The four main fashion weeks are New York, London, Milan, and Paris. There are other fashion weeks in cities such as Copenhagen, Los Angeles, Singapore, Vancouver, and many more. This week was the end of Paris fashion week. Since the four main fashion weeks have passed, it makes sense to reflect on some of the highlights and the influences of those pieces. Due to the number of shows that have occurred over the past month, only a few will be focused on. If you are interested in learning more about the fashion shows that have occurred (recently and further back), some amazing resources include Vogue Runway’s website or app, HauteLeMode on YouTube, and FF Channel on YouTube. These resources are easily accessible, and great starting points to either learn more about fashion or gain a better understanding of some of the influences and aspects of fashion. The shows that will be discussed today are Ann Demeulemeester S/S23, Coperni S/S23, and Gucci Twinsburg.
Ann Demeulemeester: First, a brief background on the house itself. This is a Belgian brand that primarily is showcased at Paris Fashion Week. They are known for their dark yet still elegant looks that have excellent tailoring. In the S/S23 show, the brand held true to what they are known for. Every look has a well-tailored silhouette that perfectly highlighted and complimented the models. According to Vogue Runway, the collection was a study between light and dark. The palette of the 42 pieces was black and white. What made this show stand out from some of the others were a couple of things: the tailoring and the story. Well-tailored pieces always stand out to me when looking at runway shows. A lot of shows have pieces that are pinned to fit a model’s body. If a piece is well-tailored, you either don’t notice the pins as much or there may not be any. In the pieces from this collection, it looked as if every piece was made for the model that wore them. The next aspect that stood out is the story. When looking at the collection and reading about it, it seems to be about more than just contrasts of light and dark. There appeared to be some whimsy in a few of the pieces which may suggest characteristics of the color that the designer may have seen. Perhaps the designer found light colors to have more fantastical themes than dark or vice versa.
Coperni: This is a French brand that is based in Paris, and has been around since 2013. There were a few things in this show that stood out, including a solid gold Swipe bag, dresses that had pieces of glass embroidered into them, and of course, the Fabrican moment. If you have not seen a video of this runway show, please go look at it. The pieces in this collection were incredible and they were each unique in their own way. The most shocking moment of all was the display of technology. This was the moment that a dress was made on Bella Hadid on the runway. The liquid used to make this moment happen is called Fabrican. This substance is a spray-on fabric made of polymers and natural or synthetic fibers. It has been incorporated into looks in the past, however, what made the usage of it this time unique is the fact that the dress itself was made on the model on the runway. It felt reminiscent of Alexander McQueen S/S99 where Shalom Harlow wore a white dress on the runway that was then painted by robots. Incorporating technology into the runway is what makes certain shows so memorable. When well-executed, it can have a huge impact that sets the designer apart and showcases the model.
Gucci: Twinsburg is the latest collection by Alessandro Michele for Gucci. Michele is currently the creative director of Gucci and came up with the concept of the S/S23 show. The inspiration behind Twinsburg came from his mother who is a twin. For the show, 68 sets of twins were cast as models and walked down the runway in matching attire. Gremlins were found throughout the show on bags (or being used as bags), printed on pants, and hidden in plain sight. The reason for the reference to Gremlins is because, in the movie, they multiply when wet. The color scheme of the show was not entirely set, there were many patterns and neutral colors, but there were also some standout pieces. There appeared to be some whimsy intertwined into the looks that were presented, which is rather on brand for Michele’s Gucci. Many of the clothes seemed to reference or hold similar silhouettes to 1970s and 1980s fashion. There were even some pieces that appeared to draw inspiration from the 1990s. One of the patterns, in particular, that was used, looked reminiscent of one of the patterns used for Cher and Dione’s outfits early on in the film, Clueless. All of the references that have been picked out up to this point are interesting as some of them seem like they may connect to references from previous Gucci collections (specifically Gucci Love Parade). The colors and some of the silhouettes felt like a continuation of some of the inspiration for the previous collection. The cohesion from show to show is brilliant and displays a beautiful evolution for the brand.
This article only covered a couple of brands that primarily showed their collections at Paris Fashion Week. Even though the emphasis of these shows is focused on that week, it does not dismiss the collections showcased at other fashion weeks or other shows in general. To see more of what occurred over the last month, definitely check out the resources mentioned earlier in this article. You may find new inspirations for your outfits, or just enjoy looking at the clothes. Regardless, enjoy!