As the curtains closed on the 2024 Paris Couture Week, a breeze of aesthetic restoration swept through the fashion world. This magnificent event stood out not only for its visuals but also for its technical excellence, enchanting audiences with the realistic and wearable aspects of haute couture. Here are our notes from the atmosphere focused on wearable works of art that closed on Thursday.
Dior Creative Director Maria Grazia Chiuri, drawing inspiration from Dior's rich archive, approached the vocabulary of fashion with pragmatism and sensitivity. Decorated with the silhouettes of Isabella Ducrot's grand Ottoman dresses, the set intertwined with feminist messages. While the recent innovations expected from the designer may not have found their place in the '24 Couture Week, Chiuri's outspokenness, consistency, and wearable designs once again emphasize the brand's strong stance.
Chanel's creative director Virginie Viard maintained the brand's enduring allure with intricate collections, offering a wide range of captivating pieces from ruffles to tweeds, from short and elegant designs to voluminous ones. Viard, focusing on the lightness and semi-transparency of tulle, brought a new perspective to the fashion world with designs that are not always easy to understand, sharing multiple stories simultaneously in the couture show.
Giorgio Armani's Armani Privé collection offered surprising freshness by defying aesthetic currents. Color, sparkle, and exotic references reflected Armani's courage to maintain leadership in the fashion world despite being at the helm of a ninety-year-old company and even seeking new avenues.
The collaboration between Simone Rocha and Jean Paul Gaultier is crowned with a striking collection that offers emotional depth this season. The perfect blend of rough and childlike with flashy and seductive opens up new possibilities in the fashion world by highlighting Rocha's original vision. There's a visible flow of romance in the collection. Gaultier's seductive legacy design archive allows Rocha to embark on an exploration of the infinite complexity of femininity beyond innocence, resulting in mutual tears of joy.
Pierpaolo Piccioli's Valentino collection dazzles with its glittering and colorful designs while remaining true to the brand's heritage design ethos. Piccioli, who is in top form and reaffirms his status as a master colorist, showcases couture by modernizing shapes and occasionally drawing inspiration from sportswear in parkas and cargo pants.
Daniel Roseberry's Schiaparelli collection represents an aesthetic transformation. Focusing on bold silhouettes and strong designs by abandoning different set decorations, Roseberry is on the path to becoming the boldest partner on the red carpet. The collection, bearing many influences from Alexander McQueen in its details, strikingly illustrates how change and reality affect fashion.
Pieter Mulier's Alaïa collection explores a new softness that embraces the female body while remaining faithful to the brand's heritage. The evolution of Alaïa couture, where ready-to-wear products are entirely steeped in masterful and technical details, is very fitting for this season, where technique takes precedence over imagery. Kim Jones, creative director of Fendi, presents a delicate collection by coolly merging structure with decoration. Aside from the draped and ribbed knit pieces enveloping the body, the architecture of the dresses takes center stage.
The wildly celebrated garment transformation powers of Maison Margiela Creative Director John Galliano leave a unique admiration in the fashion world. Reflecting the corrupted atmosphere of the Belle Epoque, these collections create a nostalgic and progressive balance, establishing a unique bridge between fashion's past and future. The show was a memorable fashion moment from every angle, seeming more like a Galliano than a shadow of Margiela.