From a self-proclaimed “Fashion Girl” (I saw Sex and The City once…)
I love slingin’ fits and pretending that campus is a runway, but my slays are miniscule in comparison to what was on the runways at Paris Fashion Week in January. There were, however, some common themes on the catwalk: Are the trendsetters also fashion followers? To answer this question, I will be going through my favorite collections and looks, celebrating the extravagant and ignoring the extra-boring. No matter how lackluster, fashion is fashion, and this week was one for the books (or fashion house catalog… your choice).
Now I am no god, but I will be on this Judgement Day (nondescript weekday) as I sit on my throne (work computer).
Also, just a warning, you’re going to hear this god say structure a lot.
1. CHANEL- THE BUTTON, Jan. 23, 2024
Chanel’s show was characterized by a lot of tulle, tweed, and more structured silhouettes. There was also a lighter color palette and a lot of silver. The looks were very balanced, as something immodest, plain, or structured was paired with something modest, embellished, or flowy. All the models wore white tights and black heels (I WILL be wearing that combo). Some looks (most notably Margaret Qualley and Amelia Hamlin’s) had a high collar that reminded me of the Elizabethan Era. Textures, embellishments like flowers and bows, layers, sparkles, and color blocking were utilized to give the outfits more dimension beyond their structure.
Models were flushed and dewy with little to no jewelry, which allowed you to focus on the outfits and added a gamine touch. The colors were presented in a gradient from white to black to BAM which I thought was a very cool detail. The collection as a whole reminded me of springtime in the city. My favorite was Look 18- a black a-line dress with a deep v-neck, a trail of buttons, billowing sleeves, and a white a-line tutu for volume, and it was SICKENING.
Upon seeing the first few pieces, I wasn’t exactly blown away, but I was in awe once the looks started playing around with color and silhouettes. Chanel tends not to stray too far from the classic silhouettes and tweed that they know and love, but it works out beautifully for them. Creative Director Virginie Viard’s use of bows in the hair and on the clothes made me wonder if she were following an internet trend, instead of the other way around. Chanel has such a clear, feminine blueprint, which allows the common folk (aka us) to incorporate some elements into our everyday wear.
Photo by Isidore Montag for Gorunway.com
2. Schiaparelli- Haute Couture Spring 2024, Jan. 22, 2024
Schiaparelli’s collection played around with metallics and chunky embellishments like huge gems and buckles, as well as the color black, sheer fabrics, and shine. One look was laced up along the model’s spine, one had clear spindles along the back, and another had knots all over, which were reminiscent of quills. I thought those details were so unique to the collection. Vogue described the show as “Schiapar-alien,” and they are 100% correct. Some of the looks seemed like something Florence Pugh would wear in Dune, or Childlike Empress would wear in The Neverending Story (once she looks like an adult of course).
This wasn’t even on the runway, but one of my favorite looks was Hunter Schaffer’s look, which was a long black dress with an ornate gold flower around her neck. It was mesmerizing. Stunning. Drop dead gorgeous. On the runway, my favorites were Look 7- a dress filled with jewelry and the guts of old computers; Look 16- a sparkly champagne dress outlined with silver gems and draping around the backside; and Look 30- a completely sheer dress encrusted in rhinestones with a black scarf.
If I could describe the collection in five words or less, I would say “Otherworldly Empress Extravaganza.” Schiaparelli continues to follow their own rules- or maybe the rules of a different galaxy- and hopefully it will stand the test of time.
Photo by Isidore Montag for Gorunway.com
3. MAISON MARGIELA- COUTURE SPRING 2024 Jan. 25, 2024
Set in an underground bar that has been around since Paris’s old romantic era, Margiela’s collection was unlike anything I’ve seen. Its early 20th-century aesthetic was characterized by a darker color palette, opulent tones, and mixed textures. The dark and heavy structure was balanced out with sheer fabrics and lighter bodices. The accessories looked like they clawed their way out of an heiress’s attic in the best way, and the hair was teased up and out in random shapes or covered with ornate hats. What went viral, though, was the amazing porcelain doll makeup done by Pat McGrath, which tied the vintage aesthetic together and took away from the darkness of some of the looks. It was DIVINE and added so much complexity to the show.
If it wasn’t obvious, the makeup was my favorite look of the show. Besides that, my favorites were Look 7- a green sweater loosely draped and paired with a dark teal skirt with olive green tassels covering it; Look 13- a dress made entirely out of sheer black fabric and a creme-colored corset cinching the waist; Look 28- a completely sheer full body dress dyed to look like watercolor, with a creme corset underneath, blush tulle layered at the knees, and a hat to match; and Look 41- a blue and white striped dress that cinches at the waist, a white leather chest-plate that looks like porcelain, and French Revolution-era hair.
This was one of my favorite shows overall. I audibly gasped upon seeing some of the looks. It felt like being transported to a time of unmatched and otherworldly creative suffering. Maybe it’s my ego and delusions about what’s actually in my closet, but I feel like I can give some of these looks a go. No one does catacomb chic quite like John Galliano.
Photo by Filippo Fior for Gorunway.com
4. COMMON TRENDS
Some common themes I saw across the board were embellishments, strong shapes, sheer fabric, metallics, and light creme colors against black. The most notable, however, were the embellishments and the sheer fabric. Embellishments allowed the designers to control where the audience looked, and it added some sparkle to otherwise flat ensembles. A sheer element was almost always incorporated into a look, either in the bodice, skirt, or all over. It added a softness to the intense shape of a lot of the ensembles. It also allowed for all body types to be celebrated, especially at the Margiela show. Instead of hiding the human body with layers upon layers of fabric, the fabric teases the audience with a glimpse of the human form.
All in all, the shows were simply magical, and now I want to build a time machine so I can travel to Paris in the 1920s and travel to the time before Paris Fashion Week so I can see these looks again for the first time. As for trendsetting, every trailblazer has to take inspiration from SOMETHING, right? Isn’t the revolutionary world of high fashion supposed to be ornate, indulgent, and just out of reach?
See the collections here: