Paris Fashion Week is my favorite fashion week after New York Fashion Week. While Fashion Week in New York is a staple to any designer or fashion brand’s calendar, I feel as though Paris Fashion Week is the time when all European fashion brands try to outdo themselves and showcase their very best collections.
I still remember falling in love with Paris as a 7-year-old when my mom took me to my first Paris Fashion Week. My mom took me to all of her favorite spots in Paris and told me stories from the times she had come to Paris for work when she was younger. As I grew older and visited Paris and the South of France year after year, I was able to learn even more about my mom through the recollections she recounted to me and the lives that she had lived when she was younger. Every year around this time, I look through the collections that debuted during Paris Fashion Week and ask my mom for even more anecdotes or stories.
On that note, Paris Fashion Week 2024 for Fall/Winter womenswear just ended and I wanted to take some time to look back on my favorite collections and pieces that debuted this season.
ENFANTS RICHES DÉPRIMÉS
I absolutely loved their collection this year. They had a dark grunge, almost vampire-inspired collection that reflected the current obsession with Y2K fashion and makeup. All of the models had dark eye makeup which wonderfully complemented the pieces that debuted. Enfants Riches Deprime always debuts collections and features pieces that have some sort of punk rock inspiration. This collection is no different. The patchwork and the distressed detailing allude to founder Henri Levy’s original collections. Even the runway in general held constant with this grungy, punk rock theme. Vintage automobiles were featured in the abandoned Parisian garage where the show was set. To add to the industrial vibe, the color palette of black, red, and gray was heavily emphasized throughout the collection.
RÓISÍN PIERCE
This collection contrasts completely with Enfant Riches Deprimes. The white, pure, almost bridal-themed collection is beautiful. The idea behind this collection is that each piece is a sort of love letter from a young girl to a divine God. Designer, Rosin Pierce drew inspiration from a tale about a lovely young girl who descended from heaven to make the earth a more wonderful place to inhabit. Pierce designed each peace with the idea that every debuted look encapsulates the love that the young girl has for Heaven, earth, and the world. The ivory crochet, flower chains, lace, and organza fabrics add to the dreamy, celestial theme that the collection was based around. Every aspect of the collection from the handcrafted organza to the consistent use of a flower motif, to the halo-like headpieces that the models wore was thoughtfully and intentionally included. I loved how dreamy and light the collection was and how all of the pieces seemed to be floating on or behind the models as they walked down the runway.
Carven
What I particularly loved about Carven is how simplistic and restrained all of their looks are. The clean-cut lines, the limited, muted color palette, and the refined fabrics that are used come together to deliver pieces that are sophisticated and fashionable. This is a brand that my mom likes in particular. She is particularly prone to wearing unisex pieces which are punctuated with girly and feminine accessories. This idea is emphasized in this collection. While every piece has a very masculine-feminine air, there are pieces such as wrap skirts and body-emphasizing lines that give an overall feminine feel. I love how interesting the silhouettes of the pieces are. Every look that was presented had a comfortable, flowing feel while also revealing the body in a subtle, alluring way. I particularly loved the all-black look that is shown in the above picture and my mom absolutely loved the multiple gray look that is in the lower left corner.
Chanel
I think the very first designer clothing piece that my mom bought me was from Chanel. So, of course, Chanel has a special place in my fashion heart. This collection was very classic Chanel which very clearly took inspiration from older Chanel classics. The classic Chanel tweed fabric, black and white color palette, layering of accessories, and headpieces were featured which I personally loved. The classic silhouettes against the nearly bare, black runway helped to accentuate the pieces that were debuted. My mom loved the all-creme outfit that is in the above picture and she said that she will definitely take inspiration from this runway to choose her outfits this coming season. I have always loved the way that Chanel uses accessories to highlight and complement their pieces. I feel like the headwear, the belts, and the jewelry add so much to the looks and elevate them.