As we say “Au Revoir!” to Paris Fashion Week, let’s review the highlights from such a memorable week. The designers showcased an eclectic mix of themes, similar to those that have caught our attention from the last three fashion weeks.
Romanticism
Alexander McQueen // Giambattista Valli // Valentino // Noir Kei Ninomiya
Throughout New York, London, Milan, and Paris fashion weeks, there was one theme that was used by many designers – romanticism. Each week had its own rendition of romanticism, in Paris it was both moody and dark.
We saw dark tones mixed with traditional silhouettes, ruffles, leather, and sweetheart necklines from Alexander McQueen.
Giambattista Valli was true to brand with a mix of florals, ruffles, and flowy fabrics. Valli incorporated harsher tones, such as blacks and browns which contrasted with the blush pink and baby blues.
Valentino referenced romance through the various garments that had “kissing lovers” and printed roses on them.
An honourable mention goes out to Noir Kei Ninomiya as almost all of his models had a red rose headpiece that contrasted with the dark modest silhouettes.
Femme Business
Givenchy // Hermès // Balenciaga // Thom Browne
The second theme that Paris Fashion Week popularized was the Femme Business women. There were many renditions of tailored suits and coordinating outfits from designers.
Givenchy incorporated bold shoulders and flared pants in the suits, as well as belts that cinched the waist.
Hermès played with structure and length through the different styles of boxy and long jackets, reaching just below the hips or the knee. These jackets were paired with skirts or straight-leg pants.
Balenciaga exemplified the boxy suit style throughout the collection with long jackets that touched mid-thigh. These suits were crisp with clean lines and single or double-breasted jackets, adding more variety to the collection. The colours were rich and pigmented which contrasted the black and grey toned suits.
Thom Browne’s specialty in suits keeps everyone guessing what he will do next. Browne has reinvented all of his suits with different textures, shapes, patterns, and silhouettes. He adds a Parisian touch to each suit making every look clean, effortless, and timeless.
Eclecticism
Louis Vuitton // Miu Miu // Altuzarra // Chanel
The third unifying theme seen at Paris Fashion Week was eclecticism.
Louis Vuitton took eclectic to another level with street wear being the fundamental inspiration. Even though there were many different styles, they came together to make a cohesive collection.
Miu Miu used a mix of femme florals and sheer fabrics with harsh camouflage and furs to add to their eclectic theme.
Altuzarra layered pattern texture and colour to give an eclectic vibe. Some looks had a relaxed, comfortable feel, while others were formal.
Chanel’s farewell collection to Karl Lagerfeld combined classic Chanel tweed looks, oversized coats, traditional silhouettes, bold coloured suits, and Nordic sweater and skirt pairings. The feminine designs from this collection touched on many of Lagerfeld’s known styles.
