I love that Paris Fashion Week puts a cap on fashion month because let’s face it – the Big Apple’s a tad bit underwhelming, London is more invested in looking ‘posh and obscure,’ Milan has a bit of an identity crisis and then there’s Paris. All guns blazing, total chaos but in the best way possible. We literally got Gigi Hadid walking the runway in DHL tape before GTA 6, couldn’t have been more iconic.
Paris Fashion Week has a certain ‘je ne sais quoi’ that translates effortlessly with its groundbreaking showcases, jaw-dropping moments and the tussle between legacy houses to adopt newer moulds whilst staying true to their original signature. Yes, I hear the Valentino chatter in the background, it’s loud. Safe to say, this edition too, gave us a gazillion reasons to stay glued to our phones and here’s a lowdown of the key five showcases that dominated it all.
Christian Louboutin
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What a show! For Paris Fashion Week 2024, Christian Louboutin wowed audiences with a synchronised swimming show at the Piscine Molitor, featuring professional Olympic artistic swimmers. The Art Deco pool, designed by Lucien Pollet in 1929, was transformed into a vibrant spectacle which enlisted renowned artists, including music video director David LaChapelle and choreographer Blanca Li, along with fourteen dancers and fifteen artistic swimmers for an underwater performance.
The oversized shoes doubled as functional slides and props. Cherry on the top was the designer himself jumping into the pool, via the slide. Iconic.
Valentino
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As we all know, Alessandro Michele led Gucci until 2022, transforming the brand since helming it in 2015. As the Creative Director of Valentino, Michele’s debut runway for Valentino showcased old Hollywood glamour fused with an ethnic tinge. Enter ample sightings of fur stoles, dazzling jewels, and flowy gowns featuring feathery details.
While a lot of parallels are being drawn to his previous outings at his ex-maison, in my opinion, Michele successfully brought forth his signature ruffles, layers of pearls, and lace tights, in a bid to blend his unique style with the brand’s heritage. Harry Styles, Florence Welch, Elton John, and Jared Leto were all present in the front row. Saba Tod’s might’ve eye-rolled a little, no doubt.
Schiaparelli
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Daniel Roseberry infused a casual vibe into the Spring ’25 Paris Fashion Week collection for the French maison, which to everyone’s surprise showcased travel-friendly pieces after a rigorous bout of high-octane couture in the previous seasons. The lineup included metallic-knit dresses in bold colours, hourglass-shaped animal-print denim, and versatile stretch corsets.
Emphasising comfort and elegance, the collection’s knit and sporty designs paid homage to Elsa Schiaparelli’s original vision of ‘pour le sport.’
Vetements
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I’m just hoping Gigi got out of it safe and unscathed. Phew. She donned a body-hugging, strapless minidress made entirely of the iconic yellow wrapping tape featuring the red DHL logo which was transformed into a luxurious runway piece for Paris Fashion Week. The collection emphasised unconventional materials, showcasing dresses made from repurposed clothing and newspapers.
ICYMI, Demna, Balenciaga’s creative director and co-founder of Vetements, has previously created a line focused on tape, prompting many fashion enthusiasts to recall Kim Kardashian’s 2022 Balenciaga tape bodysuit when they saw Hadid on the runway. Very cool. He also had Travis Scott open the show and I’d just like to credit his bookings team for knocking it off the park with this one.
Alexander McQueen
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Second’s time the charm, I guess? Sean McGirr’s Paris Fashion Week collection prominently featured metal embellishments – spotlight on that silver flower on a jacket which also extended to accessories, even cascading from a portable mirror carried by one model. The show opened with fitted jackets that seemed to have their lapels sewn shut, highlighting McQueen’s signature sharp tailoring.
This was followed by two all-white looks – a flowing gown reminiscent of a banshee ghost and a minidress variation of the same design. Sean’s finally figured out a way to combine Alexander, Sarah and his own sensibilities and I couldn’t be happier to see my favourite maison bag the limelight once again.
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