Couture is the highest form of sartorial luxury, representing excess and exquisite craftsmanship. Paris Couture Week is a staple on fashion calendars where celebrities and tastemakers alike gather to appreciate the whimsy and wonder of couture creations by fashion’s visionaries. This year, the industry was unsure whether Paris Couture Week would take place at all because of protests in the capital centred around police brutality. Ultimately it was decided that the show would go on, and go on it did. Here, MOJEH rounds up our Paris Couture Week highlights.
Fendi Unveils The Fendi Triptych High Jewellery Collection
Image courtesy of Fendi
Artistic director of jewellery Delfina Delettrez debuted her first high jewellery collection for the House, Fendi Triptych. A celebration of Roman architecture and miracles of the natural world, the collection is presented in three chapters: Roma Rosa, which pays homage to the soft pinks utilised in Roman frescoes and mosaics as well as Silvia Venturini Fendi’s ready-to-wear collections; Gioiello Giallo, a celebration of Fendi yellow; and Bianco Brilliante, which highlights all-white diamonds. Further nods to the House include FF motifs, baguette-cut stones in reference to its iconic Baguette handbag and technical additions echoing Karl Lagerfeld’s Karligraphy motif from 1981.
Pierpaolo Piccioli Takes Valentino Back To Basics
Image courtesy of Valentino
“Simplicity is complexity resolved.” This quote by Roman sculptor and pioneer of minimalism Constantin Brancusi informed the Valentino AW23 Haute Couture collection where creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli took a pared-back approach to couture. Well, as pared-back as Valentino can be. A parade of streamlined shapes and classic, focused cuts were showcased on the runway – deceptively simple, of course, as Piccioli is a master of craft. Case in point? Kaia Gerber opened the show wearing jeans, however closer inspection revealed the denim was constructed from silk gazar and adorned in intricate beadwork. This metaphor, that all is not what it seems, was evident throughout every piece; draping, flat shoes, utilitarian silhouettes, all infusing preciousness into the everyday. Not to stray too far from flamboyant, Valentino’s signature feathers and flair did make an appearance.
Ashi Studio Makes History
Image courtesy of Ashi Studio
Helmed by Saudi Arabian designer Mohammed Ashi, Ashi Studio became the first guest member from the Gulf to be invited by Fédération de la Haute Couture for Paris Couture Week. The collection, titled The Essence, was inspired by Patrick Süskind’s novel Perfume in which an orphan is born with a heightened sense of smell. The haunting, romantic tale comes to life through sculptural creations mimicking the curves of perfume bottles; metres of billowing ecru hinting at fragrance trails; and embroidery replicating the equipment used in haute parfumerie.
Chanel And The Art Of Dressing The French Girl
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The Parisian woman has dictated fashion trends for decades; their effortless elegance, undeniable coolness and pared-back beauty have long been the admiration of It Girls worldwide. Chanel captures the essence of The French Girl by sending models down cobblestoned streets in the Maison’s classic tweed, kaleidoscopic florals and Mary-Janes with baskets of actual flowers in hand.
Maria Grazia Chiuri Pays Homage To Haute Couture Tradition
Photographed by Mélie Hirtz for Dior
Dior’s Autumn/Winter haute couture collection is an examination and celebration of haute couture archetypes. Maria Grazia Chiuri breathes new life into traditional silhouettes – the tunic, peplum, cape and stole – and was inspired by the femininity and power of Greek goddesses. The collection illustrates the cyclical nature of design and how past continues to inform the future. The pristine palette of gold, white, beige and silver makes for a regal collection that we predict will be a staple on red carpets come awards show season.
Thom Browne Makes Its Couture Fashion Week Debut
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You don’t get a second chance at a first impression. Thom Browne went all-out for its debut show at Paris Couture Week; the American designer reimagined his grey suit in spectacular fashion, sending 58 iterations down the runway. Over-the-top makeup, englarged suiting that bordered on optical illusion and theatrical headpieces were presented in front of an audience of 2,000 cardboard cut-outs.
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- Words by Savanna Smith
