People were very happy to be back at a Paris fashion week . . . eager, to the point that if someone had a migraine headache they would have suffered through it to attend a show if they had an invitation. It has been over a year since official in-person shows so, editors, buyers, and everyone in between were rejuvenated to be at the events they attended.
TRENDS
Designers like Rami Al Ali and Zuhair Murad, being Arab means you don’t design simplistically. They used a lot of gems, even garments made totally from crystals, and gems. Schiaparelli also used a lot of encrusted jewelry on clothes this season. Chanel used a lot of tweed on the runways with Dior using their quintessential tailoring in equestrian skirt suits.
The re-opened city of lights became instrumental for all runways shows. Venues from Paris’ Musée Rodin for Dior’s haute couture show, to the La Samaritaine department store, the newly renovated Hôtel de la Marine at Place de la Concorde, and the Bourse de Commerce contemporary art museum were top locations for haute couture week.
Drawing out the importance of textiles and tactile materials in the post-pandemic fashion world was the aim of Chiuri, head designer for Dior, and her creative team. Walking into the show space, the walls were covered in life-size embroideries recalling the Indian-inspired Salle aux Broderies in the Colonna Palace in Rome, which was designed as the backdrop for the show by French artist, Eva Jospin. The materiality of fabric became form, and the embroidery was transformed into something to be felt and experienced through the runway show.
The videos below highlight the Dior and Zuhair Murad shows where both designers presented stunning collections.
Allyson Portee
With a background in International Politics and having worked for a few years in Washington, DC, Ally has found herself in a totally different arena- fashion journalism. Ally has developed an eye for couture craftsmanship, as well as learning how to put intricate and detailed collections into words. Ally covers four Paris Fashion Week shows a year, as well as fashion shows by Arab and European Maisons, and she has developed relationships with some of the world’s most leading brands. When she’s not writing about fashion, she’s writing about faith-based topics.