual house’s codes such as golden trompe-l’oeil accessories, surrealist and gigantic shapes and crystals embellishment. As per usual, the American Designer presented a beautifully crafted collection that respected and honoured the eccentric Elsa Schiaparelli while acknowledging its new role in the 21st century.
Dior & Schiaparelli AW24 couture shows
Schiaparelli was followed by another notable name of Couture week, Iris Van Herpen, and while the collection felt slightly underwhelming, it is not for a lack of imagination. Inspired by her own origins, the Dutch designer developed a show around the concept of Floating Cities. Aware - if not alarmed - by the potential impact of sea rising on such a low country like the Netherlands, Van Herpen developed complex shapes finished off with 3D-printed knee-high boots. Although the garment felt very loyal to the house’s signature looks, her usual details for the craft felt lacking, while some garments did not live up to Van Herpen’s intricate story telling.
And of course, the day wouldn't be complete without the iconic house of Dior unveiling their collection. Maria Grazia Chiuri, known her feminist statements, drew inspiration from Greek-goddesses to create a contemporary and neutrally toned collection. As described by the show notes, the idea behind this show was “the re-reading of myths [and] how the seemingly familiar can be viewed afresh through a contemporary prism”. Directly inspired by the Roman-toga, the models walked down the runway in elongated and flowy shapes, in gradients of white and black. Per usual, the set décor was made by an artist, more specifically Marta Roberti, whose work was reinterpreted in large scale embroidery pieces.
Couture Week has a lot to give us, including Thom Browne, Chanel, Stéphane Rolland, Balenciaga and Valentino, who will be delivering highly anticipated shows until July 6th.
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